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Doom Patrol Reading Order (The Silver Age, The Bronze Age, Grant Morrison, Gerard Way…)

Doom Patrol Reading Order

Created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, and artist Bruno Premiani, the Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The first iteration of the team appeared for the first time in My Greatest Adventure #80 (June 1963).

The Doom Patrol is not your ordinary superhero team. They are a group of super-powered misfits whose “gifts” caused them alienation and trauma. And this is why they are sometimes dubbed the “World’s Strangest Heroes”. Doom Patrol has known multiple iterations of the team and has been adapted to other media, more recently with their own TV Show.

Doom Patrol Reading Order

Volume 1: My Greatest Adventure with Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani (1964-1968)

Here are the members of the Doom Patrol during this era: The Chief (Doctor Niles Caulder), Elasti-Girl (Rita Farr), Negative Man (Larry Trainor), Robotman (Cliff Steele), Mento (Steve Dayton) et Beast Boy (Garfield Logan).

Drake and Premiani’s run is available in color:

In black and white Showcase editions:

In two volumes with softcover:

In omnibus form:

  • Doom Patrol: The Silver Age Omnibus
    My Greatest Adventure Vol. 1 #80–85; Doom Patrol Vol. 1 #86–121; The Brave and the Bold Vol. 1 #65; Challengers of the Unknown Vol. 1 #48

Volume 2 Part 1: The Doom Patrol’s Adventures From Showcase by Paul Kupperberg (1987-1989)

The new team is led by Celsius (Arani Desai), the Chief’s previously-unseen wife, with Robotman with a new, futuristic body. The Negative Spirit now possesses Russian cosmonaut Valentina Vostok, making her Negative Woman (although its presence does not render her radioactive), and Tempest aka Joshua Clay, a Vietnam veteran/deserter who fires energy blasts from his hands.

  • The Doom Patrol: The Bronze Age Omnibus
    Collects Collecting The Doom Patrol’s Adventures From Showcase #94-96, The Superman Family #191-193, The New Teen Titans #13-15, DC Comics Presents #52, The Daring New Adventures Of Supergirl #7-9, Teen Titans Spotlight #9, Secret Origins Annual #1, The Doom Patrol Vol.2 #1-18, The Doom Patrol And Suicide Squad Special #1, Superman #20, The Doom Patrol Annual #1 And Pages From The New Teen Titans #10 And Invasion! #2-3, Along With A Brand-New Introduction By Paul Kupperberg.

Crisis on Infinite Earths Icon Reading OrderFollowing are stories that take place before Doom Patrol Vol. 2 (after sporadic appearances in various titles), most optional. This is where Crisis on Infinite Earths happens.

At the end of this part, the Doom Patrol appears also in the event Invasion! (go see reading order to know a little bit more about the event)

  • Invasion!
    Collected Invasion! #1-3
  • Checkmate (1988-1991) #15-30 (optional)
    Not collected anywhere. For those interested in following the story of Valentina Vostok (formerly Negative Woman).
  • Suicide Squad #58 (optional)
    Collected in Suicide Squad Vol. 8: The Final Mission. Last appareance of Karma.

Volume 2 Part 2: Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol (1989-1993)

Kupperberg was replaced by Grant Morrison and what followed defined the Doom Patrol for the next 30 years. This is obviously a good starting point for new readers.

Kupperberg agreed to help Morrison by writing out characters Morrison did not want to use (with the use of the Invasion! crossover). The new team reunites the Chief with ambition to rebuild his team to its former greatness. Always present is Robotman, after a stay in a psychiatric ward; Larry Trainor who regains his previous connection with the Negative Man, and becomes Rebis after involuntarily combining with a female doctor named Eleanor Poole. They are joined by Crazy Jane, a patient at the hospital Robotman stayed with who possesses a different superpower with each of her multiple personalities; Dorothy Spinner, an ape-faced girl with powerful “imaginary friends.” and sentient neighborhood Danny the Street.

Collected in TPBs:

Also in three volume sofcover editions:

Also in Omnibus form:

Morrison also wrote the miniserie Flex Mentallo. The miniseries forms part of what Morrison calls a thematic hypersigil trilogy along with The Invisibles and The Filth.

Volume 2 Part 3: Rachel Pollack’s Doom Patrol (1993-1995)

Morrison left the book with issue #63, and Rachel Pollack took over writing the book for the next issues, a period which was for a long time uncollected. This will change soon, as DC announced an omnibus for this period (those issues are also available in digital format).

Dorothy Spinner, The Chief, Robotman, The Bandage People (George and Marion), Charlie the Doll (The Inner Child), Coagula (Kate Godwin / Clark Godwin), Alice Wired for Sound, The False Memory (The Identity Addict) forms the team.

Volume 3: John Arcudi and Tan Eng Huat’s Doom Patrol (2001-2003)

Under John Arcudi from 2001 through 2003, the team is formed by Robotman (Cliff Steele), Fever (Shyleen Lao ), Freak (Ava), Kid Slick (Vic Darge), Beast Boy (Garfield Logan), Doctor Light (Kimiyo), Elongated Man (Ralph Dibny), Metamorpho (Rex Mason) and Fast Forward (Ted Bruder).

Arcudi’s run is not available in paperback collection or otherwise, but you can find this volume in digital.

Volume 4: John Byrne’s Doom Patrol (2004-2006)

This iteration was retconned to be the first in continuity appearance of the team — with The Chief (Doctor Niles Caulder), Elasti-Girl (Rita Farr), Negative Man (Larry Trainor), Robotman (Cliff Steele), Grunt (Henry Bucher), Nudge (Mi-Sun Kwon), Vortex, Faith, Bumblebee (Karen Beecher-Duncan), Vox (Malcolm Duncan). A later story arc brought all previous appearances back into continuity.

John Byrne’s run had the reputation for being awful, no other iteration of the title is as hated as this one. You’ve been warned!

Infinite Crisis

DC editorial used the events of the Infinite Crisis crossover (reading order) to restore the Doom Patrol’s continuity. It’s totally optional to read that event as it’s just for continuity’s sake. During that time, they don’t have their own series.

Volume 5: Keith Giffen and Matthew Clark’s Doom Patrol (2009-2011)

Following The Four Horsemen miniseries, writer Keith Giffen is put in charge of the new Doom Patrol, in a popular run for the team.

This time around, the team is: The Chief (Doctor Niles Caulder), Elasti-Girl (Rita Farr), Negative Man (Larry Trainor), Robotman (Cliff Steele), Bumblebee (Karen Beecher-Duncan), Black Hole, Crazy Jane (Kay Challis), Danny the Street and Ambush Bug (Irwin Schwab)

Doom Patrol during the New 52 (2011-2016)

In september 2011 begun The New 52 rebooted DC’s continuity (see Reading order) and during that period, the Doom Patrol doesn’t have its own series. Still, we can meet the team in other titles, and this time around we have: Element Woman (Emily Sung), Robotman (Cliff Steele), The Chief (Niles Caulder), Celsius (Arani Desai), Tempest (Joshua Clay), Negative Woman (Valentina Vostok), Scorch (Scott Fischer), Karma (Wayne Hawkins) and Elasti-Woman (Rita Farr)

Volume 6: Gerard Way and Nick Derington’s Doom Patrol (2016-2020)

The new Doom Patrol series written by Gerard Way and drawn by Nick Derington was created as part of the Young Animal imprint.

The team is a mix of original characters and former team rosters with: Robotman (Cliff Steele), Casey Brinke, Danny the Street, Sam Reynolds, Ricardo, The Chief (Niles Caulder), Lotion, Terry None, Negative Man (Larry Trainor), Flex Mentallo, Fugg, Lucius Reynolds, Crazy Jane (Kay Challis), Valerie Reynolds andElasti-Girl (Rita Farr).

This era is now collected in one volume, the other collections are below.

Milk Wars Young Animal DC Crossover - Doom Patrol Reading orderDC’s Young Animal collides with the DC Universe to bring you a different kind of crossover with 2018’s Milk Wars.

  • DC/Young Animal: Milk Wars
    Collects JLA/Doom Patrol Special #1, Mother Panic/Batman Special #1, Shade, The Changing Girl/Wonder Woman Special #1, Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye/Swamp Thing Special #1 And Doom Patrol/Jla Special #1.
  • Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds
    Collects Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #1-7.

Doom Patrol in the Infinite Frontier era (2022-)

The Doom Patrol appears in the first story of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, set early in both heroes’ careers, at a time when Dick Grayson was Robin. For the Doom Patrol, it means the story takes place during Volume 1.

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