In the past four issues, a lot has happened to the Teen Titans. They’ve stopped bad guys, made friends, and had a lot of drama. This series, a brilliant retelling of the origin of the team, has shown how an imperfect team slowly became the stuff of legends. In the penultimate issue of the miniseries World’s Finest: Teen Titans, the theme is very clear: with great responsibility comes greater responsibility (wait, did I say that right?). Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino deliver an emotional rollercoaster of an issue that gives everyone the spotlight: but is it the spotlight they wanted?
The issue opens with a flashback (a flashback for a prelude, nice) to a time not too long ago but not too recently either. The Teen Titans seem to truly be starting out here since neither Roy nor Karen are present. But someone else is, and it becomes clear who has been pulling the strings this whole time. Someone has been building a team of anti-Titans to oppose the group before they get too much traction going for them.
Truthfully, this series’ episodic tone has been a joy to read, but having a newly created villain in Haywire was a wise choice. Waid, a prolific master of storytelling, successfully implants a villain that perfectly threatens a newfound team with lots of holes to poke. Through this, the story can feel truly engaging; and the question becomes “How the heck are they going to get out of this while still being friends?” Furthermore, the storytelling is rather captivating through how threatening the antagonist is.
Emanuela Lupacchino and Jordie Bellaire continue to be a dynamic duo for bringing this series to life. Lupacchino has a very slick art style that helps the fights burst off the page. I enjoy how emotional this series has been, and Lupacchino has done a great job portraying the heart of this issue through each character. Bellaire has an explosive coloring style that helps create a vibrant story. To the point of how emotional this story is, part of that is seen through its colors. A perfect example of this is seen on the eighth page of the issue, where the high stakes and intensity are vividly depicted. That said, the coloring can be a bit intense at times, but isn’t too distracting from the story as a whole.
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #5 is another great issue as this miniseries races towards its conclusion. While ending on a dramatic cliffhanger, the issue is a whirlwind from start to finish. There are only a few loose ends to tie up as this issue ends, each relatively attainable in the series finale. Furthermore, this issue is an enjoyable read depicting how the original Teen Titans became the gold standard for generations of heroes to admire. Clearly, getting there will only work if they work together.
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