DCU Comic Book Reviews

TEEN TITANS #81

Titans Together

May 2010

Written by Felicia Henderson

Pencils by Joe Bennett

Inks by Jack Jadson

Cover by Yildiray Cinar

Synopsis

In Dakota, Holocaust has captured Wonder Girl, Aquagirl, Bombshell, and Static.  The rest of the Teen Titans attempt to find them, but have little luck.  Elsewhere, Cyborg talks to two others about retirement.  Meanwhile, the Teen Titans finally find the others.  They attack Holocaust, but are easily taken down, until Cyborg arrives with Superboy and Kid Flash to help. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This issue was so dumb.  Last issue, the Teen Titans spent the entire issue failing to find Static.  Now, a smaller group of Teen Titans suddenly have these talents that allow them to find Static.  And he hasn’t moved!  Anyway, they get information in odd ways, mostly because the script needs them to have the information rather than anything else.  I mean, how the hell can you (or a bat!) get a scent of a someone who is in a metal van.  And if the scarab can connect to security cameras, why wasn’t this done before.  Both Raven and Miss Martian pull thoughts out of people’s head or out of thin air since they seem to get information from areas where there is no one, something they apparently couldn’t do before.  On top of all this, Gar is acting nothing like he did in the previous issues.  Last issue he was crippled by leadership and how he is perceived, this issue he his strong and acts more like Gar has done in the past.  It is almost as if the previous issues never happened.  It is all so frustrating. 

I think the scene where Kid Flash and Superboy come out of “retirement” (which is a ridiculous term) would've worked better if it wasn’t spoiled on the cover.  I mean, it isn’t hard to figure out who Cyborg is talking to.  There is only one other character that it could be and it is doubtful Tim Drake (aka Robin or Red Robin) will be back until Bruce Wayne comes back. 

So, we missed the first fight.  Why?  I mean, the comic book medium is based on fights between super powered characters.  Hell, entire issues of comics have been spent on fights.  So, why skip over the fight with Holocaust.  Is it the sudden realization that having a single character defeat four members of the Teen Titans doesn’t make sense? 

The opening sequence made no sense. Well, Gar watching over Raven I suppose is in character as it continues his infatuation with her.  But previous issues have shown that she wants no part of him.  She has consistently rejected all of his overtures.  Yet here she seems to like the fact that he is watching over her as she sleeps (meaning he is essentially stalking her, but I digress).  So, which is it?  Has she had enough of Gar’s love-sick puppy routine or does she still care for her?  Yes, I understand that she can change her mind, but the scene itself doesn’t suggest she had continually turned him down before.  Maybe if she had added, “but that doesn’t change my opinion that we will never date,” or something like that. 

Fresh Hell, Chapter Seven

Written by Sean McKeever

Art by Yildiray Cinar and Julio Ferreira

Synopsis

In Russia, Ravager confronts Will Roades, ready to kill him.  However, he has a plan.  If Ravager attacks him, his men will kill two little girls he has held hostage nearby.  If she tries to save them, the kids will die.  However, if she agrees to work for Will, the girls will be spared.  Ravager agrees to work for him.  However, Will shoots her in the shoulder.  He then gets close for the kill.  Ravager grabs the gun and shoots one of the girls’ captors.  Before she can kill the other, Will stabs her in the back.  Will then orders the girls to be killed.  Ravager realizes she can’t help them. 

Review

This installment was pretty much by the numbers.  McKeever has shown that he is not that interested in Ravager’s search or hunt for Will.  Last issue proved that as we skipped over the search and got directly to the confrontation.  So, it is not surprising that (again) we skip the chase (so to speak) and get right to the next confrontation.  It is also not surprising that we get some monologuing (thanks, Incredibles) so McKeever can explain Will’s actions and motivations for everything that has happened so far.  Then we get the final test, to determine if Ravager is a hero like the Teen Titans or a villain like her father.  It plays out pretty much like expected, with the added bonus of Will acting like an idiot, first missing his shot to kill her and then stupidly getting too close to her.  Next month I guess we get the ending to the story, but I suspect it will play out as expected (Ravager kills Will, then decides to go after daddy once and for all).

 

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