TITANS #23

Review by: usagi

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Avg Rating: 3.5
 
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Written by EDDIE BERGANZA
Art and Cover by ANGEL UNZUETA

Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99

I’m a little conflicted on this. Overall I liked this issue. I thought the dialogue and characterizations on Dick/Donna/Wally were good. I really liked that the flashback sequences looked like the Teen Titans : Year One miniseries. My only problem is that it has to circle back to the horrible, pointless maiming of Roy Harper and death of his daughter Lian.

Over the time Roy was in JLA as Red Arrow I thought the writers had done a good job of developing his character, giving him depth….little things like calling Lian from the Watchtower to say good night, etc. You start to think that maybe the character is understood and will be well-handled…..then they decide that the only way to give him a bump is to inflict as much pain, physical and psychological, as possible so we can watch him try to put his life back together…again. Or go grim n’ gritty….again. Or whatever. Titans #23 was a good issue to read if you’re a long-time Teen/Titans fan, but unfortunately it’s icing on the crap that is the Rise & Fall storyline.

One nit on the issue – at one point Wally tells Dick & Donna “They’ve stopped the nanites from spreading”. Nanites ? Did I miss something ? Prometheus’ MO was knowing how to deal with any of the heroes he might face – I think tearing Roy’s arm off would have achieved that, at what point did he need to inject nanites as well ? I’ll go back and check JLA:CFJ, but I don’t remember that at all.

Tinfoil hat speculation: after reading this issue I was checking out the Roy Harper page on Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Harper_(comics) ). Apparently I didn’t read the Arsenal min-series that established that Roy & Lian were descendants of Vandal Savage. Now there’s a plot device. Any chance some of that incredibly diluted immortality could help Roy get his arm back ? Hey, I said it was tinfoil hat time. Or am I going to have to change careers and work my way up the ladder at DC just so I can do it myself ? (Yeah, I’m a little bitter)

Story: 3 - Good
Art: 4 - Very Good

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