Monday, May 9, 2016

The New Titans #71 (November 1990)



Before I get started pointing out everything wrong with this issue, let me say at least one good thing. The writing felt more natural this issue. I know this not because I’m any good at understanding what I read but because I didn’t absolutely despise every single panel of this issue. Perhaps this run, beginning with Barb and Karl Kesel’s Royal Flush Gang, is why I have any fond memories at all of the Teen Titans. I don’t know why I stuck with a comic book I didn’t like until issue sixty-something, but I was still in my teens during this run and even dumber than I am now. But even with all of the garbage I’m going to take out to the curb in the next paragraph, I can still say I liked this issue.

Now for the dumb stuff! This issue was basically a recap of all the characters so new readers could jump on board the Times Are Changing Express! Choo choo! But then the issue was also forty pages long, so I have to give it a pass on all the regurgitating of facts huge fangenders already knew by heart. The worst part was that the Titans are once again facing an enemy whose only motivation is to destroy the Titans. So the only heroic deeds they’re going to get up to any time soon are the kind where they save their own asses. And what’s worse? The bad guy, yet again, is Wildebeest! That probably wasn’t as surprising as I wanted it to be since Wildebeest’s shadow is right there on the cover. What? You didn’t notice that? What kind of Grandmaster Comic Book Reader are you?! Pshaw!

Fucking Wildebeest! Christ. This entire series has simply become Wildebeest trying to end the Titans. I really can’t remember who Wildebeest is which doesn’t bode well for what should be a real shocker of a revelation. Maybe the revelation was so good that it blew some of my synapses and I instantly forgot about the revelation! Anyway, I can’t see any way the reveal is going to live up to all of this build up. Unless it’s Bruce Wayne! Or Vicki Vale!

No comments:

Post a Comment