DCU Comic Book Reviews

TEEN TITANS #36

New Teen Titans, Part Three

July 2006

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Tony S. Daniel

Inks by Kevin Conrad, Andy Lanning, Norm Rapmund

Cover by Tony S. Daniel and Richard & Tanya Horie

Synopsis

In Paris, the Brain and Mallah are near the end of their plans for the Brain to have a new body. In Prague, Dr. Niles Caulder treats Kid Devil’s injuries from the battle with the brotherhood.  Once kid Devil is safe, the members of the Doom Patrol race after the Brotherhood.  After they learn that Kid Devil will be fine, Cyborg asks Beast Boy if will ask his father to help find the Brotherhood.  As the others walk away, Robin receives a call on his cell phone from Blue Devil, Kid Devil’s mentor.   Beast Boy visits his adoptive father, Steve Dayton (aka Mento) but he is too busy writing (due to impulses from his helmet) to help out.  Later, Robin talks to Kid Devil, telling him that he talked to Blue Devil and know he knows that Kid Devil was lying about talking to his mentor.  Dr. Caulder believes Kid Devil would be better suited as a member of Doom Patrol.  Robin disagrees.  Suddenly, negative Man returns:  the Brotherhood has captured the rest of the Doom Patrol.  They all travel to Paris to.  A tunnel forces them to split up.  Just as Cyborg, Elasti-Girl, and Beast Boy find the Doom Patrol, the Brotherhood attacks.  Meanwhile, Wonder Girl, Ravager, and Robin find Brain and Mallah, and Brain has a new body.... 

Review

“How dare you, you little twit!  You come into my house with a half-dead team member you weren’t able to care for and you lecture me on leadership?”

It’s weird.  Well, the Doom Patrol is weird, but that is not what I meant.  What I am referring to is that this issue spends a lot of time trying to re-establish the Doom Patrol, showing the characters and who they are and what they can do, as if this were a springboard to another series.  Except there won’t be (This is partly due to the failure of the recent re-vamp of Doom Patrol.  DC would not follow such a failure with another series this quickly).  So, I wonder, what is the point?  What works best in this issue is the Teen Titans relationships, the news of Eddie’s deception and Cassie and Rose’s verbal battles, that show how the group interacts with each other.  The scene with Gar and his father was curious and interesting (and a little sad), but will this lead to Gar coming back to the Teen Titans?  Actually, I am not sure he really does need to come back or if I want him to.  Regardless, I do like the point and counter point of the dynamics of the two teams.  The Teen Titans may be dysfunctional, but they are not being manipulated by someone to stay or to act in a certain way.  The key component to Doom Patrol is that Caulder is the one who feels the need to be needed; thus, he keeps everyone close to him at all times.  Kid Devil is so desperate to fit in and be part of the Teen Titans that he would (I would think) fit in with Doom Patrol and Caulder will make sure Kid Devil thinks he belongs there, but would that necessarily be what he needs? 

Lost in this issue is a small moment with Robin finding the laboratory where brain grew his new body.  He seems to be less interested in finding Brain and Mallah then he is in learning how they were able to create the clone. There are a lot of stories bubbling underneath the core plot and Robin’s decision to clone Superboy is one of those.  It is nice to see that Johns is fully aware of it all and has not forgotten what is going.-- MRB

Comic Connection

Beginning with issue #37, the Outsiders are also battling Brain and Monsieur Mallah. 

 

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