World’s Finest: Teen Titans #4 cover, via DC Comics.
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #4 — Mark Waid, Writer; Emanuela Lupacchino, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray — 8.5/10
Ray: It’s been so long since there’s been a good Teen Titans book that it’s almost hard to remember what makes it work, but this book definitely gets it. So far, we’ve spent relatively little time following the original Titans as they fight villains, and a lot more time following them as they build a team and a series of connections. That’s definitely the case with this issue, which finds the team scattered to the winds, having their own little adventures in their off-time. Dick Grayson and Donna Troy are the only ones back at base, with Dick investigating last issue’s mystery and Donna embracing life in Man’s World by driving in a demolition derby. Her relationship with Garth is on the rocks, and that’s led Garth and Roy to retreat to a simpler place — Wally’s home in Blue Valley, for an old-fashioned teenage hangout. Longtime readers will notice some very big retcons about Wally’s home life in this story.
A day off. Via DC Comics.
I like that this series isn’t shying away from the fact that these characters aren’t always a perfect team. We’ve seen Roy be a jerk to Robin as well, but this issue emphasizes that his interaction with Garth has some serious issues as well, bordering on bullying. There’s a great segment that sums up why the other team members put up with him. I thought this story was a little too small-ball in terms of drama at points, but the third segment focusing on Karen and Mal, as a discussion about Mal’s family legacy is interrupted by a villain attack tied to the main foe of the series. That takes a gift from Karen and turns it into something much more current. We’re seeing some big changes to the origins of the core Titans here, mostly for the better, but I think I’m more interested in the work this series is doing with the lesser-known Titans. It’s been so long since they had the spotlight, and this could become a defining run for them.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
