Titans delivered a huge shock in its first issue from Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott as they took down a favorite Titan: the death of The Flash, Wally West. Fan response would vary; some thought it was a gimmick, while others felt it was heartfelt as Wally said goodbye to his loved ones. I enjoyed how both Taylor and Scott showcased their abilities in presenting an emotional scene gracefully. The “death” also impacts what the Titans need to investigate, along with all the other duties that being a hero entails. Now that the Titans have hit the ground, it’s time to get running in this second issue.
As you can see from our preview of the issue, things begin with a flashback to the early era of the New Teen Titans. The flashback is a great setup for the relationship between Brother Blood and the Titans; as a relatively new fan, it is interesting to learn more about their history. With the shared dialogue, I can see they are rivals. The humor Tom Taylor adds to the mix is fun, with Starfire saying, “A person’s mortal enemy should be off-limits.” Nicola Scott does excellent work with the New Teen Titans’ costumes and style; I’m also glad that Dick Grayson’s Robin costume from World’s Finest has caught on and is present here. Scott does a great group shot that feels George Perez-approved.
Tom Taylor shows us how the Titans react to losing one of their own, and emotional beats are powerful from Beast Boy. I like that Taylor plays off the drama and trauma that Beast Boy has been under lately, which is excellent connectivity between DC books like Nightwing and Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. This series has a lot of history to draw on, and Taylor has been having the team gather quite a bit in his Nightwing run, so it is great to have the team be this tight with their relations, as it makes the reactions feel genuine. You’ll love the next page after this preview because the creative team can move past sorrow and jump into joy.
As the issue continues, we get more development with characters and concepts. Fans of Tempest, aka Garth or Aqualad, will get more of his story in the issue. I like that Garth is going his way instead of joining up with the Titans, but Tom Taylor delivers quite the shock as to why Garth doesn’t join with his friends. The flashback setup helps establish Brother Blood, and before the issue ends, we learn more about their rebranding. The future situation will be quite the battle for the Titans as it puts them in the naysayer position against a second chance that comes with solid approval from a hero. This creative team is setting up some great plot threads that will have you returning for more next month.
After last issue’s events, the Titans get their legs and press forward to discover a villain’s rebranding, a hero changing viewpoints, and that the dead are alive. Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott put the Titans on quite the course with this new volume as they make their way across the DC Universe.
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