As most of the tie-in stories involving Forever Evil crash and burn, a few managed to crawl from the acidic ooze and actually amount to something. One such sequential art miracle is Teen Titans. Scott Lobdell, who can be extremely hit or miss, has decided to use the current situation to create real dramatic gravitas within the Titan camp. Kid Flash is about to be tried for war crimes on his home world, calling into question both the idealism and power of the team.
Lobdell is less interested in galactic warfare than he is in personal dynamics. Since the launch of the new Teen Titans, the series has been hard pressed to find its voice. The current story arc is helping to work that issue out by taking a step back to allow characters to breathe. The situation may be intergalactic and the stakes extremely high, but it all comes down to the individual ideas of each Titan. Kid Flash, once the easily written plucky comic relief, is now the heavy. His motivations may be pure, but his actions go against everything the Titans stand for. How can Kid Flash’s long history with the team have done nothing to change that?
Red Robin, the leader, he is currently taking the political high road. He understands that his team could break Kid Flash out of prison, but that goes against the laws and the culture surrounding them. Yes, The Functionary is an evil governing body that produces limited resources for people to live at the expense of freedom, but according to Robin, it is not up the Teen Titans to rewrite those laws. On the other hand is Solstice, whose unlimited power is now equaled only by her feelings of betrayal and confusion. With all her abilities, life is no easier, and the burden of that weighs on her.
Wonder Girl is the opposite of Solstice. Her feelings of powerlessness are attached to a quick temper and a need for Kid Flash to explain himself. She is used to forcing things, and she can’t force all of this Kid Flash reality to go away. Then there’s the Jon Lane Kent, the psychopathic Superboy from Earth Prime, who is now masquerading as the real Superboy. He’s a power-hungry killer, a dark omen of trials and tribulations yet to come for the Titans. Finally, Lobdell unloads with Kid Flash. It’s interesting how such a sudden change in personality can work if written correctly. The end of Teen Titans #27 is a game changer. It’s unclear how all of this will resolve itself, which makes it that much more exciting.
Tyler Kirkham’s art is solid. His pencils aren’t particularly unique, but he’s a powerful storytelling force. There is no lack of ability with character faces, and the action is nicely done. Kirkham has a good sense of movement and pacing. The work tells the story, and doesn’t get in the way of what Lobdell is doing. It may not be the most exciting artwork in comics, but it communicates the overall arc very well.
(4 Story, 3.5 Art)
