“Doom Patrol” Season 1 Blu-ray Review: The Weirder Side of DC Comics Live-Action Adaptations

Doom Patrol debuted on the DC Universe streaming service back on February 15, 2019, and was able to gain a passionate fanbase. If you’re into the weirder side of DC Comics’ live-action adaptations, you should consider picking up the Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season Blu-ray or DVD come October 1, 2019.

I was provided a free copy of the Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season Blu-ray for review from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The opinions I share are my own.

While I still think the first season of Titans was a complete mess, Doom Patrol ended up being a pleasant surprise. Where Titans forced itself to be dark and gritty (and took itself too seriously), Doom Patrol knows exactly what it’s supposed to be. It’s a weird show, and it isn’t afraid to be proud of it.

The cast includes Diane Guerrero as Jane, April Bowlby as Rita Farr/Gertrude Cramp, Joivan Wade as Victor “Vic” Stone/Cyborg, Alan Tudyk as Eric Morden/Mr. Nobody, Matt Bomer and Matthew Zuk as Larry Trainor, Brendan Fraser and Riley Shanahan as Cliff Steele, and Timothy Dalton as Niles Caulder/The Chief.

The first season consists of 15 episodes (ranging between 45 to 60-something minutes). It’s already been renewed for a second season!

The premise is a staple for superhero team stories. We have characters from various backgrounds and powers who come together due to certain events. An interesting thing about Doom Patrol is that it isn’t your traditional goody-two-shoes superhero team. They’re quite flawed, and I enjoyed learning more about their past as the series progressed. It’s kind of similar to Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, but different enough to be its own thing. The team members are from a number of time periods. So, there’s that. It’s also R-rated. Yay!

I don’t want to spoil the story because I want you to see it for yourself. However, I will say that we get some well-written queer representation through Larry Trainer. His arc is quite emotionally heavy, but it’s good and makes sense considering Larry’s a queer person from a time when being LGBTQ+ wasn’t very acceptable (especially not in the military).

There’s also the genderqueer, teleporting street named Danny (basically a pocket dimension). So, yeah, points to this show for adding such level of queer representation.

The Blu-ray release includes 3 discs. The video presentation is 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. You’ll get to see clear visuals. While the high-definition doesn’t do the special effects any favors, you can’t really blame the series because it’s doing the best possible on a streaming show budget.

The audio is quite clear.

As for the extra content, there really isn’t much for fans to enjoy. You get a Gag Reel, and some deleted scenes for episodes 2, 8, 11, 14, and 15. The deleted scenes aren’t anything too important. There’s also the ‘Come Visit Georgia PSA’ that talks about the locations this series was filmed in.

Anyway, if you liked The Umbrella Academy and DC’s: Legends of Tomorrow, I think you’ll have a blast watching Doom Patrol. It focuses on the weirder side of DC Comics, which we are yet to see explored on the big screen. The leads of the show are outsiders and it’s fun to see a bunch of misfits (with a whole lot of emotional baggage) getting together to try and do the right thing. The fourth wall will be broken. So, be ready.

Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on October 1, 2019. The entire first season is currently available on Digital in the USA.

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Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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