Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Titans #12 Review and *SPOILERS*



REAL WORLD: Titans Tower


Written By: Dan Abnett
Art By: Kenneth Rocafort, Dan Brown, Josh Reed
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 14, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Now that the Lazarus Contract is complete we can get back to our normal Titans book....... The only problem is, I don't know if I want to continue on after what we had at the end of that crossover.  Most of us in my mind started reading this book because the classic Wally West was brought back in the DC Rebirth Special and this was the title featuring him and with that, this being an important book in the long run.  Yeah, I'm sure people got on the Titans trolley because they're classic Titans fans and I'll go with that too, but this title so far has been a Wally fest, but now our speedster hero has himself a pacemaker due to Damian Wayne and some time travel nonsense and he doesn't seem to be able to really push himself to the level that he was did and possibly he's not really able to be The Flash anymore.  That's no fun, but let's hope for the best as we get into this story and see what our Titan heroes will be up to for the summer.  Let's check it out.  

Explain It!:

Our issue begins with Lilith Clay "Omen" going to Rikers Island to check in on Psimon and hopefully get him to spill the beans about where he sent a part of Bumblebee's mind before the Lazarus Contract showed up and put all of that on hold.  This all leads to a show of power, where Psimon starts probing Lilith's mind as she attempts to do the same to him.  With that, we see what the Titans are up and boy is it a goddamned soap opera!  Donna Troy is all pissed since finding out that she's not a real person, like we saw in the Titans Annual and Roy is pissed because he doesn't have the nerve to tell Donna how he feels about her.  Roy's pissy-ness isn't going to stop there though because as soon as he decides that he's going to tell Donna, he sees that Wally and her have made a connection and are making out.  


The love fest doesn't stop there because it also turns out that Garth and Lilith are getting busy too, but Mal and Karen are on the outs since Bumblebee doesn't remember Herald or the child they had together since Psimon's whammy.  Yeah, the team's a mess and it seems that nobody really trusts Dick anymore now that they learned that he once made a deal with Deathstroke........ even if that deal never really played out in the Lazarus Contract or had any ramifications at all.  Throughout Psimon's probing, where we got to see the emotional state of the team, we also learn that Psimon knows of something dark coming and that Lilith subconsciously knows about it and that's why she called herself Omen in the first place, but we don't really go into what's on the horizon, only that there's someone on the team that will betray the rest and all of this mind games nonsense just seems to be Lilith's ploy to keep Psimon busy in her thoughts, while she finds out where Psimon sent Karen's memories without him knowing about it.


In the end, with Lilith finding out that Karen's memories were sent to Alton Laboratories, the team rallies together to go get them back, but now that we know the state of the team, we see the distrust among them and leave this issue with Lilith wondering who could be the member that is the traitor.  


That's it for this issue of Titans and while I can't say that this is the best jumping on point for new readers, it's not bad, but it certainly doesn't get me interested in what's coming forward because I want a team that acts as a team and really centers on the friendship that they all share and this issue lets me know that we're getting away from all of that completely.  Kenneth Rocafort's art is something that I've never really been a fan of and this issue doesn't change that.  I know that he has many fans and if you don't mind this style, I'm sure you'll be find with what we're given here, but all in all I wasn't too hip on the over dramatic, soap opera-y way that our team were presented and I don't care for the art............ Yeah, that doesn't leave a whole lot to like, but I will tell you that I'm still invested in seeing Bumblebee get her memories back and seeing what HIVE used them for.

Bits and Pieces:

This issue of Titans is a bit stale in my mind while we try to get old readers back on the trolley of where we were before the Lazarus Contract, which I guess works for new readers too, but ultimately, I don't care for how the status quo of the team is now and I wasn't a fan of the art either.  Hopefully Titans will eventually find its footing once it decides that we don't need to always focus on Wally and that this is a team we want to see act as a team.  

6/10

10 comments:

  1. No follow-up on Wally's pacemaker? Meh

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  2. I also don't care for the unnecessary drama. In my opinion, the team hasn't really been together to have this kinda of drama and for it to be effective. Also, I feel that the traitor to the Titans is either: Lilith, Bumblebee, or no one. Anyone else wouldn't make any sense, in my opinion.

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  3. This was a down issue for me, because I'm not the biggest Lilith fan. I'm not a fan of the bumble bee and Mal stuff either. Wally been to depressing lately when he should be the fun happy one in the group. And I'm a little bummed out that Roy always gets shafted. There was no need for Nightwing this issue.
    6/10

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    1. Hating Mal and Karen DC's two first black heroes? That is rare. Herald and Bumblebee are Black Panther material. It took decades to see them play a significant role in Titans since the 1960's and 70's. Having them back is like returning home. Lilith too. As a black fan I'm super excited.

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    2. Kiki I didn't say I hated Mal & Karen, just that I'm not a fan. I honestly wish those 2 where just written better, but unfortunately there getting the John Stewart treatment. Just because your in a book doesn't mean you'll get written interestingly or dynamic, which usually is John Stewart's way of getting handled, but looks like dc give that treatment to Mal & Karen as well.

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  4. Mad cause there is no possible candidate for betrayal NOT in this team. Every Titan is good childhood friend to one another. BS shock value unrest. Donna and Roy belong together, Wally with Linda, Garth with Dolphin, Lilith with Gnarrk, Karen with Mal. Also give Herald his damn powers back.

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    Replies
    1. I don't think all those relationships will happen that way in this new continuity. But I do think Garth and Dolphin will, she's coming to the next arc of Aquaman. Which makes me think that if there's a chance for a traitor it would be Lilith.

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    2. I call BS the traitor story will flop and revealed to be a false omen. Lilith is full of those. Kiki Mink is right that Titans can't be divided given they are school friends. One can hope Rebirth will be about brighter stories but we only get sadness.

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    3. i agree!!! I just want the full team up and running, being friends and fighting bad guys together. this book should be all about the love and hope of rebirth above all others and its not

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  5. Rocafort is a genius. He imagined Omen to have a bad premonition of Troia as an Ogre, Bumblebee a Thriae (humanoid bee nymph), Wally Flash a Thunder Jinn, Nightwing a Garuda, Tempest a Vodyanoi and Arsenal a Leprechaun.

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