Doom Patrol #4 - DC

Blackest Night has finally come to Oolong Island. It's coming in the form of previous members, so . . we're getting a little history lesson at the same time. The first one we see is Arani Dasai, Celsius. She was also Niles Caulder's wife . . for a bit. Technically she still is . . he never bothered to get a divorce. She comes with the other members of her group . . Joshua Clay, Tempest, and Valentina Vostok, Negative Woman. And then Robot Man's original body, Clifford Steele, also shows up. It's much the same as the other Blackest Night stories. They show up and try to entice an emotional response, while targeting their hearts. But there are a few little neat tidbits that happen during this story. First of all, the Black-hole guy, you know from the Collider experiment . . he arrives on the island just before all of this happens. We see Rita's outburst when she finally deals with the intrusion of Steve Dayton's mind into her own. Basically, he's been a psychic peeping-Tom. But this is worse, because he can also control here. She's also mad at Niles because he had to have known what was going on. We find out that the Chief has rigged up some way for Cliff to download his memories and experience into a new body whenever an old one gets destroyed. I guess the Chief clones his brain and then leaves them waiting in empty receptacles. Somehow responsometers are also involved. Cliff is also keeping the used up bodies in a mass grave in his backyard. 'I keep count. Sue me.' But this still creeps Larry out. Also because Larry realizes this makes him practically immortal. Like I've said before, it's a creepy Doom Patrol tale as only Keith Giffen could tell it. I think he's doing a great job with this book. Justiniano does the art this issue. In the Metal Men back-up story, the Metal Men have some new competitors. It seems Professor Rumpus, from Helfer University in Evanston Illinois, has also created a new generation of robots. However, he's about to get thrown out on his rump because the University isn't happy with his results . . so they're cutting his funding. He just keeps complaining about how much more funding Will Magnus gets. However, he doesn't know it, because they're hiding it, his 3 robot ladies . . they look like mannequins . . are fully operational. They've just chose not to let him know. But after hearing him complain, they've decided to go out on their own. They're calling themselves Clique. However, they have to get a proper wardrobe before they can take over the world. A great story by Keith, JM DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire. So far . . I'm thrilled with this book. My only complaint? I wish it came out twice a month . . so I could get more of it.