Sometimes it's nice to just read a self contained story, featuring favourite characters that has nothing to do with any current bigger picture, and this one shot kind of fits the bill.  It's extra length and it's clearly a story DC found in a drawer somewhere, rooted firmly in the period shortly after Tim Drake's father was killed by Captain Boomerang, as it deals with both Tim's grief and his fear at turning into a gun toting vigilante in the future.  The plot is ostensibly about Deathstroke, who wants to get his daughter Rose away from the Titans, making a pact with the Flash rogues who want to get Captain Boomerang Junior into their ranks.

The main attraction here is art by Sean Murphy, which I presume is the reason DC dusted this little baby off in the first place.  It's clearly early work from the Joe The Barbarian artist, but that's not to say you can't tell it's him.  First, it's already kind of unique and would still have set itself apart from the rest of the work on the stands.  The linework is dynamic and kinetic, showing the early signs of just how stylised he would become within a couple of years.  There's really nice touches, like the fact that you feel he's drawing clothes as they really look (something that still manages to impress me with comic artists, as so many don't).  He's given a huge array of charcters to draw, including every Rogue in existence, and his Deathstroke is just brilliant.  Cover to cover I didn't really feel there was a duff panel, so the book's worth buying for art alone.

Storywise, it's not groundbreaking stuff but I doubt that's what DC was asking for.  With that said, there's some exceptional character work here.  Sable hasn't done huge amounts, yet he nails each of the Titans nicely, as well as the Wade Wilson, Captain Cold and anyone else who gets a speaking part.  There's some brilliant pages that really highlight the twisted relationship between Deathstroke and his daughter, which also underscore the complicated nature of his history with the Titans as a team.  The script is taught and moves the action along well.  Maybe there's an overreliance on Robin's narration, but it's not too overbearing.  All in all a one shot that's maybe a little under the radar, but it's really worth seeking out.  A nice Christmas treat.