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I Don’t Know What I’m Going to Do About Teen Titans in DC: Rebirth!
If you haven’t yet heard, DC Comics announced their entire Rebirth lineup at Wondercon today, with all sorts of artwork, new creative teams and more galore! I’m all in favor of pretty much everything they’re planning. As long as it means good comics, I’m on board. They can shake up their lineups all they want. And there are some pretty big shake ups on the way. Nothing as serious as the New 52, but there will definitely be some new stuff out there.
If you haven’t seen the new lineups, I recommend visiting Newsarama or Comic Book Resources. They are much better equipped than I am to handle this stuff. I’m only interested in the parts of Rebirth I’m actually interested in. I’m definitely going to be checking out a lot of the new books, from the Batman books to the Justice League, and I think I’ll try to get back into Aquaman, Wonder Woman and perhaps even some Green Lantern, since my favorite Lantern, Simon Baz, is going to get some attention finally.
But the biggest question I have going forward is what the heck I’m going to do about Teen Titans! The series that I have been reviewing month in and month out since the start of the New 52 will be no more! Those reviews are some of the most popular articles on my blog. So where do I go from here?
It’s time for Damien to retire
What am I supposed to do with this version of the Teen Titans?
Join me after the jump for the rest of the news!
Review: Teen Titans #17
Here we go! Buckle up, boys and girls, because the next era of Teen Titans is upon us! New writer Greg Pak takes the reigns, at least for a little while, hoping to right this stagecoach for a few issues, until Rebirth comes along to maybe change everything up again. It’s a little hard to get excited about the new writer when there’s every indication that nothing will stick. But I’ve stuck with Teen Titans this long, and I’m always eager for something new from this series.
Teen Titans #17
So it’s damn exciting that Greg Pak immediately and unequivocally solves one of my biggest complaints about this series. This is close to being the Teen Titans I’ve always wanted.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
The biggest problem with Teen Titans in the New 52, and even in DCYou, is that the characters are treated as little more than action figures. They are costumed superheroes first, people second. All they do is fight bad guys, bouncing from one random opponent to the next. Famously, Red Robin never once removed his costume when Will Pfeifer was writing the series. There was apparently no interest in addressing the Teen Titans as teenagers or youngsters or human beings. They were action figures, trapped in a strange mess of stories, many of which were likely tugged back and forth by demanding editorial.
I may never understand why Teen Titans was so shackled when things like Batgirl, Ms. Marvel, Young Avengers and Teen Titans Go! were allowed to exist.
Teen Titans #17 doesn’t fix everything. Pak and DC don’t go for the nuclear option. This is still the same team, carrying on the same storyline, and existing in the same New 52 world. But Pak treats them as people for the first time in a long time. There is more characterization in this one issue than in Pfeifer’s entire run. There are character moments that legitimately shocked me for how little we’ve seen that level of depth. And for once, the threat doesn’t come from some outside force, but from within. For once, the Teen Titans are driving their own story.
And you better believe that Tim Drake shows up in this comic! Join me after the jump to see for yourself!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 12/5/15
For some reason, this is a super heavy Marvel week for me. I read a bunch of DC Comics, but this week I pointed my review cannon squarely at what Marvel had to offer — though I was sure not to miss the first issue of Robin War. Gotta represent the ‘R’!
As for Marvel, we’ve got a ton of good comics! New Angela, Iron Man and Avengers issues, as well as the debut of Totally Awesome Hulk, which I enjoyed. I’ve also finally reviewed an X-Men comic in this new All-New, All-Different world.
But Comic Book of the Week goes to Doctor Strange #3, a delightfully weird comic that lets Jason Aaron stretch his insane muscles!
I know a lot of people who would be dying for Cumberbatch to do this scene
It’s got the focus of his Thor and the madcap zaniness of his Wolverine and the X-Men.
And remember, now is your chance to buy the first two issues of my own comic, Gamer Girl & Vixen! Stop by our store and check us out!
Comic Reviews: All-New, All-Different Avengers #2, All-New X-Men #1, Angela: Queen of Hel #2, Doctor Strange #3, Invincible Iron Man #4, Robin War #1 and Totally Awesome Hulk #1.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 10/17/15
Another week, another new batch of All-New, All-Different Marvel comics! I’d love to read and review every single one, but I’m a busy man, especially this week. Did you hear about that murder at the church in upstate New York? That’s right in my backyard, and as the local newspaper reporter, I’m all over that stuff!
Fortunately, I still found time to read some new comics! And it was another good week! I scoped out the first issues of Chewbacca and New Avengers, and enjoyed a few of my favorites from DC Comics, like Starfire and Harley Quinn. But the clear standout and winner of Comic Book of the Week is Ms. Marvel #19.
Was there really any doubt?
It’s the end of the world, and they know it
I can’t wait for this series to come back from hiatus!
Comic Reviews: Batman #45, Batman and Robin Eternal #2, Chewbacca #1, Harley Quinn #21, Ms. Marvel #19, New Avengers #1 and Starfire #5.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 10/10/15
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! The long national nightmare of Secret Wars is over, and the All-New, All-Different Marvel is upon us! Though, that isn’t exactly accurate. Secret Wars is not yet over, and will actually continue all the way into December. And it’s not a nightmare, I’m actually enjoying it. But the All-New, All-Different Marvel is definitely here in force this week! No longer do we have to rely on tie-ins or Star Wars comics to get our Marvel fix! We’ve got brand new first issues of Amazing Spider-Man, Invincible Iron Man and Doctor Strange, who, I guess, doesn’t deserve an adjective.
Comic Book of the Week goes to the first issue of the new Amazing Spider-Man, which only barely inches past the new Invincible Iron Man. Possibly because it includes the greatest cameo by the Prowler in a decade! Among other goodies.
It gets really good, people
Though this week isn’t all wine and roses. DC has launched their sequel to the henchly-reviled Batman Eternal! And like a pig to the slaughter, I picked that up too…
Comic Reviews: Action Comics #45, Amazing Spider-Man #1, Batman and Robin Eternal #1, Doctor Strange #1 and Invincible Iron Man #1.
Henchman-4-Hire 