I’m actually surprised to say this, but I liked this issue of Teen Titans. And it’s written by Scott Lobdell. Weird, I know! But, surprise surprise, the guy actually followed my advice and gave (most) of the Teen Titans a moment to slow down and interact like real people! Granted, he doesn’t give them long, and already the hints of future stories start crowding into this issue, but there are still some real moments of genuine character interaction! It’s refreshing and fun to read. The writer of the previous issue, Fabian Nicieza, still did a better job with the jokes and the teenage banter. But Lobdell’s efforts in this issue weren’t their typical terribleness.

Teen Titans #14

If only the rest of Teen Titans had been as good as these two issues, we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. The team still feels very sporadic and uncoordinated, but maybe we’re finally on the right track.

Comic rating: 4/5: Good.

The issue is split into two parts. Red Robin, Wonder Girl and Superboy continue the battle against Diesel. The dialogue isn’t nearly as good as it was last issue, under Nicieza’s pen, but it’s still serviceable and entertaining enough. The end is a little abrupt, and I’m not entirely sure what happened. But considering the cliffhanger ending to this issue, and the Teen Titans’ involvement in the Death of the Family story in Batman, I almost think Lobdell purposefully just stopped this story dead in its tracks in order to move on. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a lot more planned for Diesel and Wonder Girl. Maybe we’ll find out in the future.

The real treat of this issue – aside from the art, which oddly, is a little worse than last issue – are the scenes between Kid Flash, Bunker and Solstice after they were left behind. Rather than get up to any weird mischief, the trio just kind of hang out, chat amongst themselves and act like real people spending time with their real friends. This is what I’ve wanted to see in Teen Titans since the first issue. This is the kind of thing that will get people to read this comic and love these characters. All action all the time is going to get you nowhere. Unfortunately, Lobdell can’t sit still for too long. A new villain starts to insert himself in these scenes, and it’s really disappointing. We don’t need to be constantly inundated with superhero action! That’s why the Teen Titans still don’t really feel like friends, but instead are just a bunch of characters thrown together in a comic book.

And lordy, the number of editors’ notes referring to other comics and other series are ridiculous. Nothing that happens in this issue or to these characters has me the least bit interested in jumping over to some other series to see where the action continues. And all these little reminders just get annoying.

Alas, Teen Titans is still filled with flaws. Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.

On the trail of Diesel and the Silent Armor, Red Robin, Superboy and Cassie Sandsmark have stumbled upon cave inscriptions that reference the great, demonic Trigon. Teen Titans fans like myself know what this implies, but I like how Trigon is nobody important just yet. I like that Lobdell is going to take the effort and build up to him. The scene is cut short, however, when Diesel and his new army attack!

You want to talk ‘awkward’, how about that pose?

Diesel is full of bluster, attitude and awkward teenage slang. Red Robin and Superboy fight back, but Cassie gets kidnapped and dragged deeper into the ruins. She insisted that she could still stand and fight, even without powers, and it gets her kidnapped. Red Robin and Superboy go to pursue, with Red Robin a little fanatic about finding her. He has a crush on Wonder Girl, after all.

For some reason, the art just seems a little unrefined. I loved it in the last issue, and there are hints of that same greatness. But it just doesn’t have the same spark or youthful energy. I’m not sure what it is. I still think I like it better than regular artist Brett Booth, though. Not that Booth was bad, but his frantic style was only adding to the series’ lack of attention span.

We cut to Kid Flash and Bunker chilling at a motel in New Jersey, where Red Robin left them after the possessed Wonder Girl beat them up a few issues ago. I’m not even going to try to understand how they went from the motel to the cabin in the woods and then back to the motel. I’m pretty sure Lobell can’t explain it either. Nonetheless, the two guys are a little miffed at having been left behind, but then they were beat up pretty badly. So they’re making the most of it, and trying to keep their sanity in all the boredom. It’s a fun little scene that goes a long way in building a realistic friendship between the two teens.

Bonding over chicks and soda

We then find Kiran, Solstice, just stepping out of the shower! Hubba hubba. This new artist has an interesting take on Solstice’s weird black skin and blue cracks. I like it. She looks less volatile and more able to just be a normal person. Speaking of Solstice being a normal person, Amanda Waller’s mercenary from the end of last issue, Lance, pops into Solstice’s head via mental projection. He promises her the chance to turn back into her normal, human form. He just needs her to betray the Teen Titans! Or something like that.

Back in Cambodia, Diesel has Cassie down in the depths of the ruins. She tries to reason with him, but he is full of the typical super-villain bravado. He crows about how he has embraced the Silent Armor instead of fighting, like she did. He listens to what it tells him, and he has learned many new spells, like being able to summon his army from drops of his blood. She tries to get through to him, tries to convinced Diesel that she loves him, but it doesn’t work. He’s all bluster and anger.

Which is when Cassie reveals that she still has control of the lasso somehow. It’s still a part of the Silent Armor, and she wraps it around Diesel’s neck, somehow using it to siphon both the armor and the life from him.

Love hurts

This is what I mean by abrupt. I’m not quite sure how she’s able to steal the Silent Armor back just using the lasso. Or why doing so would turn Diesel into that decrepit skeletal man. That didn’t happen to Cassie when she lost the armor a few issues ago.

To make matters worse, the confrontation just stops as Wonder Girl suddenly finds Red Robin and Superboy in the ruins. They’d been looking for her, and became worried when Diesel’s army suddenly disappeared. But Cassie refuses to answer how she got the Silent Armor back, or what happened to Diesel or whether or not she’s OK. Red Robin pushes for more information, but she throws it in his face that he refuses to even tell them his real name. So they’re all going to keep secrets now. Which is a shame, since it seems like she either killed Diesel or just left him there.

But this is what I mean by the story seeming to just stop itself. For as we’ll see quite soon, we have the Joker to deal with.

So we jump immediately to all six Titans back together at their apartment in Lex Towers in Manhattan. Red Robin, Superboy and Wonder Girl are sullen, while Kid Flash, Bunker and Solstice are happy to be back together. Red Robin goes to bed and Superboy flies off to deal with something in his own series.

Lance returns to talk to Solstice some more about helping her with her powers, but then he abruptly leaves and we’re told to go read Birds of Prey.

Be sure to read Birds of Prey

Solstice goes to talk to Red Robin in his room, but finds him in full uniform and putting on a new red mask for some reason. He asks if her problems can wait until he gets back from some “family business.” She says they can and he abruptly leaves, promising to be back soon.

And we’re told to go read Batman #14.

Be sure to read Batman

The next day, the four remaining Titans are just hanging out in their pajamas talking. It’s a fun and funny scene. Kid Flash and Solstice hurry off to her room, while Bunker and Wonder Girl chat about why Cassie has chosen to stay. Bunker suggests that her attraction to Red Robin is the reason, but she tries to blow that off as crazy talk. Still, Bunker figures he’s on to something, but he wishes everybody would stop keeping secrets. He doesn’t want to lose anymore members like Skittles and Superboy.

Because apparently Superboy is gone now. Didn’t you get that between the panels? Oh wait, we’re supposed to go read Superboy #14.

Be sure to read Superboy

Teen Titans this month is just a big laundry list of other comic books we should be reading.

But anyway, Bunker’s inner thoughts are interrupted by the arrival or a Red Robin/Joker effigy at their front door. So it looks like the Titans are headed to Gotham City to save their leader!

Though if I may point out, this is just another annoying example of the Joker’s omnipotence. He knows about Red Robin and the Teen Titans, he knows where they live and he has the time to deliver this effigy to their front door without them noticing? It’s just too much power for the Joker. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m kind of looking forward to what happens next. But interviews with Lobdell about this Joker tie-in lead me to believe it’s going to just cause trouble in a book that already hasn’t found a good pace.

But as I’ve said, this was a good start. I can finally say that Lobdell is doing an acceptable job of having his characters interact. But a good team isn’t built by just throwing characters together into a comic. There needs to be real chemistry, and that chemistry needs to be grown and cared for like a garden. A garden of chemistry. The personalities need to work together and be worked together. And while Lobdell has wasted almost every opportunity so far in this series, Fabian Nicieza absolutely nailed it last issue. Fortunately, it looks like some of Nicieza might have rubbed off on Lobdell. Might. This issue was a step in the right direction. But considering we’re jumping headlong into another action-packed story, I’m not too confident.

And what the hell was up with all those editor notes? Jeez Louise! Why even bother using Lance if he’s going to be pulled away to some other series almost immediately? I want to read a Teen Titans story. I don’t want to have to run all over comicdom to get the full story!