This is a perfect jumping-on place for those who have missed out so far (and if you have missed out…wow, you have really been missing out on a great series). We see the aftermath of the crossover with the Teen Titans and Deathstroke, and set the stage for a very big event for our favorite heroes. There’s danger, romance, broken hearts, lost memories, and more in this issue. Don’t miss this one, as it sets the table for the future of the TITANS. Want to know more? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD
As Omen meets up with Psimon to find out what he has done with Bumblebee’s memories, we see flashbacks to the events in the Titans’ lives after their most recent adventures. Wally isn’t doing well with Linda Park…and he’s dealing with the fact that he now has a pacemaker (more on that later). Roy is finally ready to tell Donna how he feels…only to see her kissing Wally! Garth and Omen look to be an item as well, but Mal is heartbroken as his wife has no memory of him, their marriage, or their child! Yes, it seems like everything is falling apart at the seams for the Titans.
The main battle here is fought between Omen and Psimon, and there is an impressive amount of action and drama in spite of this being a battle inside their minds. Omen really shines here – and truly comes into her own (for this series) with a great finish to that battle of the minds.
That comes to a more dramatic twist with the revelation that there may be a traitor in their midst? Who among the Titans will be their Judas? That’s where we leave it for now…but this should be good reading!
A NOTE BEFORE THE SUMMARY: I have kept quiet about this during the crossover, and I understand the dramatic tension it adds to the story, but I am more than a little disappointed to see what happened to Wally West during that crossover story. I’m an old fan, and I do remember pre-Crisis continuity where Wally had a condition that would kill him if he continued to use his powers. Yes, this does give a nod to the Silver Age, and in most times I would love to see it…but not here. We haven’t had Wally back in the DCU for very long, and to add this to him is simply heartbreaking. Added to that is the senselessness of the whole thing – this wasn’t a villain who hurt Wally, but instead it was Damian Wayne showing what an impulsive jerk he could be. This was next-level jerkitude even for Damian, and I hate seeing it here. I’m hopeful there will be some resolution before long…but the idea that “running will kill you” is a trope that will only last for so long.
…okay, now to the summary…
SUMMARY: All that aside, THIS issue is an excellent jumping-on point for TITANS. If you weren’t already very familiar with these amazing characters and their stories, you’ll be up to speed quickly here. It’s like taking a deep breath after a very intense storyline and resetting things to get ready for the next…and the issue does that job very well. The script by Dan Abnett gives us several story threads at once without jumbling things up – and that takes some real skill to accomplish. The artwork by Kenneth Rocafort (with colors by Dan Brown) presents a stylistic change from previous issues but is still excellent throughout. This is a 9/10 for me – what do YOU think? Leave your comments below!
UPDATE: Edited to correct an error made earlier. Thanks to Ian for pointing out that it was Garth who was kissing Omen.
Great review – and I agree about the pacemaker. One nit to pick – the romance is building between Omen and Garth, not Omen and Nightwing.
Ian, you are correct, and I have updated the article. Thank you!
Totally agree about the Pacemaker! Omen and Garth kinda came outta left field. (can’t really say the same for Wally/Donna having just read the “Who is Donna Troy?” storyline in Wonder Woman #134-136 (1987-2006)) Although, after the Reunion last year, I kinda thought that if Linda/Wally was going to be put on “hiatus”, they could explore the Wally/Lillith kiss further and see if that actually went anywhere or could go somewhere in the present
I also agree that the pacemaker is ludicrous. I recall that when Wally initially took over as the Flash, his limitation on how fast he could run was that he would immediately need to refuel by eating copious amounts of food, or he would run out of energy. This ended up being a mental block, and when he became more familiar with the Speed Force, he was able to overcome that by powering his superspeed completely from the infinite reserves of the Speed Force. Being an avid Wally West fan (in fact, my favourite superhero ever since the New Flash #1 was released back in 1987), I had the pleasure of watching Wally grow and mature. He became the ultimate master of the Speed Force up until his disappearance with the New 52. Now with Rebirth and the Titans, he is back, finally.
But has anyone else noticed that he isn’t the old Wally we knew before the New 52? He is unsure, lacks confidence and always seems scared. I mean, Deathstroke is seriously big time, but I don’t feel that Wally would normally simply run away from him without at least taking a few picoseconds to formulate some kind of plan.
Anyway, I am enjoying every issue of the Titans and it is great having Wally back, pacemaker and all. I am wondering if DC has a plan of bringing back a Wally that is slightly less matured or experienced, so that we can see him grow and overcome some of these personality weaknesses or physical limitations, in the same way that he had to from 1987, then through the Mark Waid and Geoff Johns eras where we saw him become extremely capable. Looking forward to this ride.