Self -realization and EMT Hijinx In Pfalz

Gerard Way has created some thing wonderful with Young Animal at DC. His “boutique imprint” collects a small amount of curated titles spanning from Far Sector (newish  Green Lantern, best uniform, fight me) to Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye. It’s a comics line for mature young adults.Taking cues from its predecessor Vertigo in practice more than  aesthetic. While Vertigo focused (mostly) on bleak tones and adult themes,  Young Animal leans into a lighter-hearted approach in both story and art. It succeeds at addressing the day to day burdens of youth without losing the enchantment that makes a comic book so special, and in some cases so weird. And weird, my sweet bbs, is where the  Doom Patrol fits in.The Doom Patrol is a misfit team of “heroes” that deal with all things unexplainable, eccentric, and for lack of a better word just plain ol’ bizarre. They’re who you call when multidimensional bugs are harvesting bad ideas out of your ears or when Paris, France gets trapped inside of a painting of a painting. You wanna talk about  breaking the fourth wall? They breaks walls that didn’t even know they were walls.  

I thought that everything there was to be said about the Doom Patrol had been said (done) by Grant Morrison and Rachel Pollack in the 80s-90s. Gerard Way has proven me wrong by reinventing the reinvented. This, being the flagship book of Young Animal, is somewhat of a makeover for our team of jaded weirdos. All the things I love about these characters are still there, but Way transitions them into a refreshingly new narrative, and highlights characteristics about them that I can identify with as much now, as if I was seventeen.  

Helping him bring the interdimensional sand box to life (along with a slew of other very talented artists) is Nick Derington. Derington’s art is electric and expressive and he’s not afraid to draw outside of the box(literally). Soft pencils blend with bright colors, creating a tone that is playful and modern. He not only makes the characters pop off the page, but the environments around them as well. By his and colorist Tamra Bonvillians hand, all inanimate objects can and will be brought to life. 

 What I love about a book like Doom Patrol is that you can see how  much fun everyone making it is having. The team has a giddiness to em brace creativity that is intoxicating and one of the reasons why I’m so  stoked about Weingut Brand. Daniel and Jonas Brand are the stewards  of an 18 hectare vineyard in Northern Pfalz, Germany and they could  not be more excited about it. They have successfully modernized their  families five generation winery with Pet-nats, pur wines, and organ ic certification. Their liter bottles of terroir driven and food friendly  chuggers are testament to the creative drive and work ethic that they  put into it. 

 To keep up with the quick witted bizzare ramblings of Doom Patrol  I opened the Brand Brothers’ ‘18 Weissburgunder, a light bodied liter  worth way more than what I paid for it. This German pinot blanc is  grown on limestone and has a floral nose with a touch of Granny  Smith. A savory and mineral driven body gives it a round mouthfeel  that is balanced by its acidity. It’s bright and precise while being  easily digestible. You don’t have to think about this wine too much  while you’re sipping, but you want to.  

 It’s this polite tip of the cap to classic sensibilities while  striving to be unapologetically modern that puts this wine and  comic in the same lane. Almost as though they’re both just slightly making fun of themselves, reinforcing the idea that all you need to make something great is an open mind and a  proclivity to have fun. 

 A running motif throughout reading Doom Patrol from  any period, is accepting that occasionally you’re going to  be a little lost in the absurdity of it all. But you stick with  it, subverting your attention to the line work and color ing, immersing yourself in this strange world, and trust ing that the story will come back full circle. Similarly, a  good bottle of wine does not always have to make sense  at first. What the Brothers Brand have done with their ‘18  Weissburgunder is a nice reminder that the passion will  always bleed through to the product, and that wine isn’t  always defined by varietal or region, but by the people  that make it.