Teen Titans #33 boasts the writing talents of the best old school Teen Titans writer in Marv Wolfman and the best new school Teen Titans writer in Geoff Johns. So, logically, this should be an excellent issue, right? Yeah, right….let’s go to the review.
Creative Team:
Writers: Geoff Johns & Marv Wolfman
Penciller: Todd Nauk
Inkers: Sean Parson, Norm Rapmund & Marlo Alquiza
Rating: 2 Night Girls out of 5.
Synopsis: Normally I like to give a little summation, but with this issue, it probably isn’t particularly necessary. This issue is a prelude to Infinite Crisis #5, so if you aren’t reading Infinite Crisis, then don’t waste your time with this issue.
All you need to know is that this issue centers on Superboy, the Conner version, and Nightwing. Basically, the two of them must get up to the Golden Tower to stop Alexander Luthor.
In trying to get up there Conner feels inferior to Nightwing and feels that Dick doesn’t trust him or thinks he is a total pretender. Nightwing feels that Conner needs to suck it up and be honest with him. Along the way, Conner realizes that Nightwing is a total stud that even without powers refuses to give up no matter what. That inspires Conner to do his best.
The two of them form a mutual admiration and then the issue ends with them outside of the Golden Tower. The story is to be continued in Infinite Crisis #6. Oh yeah, we also see Wonder Girl who is slowly losing her powers since the Greek/Roman Gods are leaving our realm. Therefore, Aries offers Wonder Girl some of his power as long as she acknowledges and accepts him as her brother.
Comments: This issue is the perfect example of why we here at The Revolution loathe mini-series cross-over issues. Teen Titans #33 managed to further neither the Infinite Crisis storyline NOR any Teen Titans storyline. This was an utter and absolute waste of an issue and of $2.50 of the Revolution’s money that could have gone toward finishing off the rotating love bed in our bunker.
I was stunned that such a waste of an issue would come from anything that Johns and Wolfman did together. I think the world of both writers. I love what Wolfman did in establishing the Teen Titans and writing, hands down, the best Titans stories ever. I also love Johns’ writing and think he is returning the Teen Titans back to respectability after a long time of irrelevance. However, they both missed the mark with this issue.
I mean, seriously, could at least one plotline have been advanced? I didn’t need to read this issue before reading Infinite Crisis #6. I read Infinite Crisis #5 and it gave me all I needed to know! I didn’t need to read Teen Titans #33 before reading #34.
The art was equally unspectacular. The mix-mash of inkers doesn’t help any; however, the pencils aren’t so great in the first place. So far, after a hot start to Infinite Crisis, DC is really starting to unimpressed me. Infinite Crisis hit its peak with issue #3 and has gone downhill with #4 and #5.
All of the Infinite Crisis crossover issues have been big disappointments. And the One Year Later issues have pretty much been very underwhelming so far. We at the Revolution really thought that Infinite Crisis and the One Year Later storyline was going to deliver where the House of M and the Decimation storyline totally flopped.
I’m sure that this issue was an anomaly and that the Teen Titans will be the first title to deliver the goods with this One Year Later gimmick.
