Teen Titans Special #1
Publisher: DC
Story: Adam Glass
Pencils: Robson Rocha
Inks: Daniel Henriques
Colors: Sunny Gho
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover: Robson Rocha, Trevor Scott, & HI-FI
The Teen Titans are going in a brand new direction and a new roster and it all kicks off right here. With three separate stories focusing on the core members we get to see the catalyst for the change in Robin, Kid Flash, and Red Arrow. With all three we begin to see a definitive move from the shadow of their mentors though the most striking for some would probably be Damian’s. Adam Glass gives us a story that involves a shakedown of a local restaurant owned by immigrants. He ties this to Damian on a personal level with somethin some would consider small but those are the things we miss when they’re gone. Since Damian seems like he’s always on a path of redemption the ending Glass drops on us is huge and should have serious effects later on. When he get to Red Arrow’s story it’s clear the tone and theme of where this is going and Glass does a great job of getting a foundation under this new team and giving them a reason to come together. Whether that’s a good thing or not will have to be seen because they will definitely operate in an unconventional way. The only downside to this issue is the Kid Flash story if you’ve already been reading plenty of the main Flash series. The Wally conflict and issues are more of the same here and really offer nothing new unless you’re a new reader coming into this. Robson Rocha does some great work with the visuals here when it comes to building the tension and providing some visceral action sequences while Henriques and Gho enrich all of that with their inks and colors from start to finish.
If you’re looking to get into the new Teen Titans this would be a great place to start and worth the read. Also each chapter is titled after a Notorious B.I.G. hit that captures the story told in each perfectly! 3.5/5
Batman Detective Comics #983
Publisher: DC
Story: Bryan Hill
Pencils: Miguel Mendonca
Inks: Diana Egea
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Sal Sipriano
Cover: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, & Adriano Lucas
Bryan Hill’s new arc takes a dark turn pretty fast as Duke Thomas aka The Signal is the first to go down as someone is hunting members of the Batfamily. This right here is the push Batman needs to implement a plan he was already working on for another group of heroes to work on the “outside” and enter Black Lightning as Batman’s pick to teach these young heroes.
There’s levels to Hill’s story and it’s cleverly layered in some with some very tense and engrossing character moments. He has Batman seek out a teacher specifically because this new group doesn’t need a mentor. The conversation between Pierce and Batman also shows how well Hill has nailed Batman’s “voice”. The pacing and delivery during this sequence is damn near perfect and reveals so much about the two of them. It also shows how other heroes are constantly looking up to Gotham’s protector since Black Lightning feel’s his latest mission failed. But this issue isn’t just about heroes in deep conversations because the next minute he’ll have Batman leaping in the sky raining caltrops on a getaway car. It’s strong action beats like this one that hit hard and propel the story even further.
Mendonca, Egea, and Lucas give Hill’s narrative a strong visual kick that keeps you engrossed in the story. From Alfred performing surgery to that moody conversation you’ll get great layouts and artwork in these panels. A personal favorite was the interaction between Bruce and Martian Manhunter which was just uncomfortable and a perfect syncing of the art and story.
There were high expectations for this issue and it’s great to see that several were met and exceeded. Hopefully in the end all of this leads to the formation of a certain team that many fans have been speculating will be returning soon. However, for now we can be content with some on point storytelling from the creative team and be happy that the best Batgirl shows up at the end! 4/5
The Silencer #6
Publisher: DC
Story: Dan Abnett
Pencils: Viktor Bogdanovic
Colors: Mike Spicer
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Cover: John Romita Jr. , Sandra Hope, & Rain Beredo
Here we are with another fast paced issue with wall to wall action that has Honor and Talia fighting it out against a horde of assassins after being set up. Abnett still manages a pretty strong narrative throughout all of the action and once again reveals just how twisted and manipulative Talia can be. Since the first issue we’ve seen how she’s set most of Honor’s current problems in motion but during the shootout Abnett reveals small bits of information that confirm this to Honor. And though most of the issue is bullets and bodies flying there’s still a very personal conflict between these two women that Abnett puts at the forefront of the action. The only part that falls a bit flat would be the sequences with Honor’s son, Ben, during the diner brawl. Though he’s encased in her silence zone the kid can still see bullet casings falling all around him but he only asks about ice cream when it’s all over? This left me scratching my head and questioning my understanding of Honor’s abilities. By the time everything wraps we’re left with two new villains, a huge body count, and a reason to come back for the next issue.
The art in this just keeps getting better and Bogdanovic had a great idea in breaking part of Honor’s visor to reveal that eye. It helped to carry the emotion and brought another level of intensity to the fight. Especially when she went up against Talia. That page where the two are covered in blood and standing among the bodies is just a powerful image with those three vertical panels behind them. Spicer’s colors just make that pop and is my favorite scene next to their panel with Deathstroke.
Who would have thought that a book about a new character with ties to the Al Ghul family would be the standout hit in the New Age of Heroes line? 4/5
Flash #49
Publisher: DC
Story: Joshua Williamson
Pencils: Howard Porter
Colors: HI-FI
Letters: Steve Wands
Cover: Howard Porter & HI-FI
Barry and Wally’s argument plays out over a chase sequence as Williamson raises the stakes here with the effects of the intense speeds having disastrous effects on the multiverse. The back and forth between the two speedsters is a nice mix of pain and betrayal as Williamson isn’t shying away from the ugly sides of both heroes. It’s also the JLA and other’s attempting to stop the two that is a highlight here. Especially when Williamson lays to rest the Flash vs Superman debate. Big Blue is fast but he’s just not fast enough to help here. There’s a twist ending where Williamson introduces a new level of problems for everyone and hopefully this has rippling effects for the DCU.
Porter and HI-FI deliver panel after panel of a great looking story. During the speed chase you see how effortlessly Wally and Barry avoid or dismantle every obstacle set up and it’s a cool display of their powers. It also shows how the two are so selfishly wrapped up in each other that neither see the consequences of their actions. HI-FI’s colors make the Speed Force effects look even better and that entire sequence with Superman was just perfect. 3.5/4
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