Comic book review
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Cliff Chiang, Patricia Mulvihill
DC/Titan Books
Release date Out now

The crummiest characters from the DC Universe join forces to face The Architects, who wish to extinguish them from their new world order…

There are certain comics that seem to be designed to elicit a cry of “What the...?” from readers. Doctor 13 is perhaps a key example of this. It’s beautifully drawn by Cliff Chiang in a light, simple style with characters that are delightfully offbeat, including a talking Nazi gorilla, an oh-so-80s vampire, a cosmic heroine with a runny nose and a boy who can answer any question as long as you give him a dime.

In taking the characters on a metaphysical quest to fight for their own existence, Brian Azzarello’s story takes a deeper tone than the flippancy of the cast might suggest. While we are initially invited to laugh at the eccentricities of the heroes, they emerge as fully rounded and sympathetic in a way that is quite heart warming.

The central premise – how do you fight against your creators and what happens if you win? – is strong in itself, but the occasional references to the heroes that have made the grade (Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman) give the comic a dark and surreal edge to counter the humour. Adam Herman

VERDICT: 9/10
An offbeat and amusing read.