In the series finale for World’s Finest: Teen Titans, every piece falls into place. Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino have crafted a modern retelling of the original Teen Titans’ time together and somehow fit everything that defines them into six brief issues. We’ve seen them riding the high of stardom, the terrors the Titans have faced, their love, their drama, and at the end we saw the Teen Titans show what makes them one of the best teams in comics. In the final issue of this miniseries, the Teen Titans face off against… the Terror Titans! Everything wraps up rather well in issue #6. But is it too perfect?
The issue itself is divided into three sections: the Titans’ bombastic fight, the aftermath, and a brighter tomorrow. As the two Titans teams face off, we see each member show their worth. This helps to show how the group has grown into a well-rounded team. Afterward, Waid does a spectacular job acknowledging the bright future ahead that the Titans have, showing how this is just the first of many epic tales in their story.
After issues of internalized conflict, Robin steps up and takes charge. The development for him has been subtle and properly crafted over the series. After deciding to step out of his mentor’s shadow for what seems to be the first time, we see some inklings of the Dick Grayson we know as Nightwing. His steps toward independence and leadership are some of his strongest qualities, and this is a great first step in that direction. Although we see bits and pieces of that for each of the Titans, there is only one other whose development stands out: Roy Harper. We’ve seen a lot of Roy’s immaturity over the last few issues, and here we see him taking charge. Although we’re often used to associating Wally West as Dick’s best friend, Waid shows why Roy is just as equally relied on as one of the most reliable Titans.
Artist Emanuela Lupacchino partners with Mike Norton for the finale issue, and the two make a great pair. For the most part, their styles are almost indistinguishable from one another. However, each brings their own unique talents to the story. Norton’s style is very simple and focuses on making an almost cartoonish and soft, while Luppacchino’s is a little more sharp and defined. Together, the two make for a great pair, balancing the more somber and intense scenes between one another. Colorist Jordie Bellaire does a spectacular job making a truly beautiful issue come to life with a stark shading that helps give the story heart. Overall, the story is beautifully drawn from start to finish.
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #6 is a spectacular read that closes the book with a retelling of one of the most popular Teen Titans lineups and caps it off by setting them up for future success. Although the story moves a little fast, there’s a lot to fit into a series finale, and the pacing doesn’t deter the story in a jarring manner. As the story comes to a close, the series ends up feeling like it is both too short and just right. Although there are countless stories to tell about this team, this series picks one of the most important ones to be known for: how the Teen Titans became a found family.
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