This issue continues the big battle with Trigon, with more hints at the future/past of Bart Allen.  Can the Titans escape the control of Trigon?  Will we fully understand the issues Tim has been having of late? Whose side will Raven take? That and more can be found in Teen Titans #22!

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

As we pick up from last issue Red Robin, Raven and Beast Boy stand alone against Trigon and the mind-controlled Titans.  Beast Boy is great in comic relief as well as a gutsy fighter…taking the battle straight to Trigon!  Raven tries to free various members of the team from Trigon’s control, and her efforts trigger a minor revelation as to Bart’s “history”. As the battle ends (for now) we learn that Tim’s behavior in recent issues was influenced by Trigon…though the revelation of Tim’s hook-ups shakes the team to its core.  And, there is one additional revelation I won’t mention here that lets you know this battle isn’t over yet.  As we come to the end of this story, we find that Bart’s future/past is catching up with him in a very big way – and it looks like upcoming issues will give us the scoop we’ve been looking for ever since the New 52 started up.

The script by Scott Lobdell is solid once again – I’m enjoying his work with this title.  Trigon is THE iconic Titans villain, and his update for the New 52 has been handled exceptionally well.  The art is excellent overall – Jesus Merino, Eddy Barrows and Pete Pantazis are a great team.  I have only one minor complaint…there was a scene late in the story where Tim’s mask seemed to magically disappear.  However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a design update that is most welcome.  Raven’s feather cowl still covers her eyes on the cover…but in the interior art the feather cowl has been redesigned to show her eyes.  Yes, they are red and glowing when she is in battle mode, but at least we do see her eyes.  This look is more dynamic, and frankly more intimidating than the prior look.  I like it a lot – thanks to both Editorial and the art team for this much needed update.

This is well worth the read – and for Bart fans this is certainly one to add to the collection as the cliffhanger is leading to a critical Bart story arc.

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