Happy Beginnings?
Written by: Scott Lobdell and Will Pfeifer
Art by: Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund and Tony Avina
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: October 21, 2015
There was quite a delay between issues of Teen Titans, a fact that hits you in the face when you see it has a Green Lantern variant cover...that's actually pretty funny. The next thing that readers probably will notice is that Scott Lobdell is co-writer of the issue. Having started reviewing this book during Will Pfeifer's current run, I have to cede to my site and podcast partner Eric (you know,
The issue begins with Superboy yelling to get his life back and Bang! Zoom! Him, Red Robin, Kid Flash and Wonder Girl are...somewhere. Before too much finger pointing can happen, Tim steps up and tells them they have to work together to figure things out.
They quickly realize that they have no powers...except maybe the powers of exposition and flashbacks. Just kidding, but before you know it, Superboy is telling the other three what actually happened with the Durlans he supposedly murdered. I guess we can take the "supposedly" off the board, because he did it. Sure, they shit down his mind, leaving only the living weapon, but the living weapon killed them all.
Kon's confession triggers a "This is Your Horrible Life" segment for each of the remaining characters. Bart's a future terrorist, Cassie claimed the Silent Armor to fight off Trigon and Tim had stalked the Titans before recruiting them. Of all those, it seems that Tim is looked at as the biggest dick.
I know that New 52 Teen Titans fans will know all of this (and have much more questions regarding all of it), but I liked it. Liked it because it gave me a refresher course on these characters, but also showed me that Scott Lobdell has arrived to save the day. If this isn't a soft reboot then Bob's Your Uncle. By the way, if you do have an Uncle named Bob, just shut your mouth right now.
The issue continues with a little more "kind of going against past continuity" stuff when Harvest shows up. He isn't dead and now we are told he tried to raise Kon as his son after losing his own family. He has come for Kon and even thought the rest want to protect and save him, Kon has other plans. He says his goodbyes and even as Tim tries the "attack you because I love you" technique he may or may not have learned from Batman, Kon flies off to join Harvest.
Then Harvest drops the bombshell that the Titans came together by destiny...the destiny to join his army. He then leaves the three obviously doubting themselves and each other.
Boy, this is a tough issue to slap a score on. On one hand, this issue pretty much seems to end (destroy?) everything that Pfeifer has been working on since jumping on this book. On the other hand, this issue pretty much seems to end (destroy?) everything...you get my point. Eric and myself have a rule that our scores go just as much with gut feelings than technical aspects and my gut feeling is that I liked this issue. Should everyone run out and buy it? Probably not, but it should give fans hope that we may get a better book in the near future.
I loved Ian Churchill's art and want to see what he can do with this team when they really cut loose. The book has a cartoony look that fits the characters so well. I especially loved his version of Kon here, but the gruesome looking Harvest was a close second.
Bits and Pieces:
This issue is a good jumping on point...maybe. It really feels like a soft reboot, so if you get this issue, you just may be getting in on the ground floor of the new direction of the Teen Titans...or maybe not. I'm really not sure just yet. While this issue will undoubtedly piss people off who followed Will Pfeifer's run (as well as those who didn't like Lobdell's earlier one), I liked it for the art and the promise of something kind of new. Maybe not better, but kind of new. Considering how much I haven't liked this book, I'll take it.
6.9/10
Oh my god I have to re read issue 11 now. What the hell is going on last thing I remember was a prison break and now Harvest is back?
ReplyDeleteyea, it's crazy. Forget #11, it looks like Lobdell is back for a soft reboot
DeleteThis was what I was talking about Tim and Harvest being connected although they may change the fact that future Tim became an omniscient anti-aging scientist and set them apart yet they can stay true to this fact and elaborate on it. It would be amazing and Harvest doesn't have to be villainous just messiah-complex variation of prodigious Tim
DeleteI feel that they should have let pfeifer end his story at least before replacing him with lobdell because it feels like the last 7 issues have been a waste of time but it's just imo though .
ReplyDeleteWell the Durlans had whats coming to them lesson of the story never shit down another person's mind right jim, but ah yea i havent been of a fan of this book from the start only picked up to see kon kick ass after his book and the original were canceled...for some reason. They drop you midstory missing memebers and Harvest whole darth vader i am your daddy thing didn't work for me, kon was basically the living organ donor for jon lane kent the son of lois and clark and with that book in play and them having a son would have been pretty cool.
ReplyDeletelol! yea, they are really going out of their way to mess with Kon's origin and reason for being alive. With Jon being around now they must have thought it doesn't make sense and are changing it. And yesw, never shit down another person's mind!
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DeleteOne thing that should be further explored with kon is the relationship with Clark, but I think this possibility is unlikely to happen, unfortunately.
Deletethat would be something i'd like to see...maybe we'll get lucky and Kon can help Clark with his power issue...which will never happen
DeleteI was so worried about Lobdell coming back to write the Teen Tiatns but this actually seems pretty good. Just tell me that he is of weed now and can actually write half decent. Okay serious question though is Bart and Connor back for good though I hate them being of the team it isn't complete without them? I hope this book goes in a more consistent tone and doesn't envolve Mandhester Black twiddling his mustache but omfw do I not want to see Harvest again. Another question as I haven't read this yet is the elite vs Titans thing still a thing or what?
ReplyDeleteI do think they are back...don't know "for good", but I agree...get rid of Manchester Black. I do think this issue ends the Elite vs Titans thing (hopefully) for good.
DeleteSigh...Harvest again? I thought we were done with that lame character >_> Im not sure if hes a much better replacement for Manchester Black.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Teen Titans in general since new 52 started has been plagued with these lame villains who seem to go on forever
I agree...maybe Lobdell (and Harvest) are back to get the team back together and after January we will get a whole new creative team and direction. MI would love it if Geoff Johns could jump on to right the ship. He's not busy, right???
DeleteIf Johns could somehow be pulled away from the batman movie, his work overseeing the adaption side of things, and Justice League...This would be a good fit for him. Though I suspect this wouldn't be his first choice sadly.
DeletePerhaps that guy they have on Titans Hunt? Dan Abnett? He seems a bit rough on Roy, but at least he seems to go places with his writing.
The issue really felt like it came at the back end of Lobdell's run... which is to say that I found it completely unreadable, especially when all they did was blabber on about things that happened in Lobdell's run as if nothing had happened in between. Seriously though, I read maybe half of the issue then just started flipping pages to see if it went anywhere... and just got Deus Ex Harvest reducing everyone to tears. Not one mention of what was going on elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThe issue really felt like a torpedo to the book Will was writing, it was going somewhere and we had a really big fight in the offering, but now we get to wait an extra month to actually see it because we had to send Superboy off into the void again. Imagine watching the Battle of Pelennor where the Rohirrim is charging across the plain, everything is very exciting, but just before they crash into the orc army, someone changes the channel to something featuring a monkey throwing a fit. Thats what this felt like. And now I am dreading that when we return to the ongoing story, it will all be over.
Considering how little I liked the previous volume of Teen Titans, I dearly hope #13 feels more like Will is writing, otherwise I may just be leaving this till Lobdell is gone.
i hear you...I also have heard people complaining about Will's run since it began. Whichever way you look at it, this book is a mess--I have not liked this run and while I didn't read the entire Lobdell run, I'm hoping beyond hope that any change will be good. I really just want a new start with a new creative team.
DeleteFuck this comic...Really, just fuck it. It needed a new volume just to escape the utter mess of Lobdell...And DC brings the guy back? Why!? Why not one of the guys writing Gotham Academy or even Brian Q. Miller if they needed a fresh perspective?
ReplyDeleteThe new 52 version of the Titans blows and IMO is beyond redemption at his point. Maybe the Titans Hunt series could savage this mess, but i doubt it.
RIP Teen Titans, you lived as you died: a steaming pile of shit
I would love Bryan Q. Miller on the Teen Titans!!! Thank you so much for bringing that up, but now I won't be happy until that happens.
DeleteThis book has been an utter mess since the New 52 started-Lobdell and Pfeiffer-and hopefully, this is just a couple issues to reset it and get a new creative team in with a (kind of) fresh start.
I think Titans Hunt has the potential to be really good, and feels like a reaction to this book being a shit sandwich.