In the past many of you have probably heard me brand the X-Men and the Teen Titans as all but equal to trash not worthy of my time. And I still think it is true. Yes these two teams are both cornerstones of success for both companies, but I just find them very flashy and overhyped. Even in Versus TCG I think these teams are way too overhyped. I don’t think I can stand any more Marvel Expansions that don’t have the X-Men featured or a dozen or so legacy cards for them in every set. The Teen Titans have not had that bad of an impact as they did in Origins, so my hate is not that bad for them. Today though I guess I am going to be eating my words just a little, because I am actually going to review Titans #1-3!



This is not going to be a short review, but I promise it should be interesting. Remember this is not the “Teen Titans,” it is the “Titans,” which I guess gives me a little wiggle room on my disgust for the Teen Titans team. Maybe in the future we will have some card content affiliated just “Titans.” I doubt it as this is still just a make up of the original Teen Titans, just grown up and it isn’t the first time. From 1999-2002 Devin Grayson helmed the first volume of the Titans which featured the original members of the team, but was concluded as it led into the Teen Titans and Outsiders ongoing series.



Judd Winick is at the helm of this second volume and while I am skeptical of his work and his writing style, especially after reading Trials of Shazam, but surprisingly I like his work on this ongoing series. Each of the three first issues have had different artist, but they all seem to pick right up where the others working on the series left off, I have to say that Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund’s work was probably my favorites, although Joe Benitez is definitely one of my favorite artist and his work was not 2nd rate, but I would have to give it to Ian Churchill, you can be the judge of that as you check out the scans.



The first issue was great the art direction was great and Winick’s writing style is actually what vaulted this series to my monthly box vice shelf pick up. In a short amount of panel space Winick is able to give definition to the story and introduce the majority of the members of this team in a very coherent way. He definitely operates under the assumption that everyone recognizes all of the characters in the series from the start and I can’t say that he is wrong for that, these are definitely one of the most recognizable teams in comics and their popularity is without a doubt high. I prefer this incarnation of the Titans because we are dealing with older characters and I have never been much of a fan of sidekicks and teeny boppers as even as a youngster myself I felt it hard to grasp their place in this fantasy world or like them at all.



The issue opens up with Dick Grayson, Nightwing, arriving at a safe house set up by Batman only to be attacked, by whom and for what he seems unaware, but he handles the situation the way a Batman protégé would handle it, with class and a degree of finesse, making the difficult seem simple. All of the other members of the group are attacked in various ways as well. I have included scans of each attack so you get an idea of how freaky all of this really is. Best moments in this first issue had to be Starfire out by the pool before she is attacked by lord knows what, but Animal Man’s kid arriving to see her naked out by the pool is priceless. We also learn in this first issue that Power Boy is confirmed dead and literally left hanging, Cyborg is broken up pretty bad and needs to be reconfigured once again, and this dude is seriously like the comic version of humpty dumpty or Mr. Potato Head. Every time I decide to read a Titans title he is falling apart.



The members of this team are all grown up and members of other prominent teams. Nightwing, Flash, Donna Troy, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, Red Arrow, and Starfire are defined members of the team in this first issue. Each of these members survive their attacks with success and are able to deduce that the person behind the attacks is Trigon. Towards the end we also learnt he fate of some of the other Titans. Hawk, Dove and Little Barda are in serious condition. Son of Vulcan, Lagoon Boy and Anima are comatose; you know we don’t have cards for these characters on any Titan team thus far in Versus? Ultimately the biggest shock is that Powerboy is dead. Like I said the art on this series has been great and each panel packs a very dynamic punch for the reader. The images also convey that these are not Teens, except for Raven who is in high school still.



Titans #2 was just as compelling a read. Winick doesn’t slow his pace and the reader is brought quickly into the Titans reacting to the attacks on all the former and current Teen Titans. Argent is being held captive and looks like she is about to meet her end, but the Titans arrive in the nick of time in order to save her. It’s funny one of my co-workers asked me yesterday if there has ever been a female super hero without big boobs and I really seriously could not think of a single one. Then I thought about Argents prominent display within the first pages of this issue and really realized that my answer should have been more pointedly, NO! This image actually reminded me of a lot of old Wonder Woman comics where she was always being bound and tied up. This issue also features some panels of the JLA helping out by saving some other members under attack by Trigon.



Now this is why Titans became a Title I had to have in my box. This issue was what gave me a little confidence in Winick. He manages to slow down the story and explain the plot with enough drama and intrigue that it makes me want to read more. After saving Argent the team is trying to figure out what the hell is going on, they already have an idea of whom. Raven decides to astral project, and confronts her father in his realm. There she meets a barely recognizable Trigon. I love the alternate version of Raven while she is in Trigon’s realm.



I don’t care what Joe Benitez or Victor Llamas says the outfit she is wearing and the way she looks definitely looks inspired by the movie the “Fifth Element,” Milla Jovovich was wearing that exact same suit in white when she was “born.” It added a nice touch, the dreads weren’t bad either. Trigon explains to his daughter the reason for his current state, apparently his realm or his army I son the losing side of a war. Since, he is losing there I guess he thinks it smart to wage another battle to try and come to our realm. So he has decided to do so through his other child, which is a revelation to Raven and the rest of the Titans. The funniest moments are toward the end of this issue when the Titans are trying to awaken Raven from her trance and Flash and Beast Boy are thrown about like ragdolls.



If I had to hate on anything about this series is how badly Winick tries to make the Titans seem like this elite force by overstating they are the only people to ever stop Trigon and that is his reason for attacking them. We all know the Titans are Junior Justice League so why would Trigon not even think that there would be others to handle him his ass should the Titans not be able to keep him in check? That has always been my problem with the Titans is that there villains are elevated in status by facing off against them and they are somehow elevated themselves, but there are far better villains and teams. I think it’s the coming of age heroism that people find interesting, I don’t know.



Titans #3 continued with success in my mind, defining the story and characters further for the reader. With the information that Trigon is trying to use another child of his to gain entrance to our realm the Titans begin searching for women who could have given birth to Trigon’s child. They find themselves kicking up dirt as they find that all the women on their list have died. Trigon definitely has a thing for the Gypsy look. As the issue open we get a glimpse of Raven’s mom being courted by Trigon in disguise. The team is split up into groups in order to cover ground, but while each is searching for clues each of them begin to act weirdly.



Flash and Donna are at each other’s throat over Jealousy or Resentment. Donna being very upset about the family she lost and the family Flash has. Nightwing and Starfire get to the Lustful act of the horizontal limbo. Why don’t these two get married or something? I remember when this song and dance was done over and over with Superman and Lois, I used to hate it and was happy when they finally married them and they just explored that relationship dynamic. I do know Nightwing and Starfire were supposed ot be wed before, but the whole playa in him didn’t quite jive with it, is my take on the situation, but I would be happy just to see these two hit it off and wed. That would go a long way in convincing me that these Titans are all grown up. Anyway, Beast Boy and Raven are also at each other’s throat. We all kow Garfield has a thing for Raven, but she antagonizes the hell out of him until Roy has to break it up.



It is a very good issue as Trigon’s child is revealed to be his children, three boys in fact who have the ability to invoke these emotions somehow. That’s where the story concludes for now. Don’t worry though because I will be picking up Titans #4, hopefully this series isn’t limited and can keep the steam going. I loved the moment when Red Arrow makes the comparison with the JLA and never having to break up a fight there, but then in JLA #22 the fight that is broken up is actually between him and Hawkgirl, sort of, but I’ll get into that when I do my review of JLA #22 later on this week.

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