All-New Doop #1 by Peter Milligan and David LaFuente

Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: David LaFuente
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: April 9, 2014

Spoiler Alert

Everyone’s favorite three-foot-tall-green-potato-blob is in love. Not only is he in love, but he’s ready to settle down — maybe even buy a house in the ‘burbs and have whatever kind of offspring three-foot-tall-green-potato-blobs can create with humans. That’s right, Doop wants to marry (spoiler alert) phasing girl-next-door Kitty Pryde.

But let’s back up a bit. Doop first appeared as a minor character in X-Force 13 years ago. Co-created by Peter Milligan, the writer of this 5-issue limited series, Doop stood out amongst throngs of bizarre mutants that expired with shocking frequency. The eccentric green blob gained a cult following, meriting this long-overdue miniseries (though his Mike Allred-drawn one shot in Wolverine and the X-Men was pretty phenomenal).

Though action-packed (the series takes place during the “Battle of the Atom” event), this introductory chapter drags on. The entire issue sets up the moment where Doop pops the question to Kitty, a professor embroiled in the mutant conflict, and it could have reasonably taken place in half the pages. So besides a shocking — and pretty gruesome — twist on the final page, not much happens. With that caveat, Milligan sets up the series for some intriguing elements, and he gives us ample time to be charmed by Doop.

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Between warring X-Men and Doop’s penchant for traveling beyond the panels, artist David LaFuente has his work cut out for him. And he delivers. From a fight sequence occupying a double page spread to miniature close-ups of the titular green character, LaFuente’s art compels emotion. His work peaks when it discards traditional paneling in favor of asymmetric shots, which feature an especially adorable Doop floating beyond the panels. Laura Allred’s vibrant coloring adds richness to LaFuente’s illustrations, and she manages to make Doop’s pea-green hue stand out amongst wildly shaded X-Men, like crimson-striped firecracker Rachel Summers.

With a charming, if slightly lethargic, script and stunning artwork, All-New Doop has the potential to be an iconic series. Now that the stage is set, later issues will likely pick up the pace to showcase the cult character as the unlikely hero he really is — all three-foot-tall-potato-blob of him.