It’s always a good thing when you’re not really sure how a story is going to turn out. It might not end up the way you want it to, but at least it isn’t predictable. Take, for example, Teen Titans. Scott Lobdell, who can be very hit and miss, has used the Forever Evil event series to launch TT into a whole new arena. There is a very real chance that the group could be losing a key member, and that the New 52 DCU might be out a fairly iconic character.
I’m talking about Kid Flash, who has turned out to be a much more menacing and interesting character than originally thought. After being tossed into the time stream by Johnny Quick (the evil Flash from Forever Evil), the Teen Titans find themselves in the home world of Kid Flash. Here, he is no hero, but rather a rebel looking to take down an oppressive government. Problem is, Kid Flash, known in his home world as Bar Torr, has gone about it in the most violent way he could. When his violence killed his sister, he allowed himself to be sent to Earth, where he became a hero.
Today is very different. Luring the majority of the government to his trail, Kid Flash organized an ambush, one that leaves his Teen Titan friends in the middle. Issue #28 is a great big fight. On one side is Bar Torr and his rebel buddies, on the other the oppressive government. Sandwiched within that war are Titans, who are trying to keep both sides from killing each other. It seems like a losing battle, especially with the team unaware that their Superboy is not their clone, but rather Jon Lane Kent, a murdering, psychopathic Superboy from a mysterious timeline. He’s enjoying the killing – not that the Teen Titans have noticed.
Lobdell manages to end the war with the appearance of Bar Torr’s sister. Not only did she not die, she’s part of the oppressive government. This was the only part in the story that felt cliché. Sister and brother have a heart to heart and Kid Flash collapses, giving up his entire fight. Suddenly, the malice is gone, and he just wants to go serve his prison time and let his Teen Titan buddies go home. It’s a bit too neat, though the final panel of the story does create that enigma I was talking about. All in all, this is a solid story, one with a killer cliffhanger.
Tyler Kirkham’s art has that big comic book feel. Kirkham has a great understanding of how panel placement can elevate the action of a story. His pencils are solid, though very much in line with a standard comic book look. Heavy lines, dark inking, a penchant for being slightly over the top with the facial expressions. Kirkham also seems to love huge boobs, or at least this issue makes it seem that way.
(3.5 Story, 3.5 Art)
