DCU Comic Book Reviews

TITANS #36

Broken Promises, Part 4:  No Way Out

August 2011

Written by Eric Wallace

Pencils by Fabrizio Fiorentino

Inks by Fabrizio Fiorentino

Covers by Fabrizio Fiorentino

Synopsis

In the cavern beneath Drago’s compound, Deathstroke is fighting for his life against the subhumans, those Drago once experimented upon and somehow lived.  He receives help from Cinder.  In Liberty Hill, Vixen and Mark Richards (aka Tattoo Man) are having a disagreement that has turned physical.  Inside Drago’s Mansion, Roy Harper (aka Arsenal) attempts to kill Drago, but fails.  Jade also makes an attempt, but also fails.  Just then, Deathstroke and Cinder arrive.  Meanwhile, Vixen decides she has had enough and stops the fight, realizing that it is not her place to judge Mark.  He’ll need to do that for himself.  He realizes that Vixen is right, he needs to decide who he is.  And he is someone who sees something to the end.  He decides to return to the Titans.  Meanwhile, Drago and Deathstroke fight to the death.  Deathstroke wins.  However, he lets Drago live.  Later, the team is returning home when they are confronted by Ray Palmer (aka the Atom) and the Justice League.  Deathstroke is under arrest for the murder of Ryan Choi [continued in Titans Annual 2011].

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This comic continues to remain the worst of the comics that I read each month.  This particular issue is made even worse (if that were possible) by the pointless “fight” between Vixen and Richards.  Can you really tell me what the fight was about it?  She is upset that Richards’ gang is ruling the town by fear (see:  Sinestro).  The first problem is that Richards actually agrees with her (in previous issue) before she arrives to yell at him.  The second problem is that she walks away without fixing the problem that she was upset about it.  The third problem is that the fight, or disagreement, or whatever you want to call it meandered on and one, leading to nowhere and not doing anything.  I mean, really?  What the hell was the point?  Well, I guess that is why I called the entire thing pointless. 

As for the rest of the issue, the Drago story ended, again without any clear cut point to the story.  Oh, we get some nonsense about Deathstroke getting what he needs for his son (and a small hallelujah for finally getting to Deathstroke’s master plan).  However, that was an aside, apparently not important.  What was important?  Drago’s relationship with Deathstroke?  Deathstroke kicks ass and manages to win despite getting stabbed in the back (or in the eye)?  Jade and Arsenal are idiots?  All of the above?  It seems to me that Wallace is tossing ideas into the air and trying to juggle them all, but he fails to understand one of the basic tenets of writing:  a protagonist (hero) needs to be name, followed by the reveal of what the hero wants (the girl, the grail, etc.).  Then, the antagonist is named; this is the one who will stand in the way of what the hero wants.  I guess you could say Deathstroke is the hero and Drago was the antagonist but we don’t know what Deathstroke wants (at least until this issue), nor do we know how Jade, Arsenal, et al. fit into the story.  How does Wallace expect us to care when he doesn’t give us a reason to care.  As I said, it is a jumbled mess.  At lease we know what Ray Palmer wants. 

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