Nothing says ‘Bold New Era’ like a new headquarters, and that’s just what the New Titans have after a few issues spent getting the latest version of the team together. Well, it’s new to them, but not the DC Universe. Happy Harbor has been a haven for heroes since the dawn of the Silver Age, debuting along with the Justice League of America in The Brave and the Bold #28 and subsequently being used by the Doom Patrol, Young Justice and even the original super team, the Justice Society. And now, their various Titans Towers having been, as is traditional, blown up, the old guard – Nightwing, Starfire, Cyborg and Terra – and the new kids – Wonder Girl Yara Flor, ‘Superman’ Jon Kent, Batgirl Stephanie Brown, Kid Devil and Eva are settling in.
Eva? Yes, she’s the newest artificial member, following in the footsteps of Indigo (a traitorous Trojan Horse, actually Brainiac 8) and Venadia (confused cyborg, easily swayed by bad guys to become a traitor). But don’t worry, she’s being given a full check-up by capital-C Cyborg, who hasn’t been nuts for at least a week.
‘I could cut you open, and you’d bleed.’ Interestingly, The Bleed is the name of the space between dimensions where super-team The Authority hangs out in a base run by an artificial intelligence named EVA. Hmm (he wrote, stroking chin theatrically).
Wanting to understand humans, Eva is keen to engage her fellow Titans, starting with all-time best/worst traitor Terra, who’s taking advantage of Justice League Unlimited’s new Villain Amnesty programme.
Maybe Stephanie is more available?
Nope, she feels she has something to prove, so it’s three more hours of practice in the Titans’ version of the X-Men’s Danger Room.
Red Devil and Yara Flor are similarly not up for a spot of pickleball, the former preferring to brood, the latter to top up her tan. Vic suggests Eva stops trying so hard, friendships will come in time. The thing is, the ‘Daughter of Tomorrow’ really needs a distraction from her dreams.
The troubled AI finally get a chance to socialise when the new kids announce they’re going into Happy Harbor – it’s recently been ranked ‘happiest town in America’ so it’s surely worth a look. Turns out it’s very happy. Unnervingly so.
Meanwhile, back at the newly named Titans Mountain, Terra finds her peace disturbed.
Well, Cyborg’s lab is in the lower levels of the cave…
This is a very enjoyable chapter in the latest Titans era from writer Tate Brombal, artist Marcus To and friends. We see new relationships being formed – Jon and Kid Devil Eddie aren’t getting along, for one – and old ones paused, as former couple Starfire and Titan have a difficult conversation.
We also meet a local cop I hope will become a regular supporting character, they bring a different flavour to proceedings. I’d tell you what they’re up to, but the final pages are worth discovering for themselves as one of the lesser-seen but most powerful bad guys of the DCU shows up with a new look and a horrific appetite.
The only thing that had me raising an eyebrow was an attempt to assure us this story is happening at the same time as events in Superman Unlimited.
Still, the scene does give Jon a chance to demonstrate what a nice guy he is.
I’m really impressed at how well Brombal is handling this book, it reads like a classic superteam book, rock solid with promise. One big plus for me is Starfire leaving, she’s great but has been around for too long; with any luck she’ll return to that lovely life she made in Florida in her own short-lived, brilliant book. Now, if only Nightwing would take a break too.
And To’s art is crisp, clear and compelling, every character looks fantastic and the interaction works consistently. Little bits of humour like the revelation Terra’s a bit of a baker are nicely sold, and the threats in the final pages are excellent; I hope To is back for the rest of this storyline.
Adriano Lucas, as always, does wonders with the colouring, whatever mood is needed, whether it’s a sunlit beach or a sinister cavern, Lucas gives it to us. And Tom Napolitano handles the lettering with his usual craft.
Taurin Clarke’s cover is pretty much a perfect piece in terms of composition and execution, though here the use of light denies us the contrast needed to provide pop. Still, it’s darned impressive.
If you’re reading Titans I’d love to know what you think of the revamp.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
I’ve always loved Red Devil so it’s good to see him and I’ve also long hated that when in the Titans Kory regresses. The last arc with the team trapped in past stories was like a return to the sad sack years for her where she was always moaning about Dick not loving her anymore so it’s a good thing that she’s leaving. I’d rather see Tara work to make her latest redemption arc stick. Unlike Superman Prime, Tara really only ever hurt herself so her becoming one of the good guys for real doesn’t seem a stretch. Yara bored me as usual and Stephanie was a bit too one dimensional here. Eva? Yeah, Indigo her quickly. She adds little to the book I haven’t read many times over decades. I have an idea about who I’d rather see Eva and Yara but can’t post it here because that would make it impossible to have happen. Anyone have the new writer’s email address?
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I don’t have the address, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed to see some of the Jurgens Titans, and not just my fave, Argent.
To my mind, Red Devil is one of the saddest characters at DC, fun kid sidekick turned literal demon with a wonky horn. At least Dan Cassidy kept his sunny personality.
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What do I think of the revamp… I dunno. I think I’m over the New Titans. When I think about the Titans, I think of the silver age sidekicks and of Wolfman & Perez New Teen Titans. *That’s* who I want to read about. Two very specific teams from very specific eras.
And those eras are gone and it’s pretty obvious they aren’t coming back. As often as DC has tried to bring the team back together, it just doesn’t click with me. Too much in DCland has changed for the characters to resonate with me in the way they used to. These versions of the characters are nothing like what I remember. Cyborg’s a scientist? Changeling is Beast Boy and involved with Raven (who has an actual name)? Terra *isn’t* a sociopathic killer (or dead)?
And the thing is… the latest status quo for these characters has been around as long as, or longer than, the versions that I remember. Which is fine. The team has had tv shows and cartoons and multiple reboots and the concept of the Titans has changed and grown. I guess I’m saying we’ve grown apart. I’ll always check in on them, but I don’t think I’ll ever feel connected with them in the way that I did when I was a teenager or a twenty-something.
Which is a weird thing to type. Because the Legion and the Doom Patrol have also gone through multiple changes over the years and I continue to enjoy their adventures as much as I ever have. I’m not sure why it’s different for the Titans. But there you go. We’ve grown apart and are going through an amicable break up where we’ll continue to be friendly and remember the good times fondly.
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I like them bringing back Terra because she was manipulated and abused by Deathstroke and deserves a chance at redemption.
I agree with you about Raven. I really dislike what has happened to her character.
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I disliked Wolfman’s post Perez Raven so much Rachel-Raven hooked up with Gar is good to me as Classic Raven is long gone.
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Hey there, Hugo. I find that to be a fascinating take on Terra. My memory of reading those stories at the time was that Terra was sociopathic and evil through and through. That’s not to say that she wasn’t also manipulated and abused by Deathstroke. But two things can be true. She can be evil and also have been used badly by Deathstroke.
And yet, for all that, I find in the present day that there are more readers who feel the way that you do. I don’t remember those opinions being around at the time the stories were published. I’m curious if you read the Judas Contract when it was coming out or if you came to it later. The world has changed a lot since that story was first published (and if I’m being honest it’s been years since I’ve reread it) and it doesn’t surprise me that people are looking at Terra’s story differently.
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Good point about Cyborg, when did he become a brilliant scientist, was it with the New 52? I mean, both of his parents were boffins so it’s likely he has the capacity, but I found it more interesting that he was into his sports.
I don’t mind Gar being with Raven, but I do also really miss the mysterious, haunted girl she was – I mean, I don’t want her constantly worrying about turning into her demon father, but she’s far too sunny these days. I take it that was a result of the TV cartoons.
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I dunno about that. My memory of the cartoons is that Raven was cutting and sarcastic. Certainly a fan favourite, but not at all a little ray of sunshine.
I suspect it might have been the live action TV show that is having more of an influence on the comic character. Not that Raven was all that cheerful, but to be fair, none of the characters were big on smiling. But she was presented as a normal, regular kid which seems to be more in line with the current DCU portrayal.
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I managed one season of the live action show, what a horrible lot!
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the DC universe must be covered with abandoned superhero team headquarters.
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There’s probably a speciality realtor out there somewhere – or it’s a scheme waiting for Booster and Beetle to think of it.
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hahahaha that’s a mini series waiting to be written.
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by the way, I am saying NO to “Tomorrow Man” It is a stupid name and a bit arrogant for Jon. The costume he adopted in the Superman books is hideous.
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It likely won’t stick given little Jon will be gone soon.
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The police chief, Audrey Lee is from the fantastic Hourman series by Tom Peyer and Rags Morales. Her daughter, Bethany, is Snapper Carr’s ex and Android Hourman’s sorta girlfriend (Audrey HATES Snapper with a passion. Not because they are divorced, but that they were married in the first place. And that they are still friends). It’s a nice little bit of continuity.
I agree: please do something interesting with Eva. DC is littered with Pinocchio androids and secretly-evil-posing-as-good androids. The only interesting take I can even think of was Tomorrow Woman from Morrison & Porters’s JLA run.
I get Starfire leaving the Titans, but I hope she isn’t leaving Earth. Earth is her home – more than anywhere in the stars. I’d rather see her in the League, anyway. Her power levels and longevity as a hero warrant it.
I think Cyborg being a genius is a result of him being infused with Fourth World tech by Johns and Lee in the New 52 era. Basically, he can’t help it since he has these otherworldly machines jacked into him giving him non-stop info. I don’t mind that he is that, but I do wish they would get him back to at last watching sports or something. Part of the fun of the Wolfman & Perez run was that they were distinct characters. Some of that has fallen by the wayside, I think.
Superboy/man has so much going on, and I don’t know that a Super is needed in the Titans. Steph is acting off character, and Yara is pretty much a cypher. Red Devil has a newish attitude that I can only assume comes from being an actual demon now.
This run really feels like a Terra story with other things tacked on. Which is fine. Given the variations we’ve seen of her over the years – original, Team Titans from alternate future, New Titans version not from an alternate future or a clone, and more – I think it’s great to revisit the character. I’m fine with her being good, but I don’t want her to lose her attitude. She should always be the pebble in the shoe – irritating you.
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Oh well done Jeff, I’d completely forgotten about Audrey, Rags Morales always drew her like she was 102. And blimey, Hourman began in 1999… I really fancy a reread.
And how brilliant to bring up Tomorrow Woman, she was in Hourman too.
It never feels right to me to have Super people in a Titans team, probably because there never was one in the original or New group. Jon should definitely spend less time in uniform… didn’t he start college in his (not very) ongoing series?
Kory would be great on a regular Justice League team, her power level and brains do tend to get forgotten when she’s with the Titans.
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