Titans #33 Review and *SPOILERS*

There and Back Again

Written By: Dan Abnett
Art By: Bruno Redondo, Hi-Fi
Letters By: Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 16, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

I admittedly was a little easy on the previous issue of Titans. While I still stand by the parts I did enjoy, it was pointed out to me that a lot of the momentum that this book had in the previous issue was lost and after having thought on it, I have to agree. While it was a good idea to have us know the villain of the story, I think it would have done better to continue the main story instead. However, hindsight is 20/20 and I’m much more interested in seeing where this series goes in the future rather than where it has been in the past. Let’s jump into this issue and see where it takes us.

We begin our issue at Titans HQ where Ben is reading through an Unearth book in order to help the Titans as they enter the previously fictional land. He is able to find their enemies weaknesses and strengths in the pages. Unknown to him though, the Titans have already engaged the enemy and are finding those things out firsthand. The Titans are able to quickly dispatch the enemy and they retreat. Eventually they will regroup so the Titans head out before they return.

We jump to the main castle where Lord Travesty sits on the throne. He is informed of the situation before being interrupted by Ernest, the creator of this world. Lord Travesty is very friendly with him but clearly is keeping him out of the loop as to the goings on of the world. Ernest is interested in one of Travesty’s warriors as she is someone that he hasn’t created but he is shooed away and told he can speak with her at a different time. After Ernest has left, Travesty opens the door for his new allies, the Blood Cult. He is understandably cautious of them but they have helped him ascend to the throne. It is revealed that all they must do is wait in their castle as the Titans that Mother Blood wants will come to them as they still have Raven’s soul self held captive.

Back with the Titans, Raven can feel her soul self getting closer. There are a lot of inside jokes during this portion of the book. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan or are a Dungeons and Dragons player, you will probably get a lot of them. The Titans run into some living trees who demand they answer some riddles. After Kyle produces a giant axe though, they all back off quickly. We catch up with Ernest for a moment and one of his escorts reveals that there were invaders recently. Back with the Titans, we have finally gotten to the castle but there is no rest to be had as they are quickly attacked. The Titans are doing well until the warrior we saw earlier arrives and is able to handle them quickly. Raven looks at her and realizes that she sees herself. This is where the issue ends.

Despite losing so much momentum in the previous issue, I actually think this issue recovers expertly. Almost immediately, we jump into action and the issue is actually pretty fast paced. As someone who loves Lord of the Rings and D&D, I enjoyed a lot of the inside jokes. The issue is light hearted enough that I feel like I’m having fun while watching it but it is also serious enough that it doesn’t take away from the story. This book has struggled with that since this new lineup took over but I think they’ve finally hit that sweet spot. The balance is perfect.

Bits and Pieces

While the momentum was lost in the previous issue, we are able to regain it almost immediately in this new issue. This issue was fairly fast paced and we kept on target with our goal while still having our character engage in fun interactions. This is the book I’ve been waiting for. Who would have thought it would come in the world that I hated just 9 issues ago.

7.0/10