Wally West has been the main thrust of the Rebirth series so far appearing in the self-titled kick off and in The Flash last week.
He’s the center of attention this week which in a sense makes this “part 3” in the Rebirth storyline. Is it good?
Titans: Rebirth #1 (DC Comics)
So what’s it about? The DC summary reads:
Friends. Teammates. Titans. Donna Troy, Arsenal, Garth, Lilith and Nightwing were all that and more until a mysterious force erased their memories, forcing them to forget what they could accomplish together. Reunited with their memories returned, the Titans must destroy the interdimensional demon that broke them apart and threatens reality itself.
Why does this book matter?
Dan Abnett is the writer – one of my favorites right now – with pencils by Brett Booth. Together they blew me away with Aquaman #50 so chances are they’ll do the same here.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Teen Titans!
I don’t have much knowledge about the Teen Titans or any DC Titan actually but I managed to find some heart in this comic. It instantly makes the relationships between these characters feel meaningful by using key flashbacks for each. Wally basically uses a power he’s unaware of, having to get each member back on board with the fact that he exists. In doing so they’re transported to a memory they had with Wally. The trick of these flashbacks is that they aren’t big moments, but small, genuine ones. These flashbacks rejigger the Titans’ minds to remember that Wally was a good person. They also serve to remind us this team has deep roots.
By doing this the issue sets up the team in a single issue as well as readies them to take on their new mission. The mission is pretty key to the entire event as it’ll take this team down a road of discovery and help all the heroes figure out why this is all happening. That’s exciting and if you don’t finish reading this and not feel excited maybe Rebirth just isn’t for you.
Flash’s new power… built in Taser action?
Booth’s pencils continue to impress in super high detail. The characters fight Wally not knowing who he is – and assume he’s attacked Nightwing (the dolts) – and Booth makes each punch and attack on Wally fun by using his speed to show how easy it is for him to evade attack. I also dig how Booth has drawn Wally’s new costume. It’s very red and very simple but it looks great in motion. You wouldn’t know it, but there’s a lot of standing around and talking and Booth keeps the layouts interesting while this goes on, avoiding the dreaded boring exposition issue a lot of comics have.
It can’t be perfect can it?
Unfortunately the synopsis DC has released goes further with the story than this issue does and essentially spoils the entire issue. The part about being reunited is basically the entire plot of this issue. That reduces the narrative to the strong flashback moments and the inexplicable abilities Wally has to turn his friend’s memories back on. Ultimately it’s not a lot of story for an entire issue, but it serves its purpose none the less.
Is It Good?
Save for this issue doing less than the synopsis suggested this is a solid read. It gets everything on track for what could be one of the most interesting detective stories of the Rebirth event. The characters and their connectivity are ready and because of how well this issue is written and and drawn.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
