Teen Titans GO!!!
Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Dustin Nguyen, and Steve Wands
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: December 14, 2021
Robin & Batman #2 follows the Dynamic Duo as batman takes the newly-minted Boy wonder on a very special field trip for his birthday. A trip to the Justice League satellite. When they arrive, Dick finds wonders he'd never imagined existed and meets heroes he's only ever heard about. But nothing compares to the excitement (and possible trouble) he experiences when he's introduced to a collection of sidekick teens with a Titan-ic thirst for adventure.
Was It Good?
This issue was outstanding. I can't get over how much I was blown away by this issue. But, if you thought issue #1 was great like me, Robin & Batman #2 is better.
Why? First, this issue has Bronze Age DC fan service crammed into every square inch. Normally, I'm not a fan of fan service (pun intended), but it works so well here, you can't help but enjoy all the little cool Easter Eggs that pop up on nearly every page - from cameos of long-absent heroes (well, hello there Mr. Firestorm) to the "oft-told but not done this organically that I can recall" first meeting of the group that will eventually become the first generation of Teen Titans. This issue is chock full of all the wholesome fun, excitement, and adventure that made the Teen Titans one of the best titles of the Bronze Age. So I dare you not to smile.
Second, there's a twist at the end that you will not see coming. A twist that elevates this simple-yet-endearing fan service comic into something much more meaningful. I crowed about issue #1s deft take on the relationship between a boy and his surrogate father. Here, that relationship takes on a complicated meaning when the twist happens, confirming how atypical the relationship between Dick and Bruce is. I won't spoil it here, but once the twist hits, it changes everything about the comic and turns the story into something completely different. This is brilliant writing, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Nguyen's art nails the wide-eyed wonder Dick feels when he meets Bruce's famous friends. The simple juxtaposition of height and posture when Dick meets and shakes hands with Superman exemplifies everything about a boy meeting one of his idols, and the art completely sells it.
Make sure to listen to our Weekly DC Comics Recap and Review Podcast to hear us talk more about this book. Just look up "Weird Science DC Comics" anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Bits and Pieces
Robin & Batman #2 blew me away. The story builds and builds for a young boy having possibly the greatest day of his life, and then the twist ending elevates the story to something completely different. The art captures every ounce of wide-eyed wonder, and this is going to be my pick of the week.
10/10
I loved this issue. The artwork is amazing. Probably the best I've seen in a long time. I'm also a huge fan of the original Teen Titans and the Bronze Age JLA. I also love that Zatanna was wearing the costume George Perez designed which is my favorite of all her costumes. That said I can't give this issue anything higher than a 9. That's because I'm kinda obsessed with history and continuity and it was kinda all over the place here. First of all, the JLA wasn't in the satellite when the original Teen Titans formed they were still in the cave also Martian Manhunter wasn't in the JLA during the satellite era and Firestorm didn't even exist until long after the TT formed and he didn't join the League until right before the NEW Teen Titans formed plus he shouldn't be older than the TT. I'm pretty sure he's a few years younger or atleast close to the same age. Again my obsession with continuity and history/chronology prevents me from giving this a 10. But putting those issues aside this was one of the best stories I've read in a long time.
ReplyDeleteI have seen a couple things about the continuity of this book. One said this is supposed to be the new "Everything Matters" continuity of Infinite Frontier and another says this is an alternate timeline to All-Star Batman and Robin. Who the hell knows nowadays!!!
Delete