The New 52 Review: TEEN TITANS #1

"Not your or your father's Teen Titans"

TEEN TITANS #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Scott Lobdell
PENCILS: Brett Booth
INKS: Norm Rapmund
COLORS: Andrew Dalhouse
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

The Teen Titans is a DC Comics superhero team that has existed in several different incarnations. The first incarnation of the Teen Titans unofficially debuted in The Brave and the Bold #54 (cover July 1964) as a sort of “junior Justice League,” when Robin (Dick Grayson), Kid Flash (Wally West), and Aqualad, the sidekicks of Justice League members, Batman, the Flash, and Aquaman respectively, teamed up to defeat a villain.

The group was first called the “Teen Titans” in The Brave and the Bold #60 (cover July 1965), when they were joined by Wonder Girl (Donna Troy), the younger sister of Wonder Woman, who was also making her first appearance in a comic book. Teen Titans #1 (cover date February 1966) was the beginning of the Titans own series and was published until 1973. The series has a short revival in 1976-78.

The New Teen Titans #1 (cover date November 1980) re-launched the concept and ran for 16 years (during which there were two name changes and a second #1 issue). There was a second Teen Titans (1996-98) and a series called The Titans (1999-2002). Geoff Johns launched a third series called Teen Titans (2003-11), and there was a second series called Titans (2008-11).

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” we have a fourth series entitled Teen Titans. Teen Titans #1 (“Teen Spirit”) opens with Kid Flash making an ass of himself. Next, Red Robin’s sanctum, a penthouse in Lex Towers, gets the invasion treatment from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Robin has uncovered some kind of conspiracy against metahuman youth, so he turns to Cassie Sandsmark, who insists that he not call her Wonder Girl.

This new Teen Titans seems to be one of “The New 52,” titles in which the writer has been allowed to ignore most of what has come before him. It would not be an exaggeration to say that what Scott Lobdell has wrought puts a lie to 47 years of Teen Titans comic book publishing history. Practically everything that is directly connected to The Brave and the Bold #54 is kaput.

That said, Teen Titans is an entertaining comic book, and I’d like to read future issues. If anything, this is the best art Brett Booth has delivered in ages. His art, sort of a retarded bastard child of Art Adams and Jim Lee’s styles, has grown more ridiculous looking with each passing year – until now. Credit Norm Rapmund’s inking.

Meanwhile, the new Kid Flash looks to be an excellent, perhaps even popular, supporting character – as long as he remains a supporting character. This isn’t the Teen Titans I remember, but I could read this.

B

September 28th
AQUAMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/aquaman-1.html
BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/batman-dark-knight-1.html
BLACKHAWKS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/blackhawks-1.html
FLASH #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/flash-1.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/justice-league-dark-1.html
SUPERMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/superman-1.html
VOODOO #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/voodoo-1.html

I Reads You Review: Ultimate X #1

ULTIMATE X #1
MARVEL COMICS

WRITER: Jeph Loeb

PENCILS: Arthur Adams

INKS: Aspen MLT’s Mark Roslan

COLORS: Aspen MLT’s Peter Steigerwald

LETTERS: Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne

Last year Marvel Comics brought an end to its Ultimate Comics line with a big event called Ultimatum. Never one to let its suckers… I mean customers keep a few extra bucks in their wallets, Marvel has relaunched the line and Ultimate X-Men is now Ultimate X.

Ultimate X #1 introduces readers to shirtless Jimmy Hudson, the adopted son of trailer park denizens, James and Heather Hudson. In the regular Marvel Universe, the Hudson’s were part of Alpha Flight. Here, James is a redneck sheriff and Heather is a home-bound harpy. Their little Jimmy is actually the spawn of Wolverine and some unnamed female. It’s a good thing that Bill Jemas and his regime of “realistic” comic book stories no longer reigns at Marvel or Jemas would make Jimmy’s mother an actual Wolverine.

The rest of the story (Chapter One: “His Father’s Son”) involves Kitty Pryde showing up to tell Jimmy all the secrets he should know. God forbid that he could learn that on his own and give this story a little more drama and action.

When I first heard of this comic, I was excited because I am a long time fan of artist Art Adams. I figured that it would be hit or miss with Jeph Loeb, and it is all miss. I’ve often wondered why Loeb is so acclaimed and popular. He has written some good comics, but most of his work is so stunningly mediocre. I figure that Loeb gets so many writing assignments because (1) people like him and (2) he is good at kissing ass, brown-nosing, and/or bee-jaying. The script for Ultimate X #1 is so dull that it is practically a strong dose of sleeping pills. Obviously, it is not good, but it isn’t so much bad as it is flat. In fact, even when Loeb attempts to create intrigue, it comes out as the opposite of intrigue.

As for Adams, he’s good enough to keep me coming back. I think Adams best days are behind him, having peaked in the 1990s around the time of his work on Monkeyman and O’Brien and his work with Wildstorm. Peter Steigerwald’s colors are professional, if not inspired. The coloring on Jimmy’s jeans, however, really stands out for some reason. Overall, I don’t see myself paying $3.99 per issue for Ultimate X, unless there is improvement, but I’ll continue to read it even if I have to shoplift a copy or download a pirated copy.

C

[This comic also includes a preview of New Ultimates #1.]


Buy Ultimatum