The Teen Titans are trapped beneath tons of broken rubble… Hope Crush’s back holds out! Your Major Spoilers review of Teen Titans #24 awaits!
TEEN TITANS #24
Writer: Adam Glass
Artist: Bernard Chang
Colorist: Marcele Maiolo
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Alex Antone
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 21, 2018
Previously in Teen Titans: Set up by the mysterious villain known as the Other, the Teen Titans find themselves trapped beneath a crumbling building. The only thing between them and a dirt nap: Crush’s bench-pressing the entire complex. But how long can she hold out? The Titans race the clock against gravity, muscle fatigue and getting squashed like a bug.
A WHOLE NEW TITANS TEAM
After last issue’s confrontation with The Other, Robin and his Teen Titans find themselves trapped under a collapsed building. Kid Flash has debris in his leg, Djinn is completely unresponsive, Red Arrow’s gimmicks are smashed and Roundhouse is pinned, with only Crush’s strength keeping them alive. Naturally, tempers immediately flare, as Robin refuses to call Batman for help and the team can’t believe he’s being so selfish. Djinn likewise is unable/unwilling to use her powers to escape, while Kid Flash could vibrate free, but would also shake the whole mess down on their heads. Finally, it’s up to Crush to shut down everybody’s sniping (a strange move for the daughter of Lobo to make, honestly) reminding them that they all have their secrets and that nobody has any moral high ground. Her pep talk makes Robin and Roundhouse realize that they may not be able to go UP, but there’s nothing stopping them from moving further DOWN…
SOME QUIRKY (BUT LOVELY ART)
The old Bottle Show trick works wonders in this issue, showing us more of each of our mysterious new Titans, as well as reiterating that Damian Wayne is a conniving jerk and Wallace West is a hothead. We do get to find out a little bit about our new players, including confirmation that Red Arrow is Oliver Queen’s half-sister Emiko and that Crush has little in common with her angry thrash-metal daddy. (Of course, her adoption of pink and green attire is probably the first indication of that.) On the art side of the equation, Bernard Chang really sells the grime and dirt of being trapped in a crumbling foundation, followed by an escape into a sewer. His facial expressions are all amazing and remarkably subtle, but there are still moments where the coloring actually works against the art, and Chang occasionally gives us completely impossible body positions, but all in all, it’s a visually pleasing book.
BOTTOM LINE: CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC
In the ‘Rebirth’ era, I’m always a little leery of jumping-on points, simply because so many things get swept aside so quickly (Whatever happened to Bunker? Or Skitter? Or ANY of the characters and plot points of the last Titans book?) but I find this issue’s slow reveal of information to be satisfying, and I’m looking forward to seeing Crush’s origin next issue. Teen Titans #24 may not stick the entire landing, but it’s got some pretty good art, clever dialogue that does a lot of story heavy-lifting and a nice balance of characters, earning 3 out of 5 stars overall. This creative team and these characters deserve a chance to complete their story, so I hope Teen Titans doesn’t get revamped in mid-stream again.
Dear Spoilerite,
At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.TEEN TITANS #24
An interesting new team, hopelessly trapped, leading to some character reveals with nice art. A lot to like here.
-
Writing6
-
Art6
-
Coloring5