“I’ll Take Manhattan” Review of TITANS #8

After a terrific first arc that we called “Wally and the Titans”, we begin to explore more of this classic Titans team from the new perspective of the REBIRTH era. Herald and Bumblebee are looking for help with their powers…but have they chosen wisely, or are they in the very last place they should be? Want to know more? Follow us after the jump!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Mal is having flashbacks to a heroic past that he had completely forgotten…and those flashbacks aren’t good. He keeps remembering a battle with Mammoth that almost killed him, and he wants nothing more to do with being a hero. In fact, he went to “Meta Solutions” in secret and had his powers as Herald taken away! Karen (Bumblebee) has her own choice to make, but as she goes back to make that decision, Mal sees…Mammoth, right there in the office! Yes, Mal realizes far too late that he has made a very, very bad choice!

Meanwhile, the rest of the team is settling into their new HQ. Wally is living at Titans Tower, worried about the pace of his budding relationship with Linda Park. Yep, he’s impatient, but it’s for completely understandable reasons. She is the love of his life. He remembers them being married. She barely knows him. It’s got to be infinitely frustrating. Dick tries to console him, but there is only so much help anyone can give right now.

The rest of the team is training…until Lilith receives a psionic flash that lets them know Mal is in trouble. The team rushes to Meta Solutions just in time to see…Bumblebee! The real question here is…will she be ally or adversary?

NOTES:

  • My favorite comics have a tendency to weave multiple story threads well, moving each side story forward without ruining the main thrust of the book. This issue of TITANS is a great example, giving us potential relationships (Roy and Donna, Garth and Lilith, Wally and Linda) without taking away from the main story that appears to be giving us the REBIRTH-era Fearsome Five.
  • Speaking of relationships, the voices of the characters appears genuine throughout the book, giving those relationships a more believable tone.
  • All that is thanks to stellar writing by Dan Abnett
  • The artwork continues to be fantastic…as you should be able to tell by now, I’m a BIG fan of Brett Booth (pencils), Norm Rapmund (inks), and Andrew Dalhouse (colors). From action to expression, this team has it all nailed down.

RATING: I’m giving this another 10/10. TITANS is no longer “Wally and the Titans”, and that had to stop at some point to allow the other characters to shine. What doesn’t change is the quality of this series. TITANS is one of the very best reads on the comic store shelves right now, don’t miss it! That’s my opinion – what do YOU think? Please leave your comments below!

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