An Open Letter to Dan DiDio Re: Doom Patrol

C2E2 - Dan Didio 01
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

Dear Dan,

I don't know if you remember me, but I'm the guy who suggested that DC put out Showcase Presents: The Inferior Five at your panel at last year's C2E2. With the show coming back this year, I wanted to see if you and I could sit down and talk about a really huge mistake you are about to make.

I'm talking, of course, about canceling Doom Patrol with issue # 22.

Now, I realize that you may be citing less-than-stellar sales for the book, but if this blogger's online petition doesn't convince you, please consider this:

You're dealing with a group of characters with a small - but passionate - following. So much so that DC, in the past, has made various attempts to revive the concept, and there are the numerous copies of Doom Patrol # 1 to prove it.

What Keith Giffen and Matthew Clarke are doing is, in short, to combine aspects from past efforts - with a healthy dose of Arnold Drake-esque humor - into a pretty solid read. And rather than put efforts to build that readership, it seems as if DC is doing the old let's-let-the-franchise-cool-down-and-we'll-start-again-later trick.

(I know all about that one. I saw it on Get Smart once).

But why wait until news of a newer iteration of the Patrol - say, an animated series - arises? Why not take a stand and say, "Hey, we admit - this isn't a huge seller. But the people who read this book love the characters. And we're standing by them...even if it means telling Geoff Johns he can't write the book, because we absolutely adore Giffen and Clarke's work"). Why not support a book that may not have the pull of Brightest Day....but then again, must every comic be an event comic? Can't we have a plain and simple good read?

I say, "Yes", and would strongly encourage you to un-cancel Doom Patrol.

But I would like to speak with you face to face in an effort to...well, bribe you. I can take you for an expensive meal - my foodie pals at Chicago Bites can make great recommendations for any type of cuisine you would like.

But really - please reconsider canceling Doom Patrol. Why not do something that can actually save the company money, like cut down on JMS' Oreo budget, or something?

And, while you're at it, please make Paul Cornell's Knight and Squire an ongoing.

Thanks again, and looking forward to hanging with you in March.

Your pal,
Gordon