Titans #7
Writer: Dan Abnett
Art: Lee Weeks
Colors: Carlos M. Mangual
Rebirth has brought many familiar things back to the forefront, and chiefly among those things are the pre-Flashpoint versions of both Superman and Wally West. With both active in the DC universe, it was only a matter of time before their paths crossed. Well, it may have taken longer than I would have liked, but Titans #7 contains the conversation we’ve been waiting months for. Lovingly nestled between opening arc “The Return of Wally West” and February’s “Made in Manhattan,” “Home Sweet Home” brings us a small story with big impact.
The Titans have made their new home in Manhattan, based off the only thing Omen could pull from Abra Kadabra’s mind with her psychic powers. So, it must have been important, right? After a quick dust-up with a new villain hopped up on “the meta stuff,” Superman swings by and meets the team. He shocks Wally by saying it’s nice to see him again and we’re off to the races – literally and figuratively. There’s a lot to love about Abnett’s Titans run. Ever since his work on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in the mid-2000’s his grasp on team dynamics has been strong. The script crafted by Abnett brings just the right amount of levity to the table. Each character gets a moment to shine and their interplay is spot-on. The dynamics between them have gelled, but they still have their individuality, even butting heads with eachother. It’s great to have the Titans back.
The conversation between Wally and Superman is heartbreaking and therapeutic. Wally gets much needed validation and someone to talk to about his experiences that everyone else is entirely incapable of understanding. The only downside, of course, is it feels like there should be more to the scene. I’m assuming there is an editorial mandate in place about exactly how much information can be given out about what exactly is going on in the Rebirth story, so it feels like the meeting between the only people (that we know of) who remember the world pre-Flashpoint was dramatically hamstrung. That being said, I loved it. There’s a joy in these pages that has been largely missing since the New 52 began in 2012.
Lee Weeks on art gives us a presentation that makes me nostalgic for the comics I read growing up. Something about the action design and panel layouts harkens back to an older period. Even in the talking head panels Weeks changes things up by playing with perspective and camera angles. I didn’t even mind Arsenal’s stupid-stupid-stupid glasses. And that last shot? Titans Tower. Goosebumps. I’m not getting into half as much as I’d like to, so I can simply say that this is a book you need to be reading. It’s a monthly, so there’s really no excuse.
Looking forward, I’m assuming “the meta stuff” used by the aforementioned villain will be tying in heavily to the upcoming story arc. Perhaps the drug/supplement is MADE IN MANHATTAN? See what I did there?
Art: Lee Weeks
Colors: Carlos M. Mangual
Rebirth has brought many familiar things back to the forefront, and chiefly among those things are the pre-Flashpoint versions of both Superman and Wally West. With both active in the DC universe, it was only a matter of time before their paths crossed. Well, it may have taken longer than I would have liked, but Titans #7 contains the conversation we’ve been waiting months for. Lovingly nestled between opening arc “The Return of Wally West” and February’s “Made in Manhattan,” “Home Sweet Home” brings us a small story with big impact.
The Titans have made their new home in Manhattan, based off the only thing Omen could pull from Abra Kadabra’s mind with her psychic powers. So, it must have been important, right? After a quick dust-up with a new villain hopped up on “the meta stuff,” Superman swings by and meets the team. He shocks Wally by saying it’s nice to see him again and we’re off to the races – literally and figuratively. There’s a lot to love about Abnett’s Titans run. Ever since his work on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in the mid-2000’s his grasp on team dynamics has been strong. The script crafted by Abnett brings just the right amount of levity to the table. Each character gets a moment to shine and their interplay is spot-on. The dynamics between them have gelled, but they still have their individuality, even butting heads with eachother. It’s great to have the Titans back.
The conversation between Wally and Superman is heartbreaking and therapeutic. Wally gets much needed validation and someone to talk to about his experiences that everyone else is entirely incapable of understanding. The only downside, of course, is it feels like there should be more to the scene. I’m assuming there is an editorial mandate in place about exactly how much information can be given out about what exactly is going on in the Rebirth story, so it feels like the meeting between the only people (that we know of) who remember the world pre-Flashpoint was dramatically hamstrung. That being said, I loved it. There’s a joy in these pages that has been largely missing since the New 52 began in 2012.
Lee Weeks on art gives us a presentation that makes me nostalgic for the comics I read growing up. Something about the action design and panel layouts harkens back to an older period. Even in the talking head panels Weeks changes things up by playing with perspective and camera angles. I didn’t even mind Arsenal’s stupid-stupid-stupid glasses. And that last shot? Titans Tower. Goosebumps. I’m not getting into half as much as I’d like to, so I can simply say that this is a book you need to be reading. It’s a monthly, so there’s really no excuse.
Looking forward, I’m assuming “the meta stuff” used by the aforementioned villain will be tying in heavily to the upcoming story arc. Perhaps the drug/supplement is MADE IN MANHATTAN? See what I did there?
A Look Inside
Comments
Thanks for the very kind words. Much appreciated. However, Lee Weeks is the guest artist, not co-writer. This was Dan scripting, as usual. Lee did an amazing job on the art, though.