By: JT Krul (writer), Nicola Scott (penciller), Doug Hazlewood (inker), Jason Wright (colorist)
The Story: It’s getting dark, guys. Hey Solstice–lend us a light?
The Review: There’s a very clear separation between what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s mediocre, but it can be difficult to explain what makes them such, especially when something falls in the big, fat binbox of “just okay.” By nature, you’re not inclined to have much feeling about something middling in quality. You just stick through it like you would the filler tracks on a club mix, hoping the hit single will pop up next.
Krul’s Teen Titans lands squarely in serviceable territory. His plotting offers standard fare: kidnapping in exotic locale, possible demonic origins. The characters don’t come off completely one-dimensional, but they don’t reveal many layers either. The opening monologue is a good example of Krul’s limitations: it rambles, avoiding having to show anything worthwhile, and re-emphasizes “we’re…a family,” as if the more it’s said, the more it’ll convince you it’s true.
The recent page-count cut may have forced writers to drop scenes or gloss over things they might have otherwise gone into detail with, but this issue features Red Robin telling Superboy that at some point since he rejoined the team, Wonder Girl ceded leadership to him for vaguely personal reasons. Since Krul chooses not to show this presumably significant conversation to us, we have to assume no one, not even the writer, takes Cassie’s role as leader seriously.
It’d be a relief too if the whole Connor/Cassie (Conassie?) relationship drama can be ignored from issue to issue, since it seems pointlessly angsty and frankly, agonizing over it does nothing for the characters or overall plot. It seems clear there’s no real obstacle to their being together, and their breakup is likely forced by editorial or narrative necessity—much like the will-they-or-won’t-they plotlines that frequent almost every TV show nowadays.
Writers don’t seem to know what to do with Raven, because the only storyline she ever gets nearly always involve her conflict with her demonic nature. Even Geoff Johns barely gave her more to do by starting up a relationship with Beast Boy, and that romance practically skipped the honeymoon phase and fizzled fairly quickly. As her constant dark intonations this issue show, Krul has no plans to move her in a different direction.
One of the only bright spots is Krul still writes a great Ravager. You can see the difference in her dialogue. She doesn’t spend less time babbling, but more time really acting with her words. After manipulating Kid Flash into trying to impress Solstice, her dry, “So easy,” once he rushes off says everything you have to know about what she’s thinking.
Scott almost single-handedly saves this issue from total blandness with her great depth of lines, dynamic scene-work (love her Kid Flash speeding through the ruins sequence—she really brings super-speed to life), and emotive expressions. She really deserves more interesting things to do, but she makes the best of what she gets. Hazlewood inks her lines well and Wright’s lighting brings out the exotic atmosphere to their locale.
Conclusion: Were it not for the obviously loving art and a few redeeming points in the writing, this series would definitely touch the lower edge of indifferent.
Grade: C+
– Minhquan Nguyen
Some Musings: – Here’s a reminder for everybody: Kid Flash was turned into a grown man for a pretty long while. He had an adult relationship. He also got killed by his enemies. Surely these are reasons enough to not revert him completely back to being a happy-go-lucky goofball.
– Her name’s Solstice, she has light powers, and she figuratively brings light to the team. Got it. Any bets on when we get a story arc where she turns evil, has shadow powers, and calls herself Nocturne?
Grade
Conclusion