Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

More TV superheroes...just what the world needs.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 2, 2019

Despite first appearing in comics several months before The X-Men, DC's Doom Patrol is sometimes regarded as a store brand version of that much more well-known superhero family -- basically, the Hydrox to Marvel's Oreo. Either way, these two comics represented opposite sides of the same cookie: both starred diverse super-humans rescued from a society that refused to accept them at face value, but Doom Patrol went a step further by making its titular characters resent their own abilities. Though created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney in 1963 (with obvious creative input by artist Bruno Premiani), Doom Patrol is perhaps best known for its complete takeover by celebrated Scottish writer Grant Morrison in 1989 after his Eisner Award-nominated run on DC's floundering Animal Man. Morrison shook up Doom Patrol considerably, offering a surreal take on the series while introducing bizarre new characters such as Flex Mentallo, Danny the Street, and Crazy Jane, whose multiple personalities each had their own unique superpower.

Of course, long-time fans of the comic already know that DC Universe's streaming adaptation of Doom Patrol is most closely tied to Morrison's output, serving up a suitably oddball blend of action, comedy, and profane absurdism that probably wouldn't fly on basic cable. Just as its source material marked the first time Doom Patrol was not submitted to the now-defunct Comics Code Authority for approval, the show was also never crippled by such restraints: until this Blu-ray was announced, DCU was the only way to legally watch it. (That's probably for the best: after all, who'd be more willing to accept such a series than DC fans rabid enough to pay for a monthly streaming service?) The gamble paid off, and Doom Patrol is now regarded as the best reason to subscribe to DCU...but even that's no longer a concern due to the first season's somewhat surprising but entirely welcome release on Blu-ray. All 15 episodes are presented on three dual-layered discs, supported by a very strong A/V presentation and even a few bonus features.

Considering the franchise's long lifespan and Morrison's deliriously whacked-out mythology, it's no surprise that these 15 episodes are anything but light entertainment. There's a lot to unpack and, if you're not familiar with the source material, chances are good that you'll spend the first several episodes scratching your head in disbelief and confusion. Yet Doom Patrol remains fiercely entertaining and surprisingly approachable after that initial learning curve, with each of its 15 episodes either building upon the last or thumbing its nose at all that rubbish. Our titular team is composed (composted?) of Cliff Steele AKA Robotman (Brendan Fraser, in a much-heralded return to glory), a former NASCAR driver and accident victim whose brain survives in a clunky, metallic shell; Negative Man (Matt Bomer), scarred for life after a cosmic entity entered his body during a flight mission; Rita Farr (April Bowlby), a former actress disfigured during an on-set accident who now literally struggles to keep her shape; Vic Stone (Joivan Wade), a technology-enhanced vigilante with a rich dad; and finally, Morrison's own "Crazy" Jane (Diane Guerrero), she of 64 distinct personalities and the unpredictable powers that go with them. They're led by Dr. Niles Caulder AKA "Chief" (Timothy Dalton), their de facto father figure who disappears, forming the basis of Season One's primary arc. Further weaving the broken narrative together is "Mr. Nobody" (Alan Tudyk), a reality (and fourth-wall) breaking super-villain.

Performances are excellent across the board, whether human or hiding behind a mask; though it's tempting to call Brendan Fraser's comeback the show's biggest highlight (or in turn, lay heaps of praise on Diane Guerrero for deftly pulling off a much more difficult role), I can't pick a favorite in good conscience. Everyone brings something different to the table and lends a certain humanity to their character, often balancing equal parts anger, frustration, and pathos with no shortage of self-deprecating humor along the way. Doom Patrol is a pitch-black comedy first and foremost, never afraid to poke fun at superhero conventions and clichés while kinda falling victim to several along the way, and maybe on purpose. From start to finish, this first season is clearly a labor of love, made by fans for fans to wade through its offbeat, anything-goes approach to storytelling. And luckily, it won't end up being "The Complete Series": Doom Patrol was recently renewed for a second season on DC Universe, allowing some of this season's loosest threads and dangling bits to get tied up sometime next year...or ignored completely. I'll watch either way.

Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an unconventional but nicely-framed 2.20:1 aspect ratio (which, as far as I know, is how the series was presented on DC Universe), Doom Patrol looks quite stunning on Blu-ray. These 1080p transfers offer a lot of support for the show's wildly varying and inventive visuals, which range from candy-coated primary colors to moody earth tones, sometimes brightly-lit but otherwise bathed in thick shadows. Skin tones and textures are a real highlight, especially the titular group's costumes and occasional superpower displays. Contrast levels are similarly strong with very few instances of banding, while only a few stray signs of compression artifacts could be found along the way -- this is largely due to the wise decision to split all 15 episodes onto three dual-layered discs, instead of only two as originally announced. For obvious reasons, I sincerely doubt that any streaming version can easily compete with what we get here: a strong, stable image that handles all of Doom Patrol's visual weirdness with energy to spare.

Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Not surprisingly, the default DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix is just as impressive, effectively balancing the surreal action and adventure with much more reserved dialogue-driven moments. Everything comes off without a hitch: speech is often anchored up front, superpower displays and other magic tricks make great use of surrounds and channel separation, epic moments fire on all cylinders, the low end gets a few workouts, and the music cues by Clint Mansell and Kevin Kiner are balanced nicely with very little need for sudden volume adjustment. It's a straightforward but very effective track that, like the show itself, isn't afraid to get a little creative when the situation demands it.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during each episode and all applicable bonus features; these are formatted nicely with no obvious sync issues and fit right within the 2.20:1 frame.

Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Doom Patrol: Season One arrives in a standard-width keepcase with an inner hinge, Digital Copy redemption code, and matching slipbox. It's a very attractive and space-saving design. On-disc bonus features are limited to a few odds and ends that don't add a great deal of value but are still worth a once-over, with the most blatant miss being the Titans first-season episode "Doom Patrol", where our heroes first appeared. Maybe next time?

• Deleted Scenes (7 clips, 8:15 total) - "Flit Returns to the Manor", "Larry Talks to the Bartender", "Jane is Dragged Away", "Cliff Daydreams About Clara", "Kipling Tells Miles About Morden", "Morden is Bored", and "Larry Wishes Rita Good Luck". These short moments are presented in 1080i and Dolby Digital 2.0 with no bookends.

• Gag Reel (4:35) - Pretty good stuff, except for the censorship. What the fuck, guys?

• Come Visit Georgia PSA (5:06) - Assistant unit production manager Ian MacGregor, director Demott Downs, line producer Gideon Amir, and location managers Sara Sheets & Sarah Williams briefly talk about shooting locations, scheduling challenges, and the creative shortcuts used to pass off rural and urban Georgia as...well, a lot more than that. Fun fact: Doom Patrol HQ is actually the old abandoned Coca-Cola mansion.

Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Doom Patrol: Season One was a breakout hit on DC Universe and, for many, the only best reason to subscribe to that streaming service. It's a subversive slice of superhero TV that gleefully carves out its own territory in an over-saturated genre, bolstered by interesting characters and a wonderfully unpredictable atmosphere that more traditional "channels" just couldn't get away with. With a second season slated for 2020, there's still plenty of time to get caught up...and thanks to Warner Bros., you can just buy this series on Blu-ray and make things easy. Although light on extras, the rock-solid A/V presentation offers plenty of support for its greatest strength: the episodes themselves, which are worth digging through more than once. Highly recommended to established fans and first-timers alike, although anyone completely unfamiliar with Grant Morrison's original run on the book might want to proceed with caution.