New Titans #86 (May, 1992)
"If This Be Chaos!"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Pencils - Tom Grummett, Curt Swan & Kevin Maguire
Inks - Jerome Moore & Al Vey
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Letters - Bob Pinaha, Pat Brosseau & John Costanza
Editor - Jonathan Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75
It's been a few months since we discussed Titan's Hunt... figure I might've shaken enough of the burn-out off so we can pop back in on the post-Titans Hunt/pre-Total Chaos era.
Here's a question: What's better than an epilogue to an overlong story? How 'bout a whole bunch of epilogues?!
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We open during an ordinary day inside an ordinary office building. New has spread throughout the company that a mysterious fellow walked in, talked to the C.E.O., and within a matter of minutes... talked himself into the top gig! For those of us who read Total Chaos, we already know who this dude is. Anyhoo, he calls the entirety of his new staff into his new office... and fires 'em all! Once they're gone, he takes on his more "godly" form, and promises to kill Donna Troy.
Speaking of whom, we shift scenes and join Donna and the rest of the Titans as they stand bamboozled around the Baby Wildebeest they rescued from the Society at the end of Titans Hunt. Pantha is keen on just gutting the little bastard... which is certainly one way to go. The rest of the Titans (and the Beestie itself) put a stop to her homicidal urges.
The Baby begins to wail, and the Titans haven't the foggiest idea what to do with it. Thankfully, Steve Dayton wanders into the scene, carrying a tremendous (like comically large) jug of milk... this, conveniently, winds up being the ticket to getting the Beestie to quit kvetching.
Pantha still wants to kill it. If you recall, the Wildebeest Society conducted experiments on her... gotta figure, the last thing she wants to look at is yet another 'Beest. Donna suggests that the Baby is just as much a victim of the Society as Pantha was... after all, the thing was created to be the vessel for Azarath, or whatever-the-hell. Pantha's all "screw you guys, I'm going home", and reminds the Titans that they're going to have to start buying diapers. Our man, Terry realizes that she's right.
We rejoin "the C.E.O." (we're just going to call him "Lord Chaos", is that cool?), as he vows to kill Donna Troy... again. Talk about a one-track-mind. Anyhoo, he recoils in pain... and at that very same moment, Donna is in the middle of some "flu-like symptoms", including puking her guts up. Terry knocks on the bathroom door to check on her, which... probably doesn't help to settle her stomach.
Back at Dayton's, Gar and Steve are having a bit of a heart-to-heart about Vic's condition. If you recall, he was 'sploded and put back together during Titan's Hunt... and, when he was reassembled, they left out his personality. We can see that this chat is being observed... by Terra!
We shift scenes to Dick watching Kory stand by a stream. He thinks to himself how much he loves her... but, of late, she views his "love" as smothering... coddling, even. He goes to approach her, and gets a rather frosty reception. This little back-n-forth is being observed... by Mirage!
We jump ahead to Donna, Terry, and Red Star visiting S.T.A.R. Labs to check in on Victor. As they approach his room, Donna doubles over... more "flu-like symptoms". Oh, and at the very same time, Lord Chaos also doubles over... so, there's that.
Dr. Sarah Whatsherface plops Donna onto a gurney and wheels her off to take a look at her most-definitely-not "flu-like symptoms". This leaves Red Star alone to check on Cyborg. He learns that Vic is stronger than ever, but fears that his new cybernetic parts might actually be killing him. This visit is being observed... by Redwing!
From here, we jump into a trio of epilogues... that's an awful lot of epilogues for an epilogue issue itself! Anyhoo, during the first, we get more of Gar and Steve's chat. After they part company, Terra decides that the time is right to reveal herself. Gar, as you might imagine, is beside himself with disbelief.
In our second epilogue, we follow Dick Grayson... as he follows Starfire. He hops off his motorcycle and, distracted by a bemulleted Terry Long, bumps into an individual wearing a full-on flasher outfit... ya know, trenchcoat and hat.
After a few confusing panels (which will make sense down the line), Dick both leaves Kory's apartment... and knocks on her door. Veddy interesting. Or not.
Then, in our third (and final epilogue)... Dick Grayson is stood at the wreckage of Titans Tower. He is joined by Deathstroke the Terminator... and they exchange pleasantries. Dick's upset that Slade didn't even attend his son's funeral. We know he was there, but Dick doesn't.
What's more, Dick really lays into Slade for the whole "murdering his own Son" thing. I mean, someone had to, right?
Dick and Slade fight for a bit... well, actually... Dick fights, Slade really only defends himself. After swatting Dick into some wreckage, he reminds him that after everything that happened... and everything he did, he still lost a(nother) Son. Dick wonders aloud how and why people like Slade (and Bruce) keep things bottled up inside of them. One of those rare moments where we're reminded that Slade knows "the" secret.
Deathstroke reveals to Dick that he must constantly tell himself he didn't kill Joey... but instead, he freed him. Otherwise, he'd go crazy. All he wants now, is to go home... which is something Dick isn't even sure he has anymore.
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Ya know, when we cover an issue like that, it shines a light on one of the weaknesses of this blog's format. It's hard to feign ignorance or surprise, when we've already discussed how all of this is going to wind up during Total Chaos! So, let's just cover a few bits and pieces here...
I mean, we know what Donna's "flu-like symptoms" are going to wind up being... though, even without hindsight, anytime a woman gets "stomach sick" in media, there's like a 99% chance that she's pregnant.
The addition of Baby Wildebeest to the cast... ehh, whatayagonnado, right? Seems like another instance of adding an a "Cousin Oliver" (oddly enough, not too far removed from the last time... when they added pretty much the embodiment of "Cousin Oliver"). Unfortunately Baby-Beest, like Danny before, suffers from... a rather unpleasant to look at design. It's not like this could be the Titans "cute" mascot, when it isn't terribly cute to begin with.
The Team Titans lurking on the sidelines was pretty neat... kinda made me flashback to a time when subplots would bubble alongside the primary narrative... though, it's pretty clear here that the Teamers will be the focus before long. If you ask me, Terra revealing herself to Gar (minds outta the guttah), probably should have been the last page of the issue. I feel like ending on a cliffhanger rather than a maudlin Dick muttering on about "home" would have been more satisfying.
Actually... I probably could have done without the Dick 'n Deathstroke scene at all. Felt like a way to justify the cover... which was misleading at best. "--And Only One Shall Lead!" sayeth our cover copy... though, leadership of the team was never even in question. Oh well, ya gotta sell copies, and Dick 'n Deathstroke on the cover would probably more more units than anything else going on in this book!
Overall... a pretty decent issue, which I gotta figure fans of the day found a welcome change from the seemingly never-ending Titans Hunt story. There is a real feeling of progression here... something that I feel was seriously lacking during the second-half of "Hunt". This issue is available digitally.
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New Titans #85 (April, 1992)
"Dirge"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Pencils - Tom Grummett
Inks - Al Vey
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Jonathan Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75
Ya know... I was planning on just leaving Titans Hunt behind. However, the more I thought about it... the more annoyed I became that the final part didn't give us a single bit of closure.
I mean, let's be honest... that ending was less "cliffhanger" and more "entrapment". After investing so much time and money into an arc... having it end so flatly and without resolution... what Titans fan wasn't going to come back for #85?
Let's look at this... New Titans #71 (Part One) shipped September 18, 1990. New Titans #84 (Part the Final) shipped January 21, 1992. That's a whole lot of time and energy to expect a fan to dedicate to a story without giving them an ounce of closure.
Whatta greedy arc.
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We open at the Titans Graveyard, where services are being held for Jericho (and maybe Golden Eagle too, there are two coffins). We join our solemn Titans as they discuss the finer points of whether or not Joe's spirit still existed inside his Azarathian-possessed body at the end. I think that was made crystal clear a couple of issues back, but what do I know? In the distance, Slade Wilson... the man who was forced to kill Joey (to save him from further corruption and/or corrupting) watches the proceedings... alone. He approaches the casket after everyone leaves. I always thought the casket went into the ground after everyone left... again, what do I know?
The next stop for the Titans is S.T.A.R. Labs to check on Vic. Garfield is especially anxious to see his pal. He is, of course, pretty shaken when he finds him. Vic is being worked on by S.T.A.R. staff, led by his sorta-kinda squeeze Dr. Sarah Charles. Logan looks into Vic's dead eyes, and kinda loses it for a bit!
He flips out, yelling at his fellow Titans for not believing him when he accused Jericho (the son of the Terminator, of course) of being a traitor. Donna responds by reminding him of just how many times the Titans have been turned on by one of their own... either via wicked deception, or mind-control. It's sobering... and one of those things that sounds absolutely ridiculous when you stop and think about it! Gar apologizes for lashing out, though... if you ask me, the real crime is his mullet. We also get a run-down on the Titans Hunt casualties:
- Joey-Dead
- Golden Eagle-Dead
- Aqualad-Coma
- Raven-Missing/Presumed Dead
- Danny Chase-Missing/Presumed Dead
- Arella-Missing/Presumed Dead
- ...and of course, Vic.
Dr. Charles informs the Titans that there has been advances in Aqualad's treatment. She guides them (sans Gar) into another area of the Labs, to show them what she means. Looks like Garth is on-ice... sorta. It's a super-cold liquid cryogenic thingie... to hold him over for now. Just then, Aquaman shows up... annnnnnd, really doesn't seem all that bothered seeing his sidekick in such a state. He also figures that Atlantis ain't gonna help him, at least at the moment. Thanks for comin', Artie.
Back at Dick's apartment, he and Kory are watching soap operas... Kory can't stand them because the people in them are "far too unreal"... nyuk nyuk, ya get it? Anyhoo, the program cuts away to a special news report, featuring our least-favorite "thorn in the side" Elizabeth Alderman. She's ticked at the Titans and all that jazz.
Just then... a weird... object appears at the ruins of the Wildebeest Warehouse (where Alderman is being interviewed). It looks... I dunno, kind of like an electrified clump of dryer lint? It begins spinning out of control... and actually draws the Titans to it!
From it springs forth... Phantasm! And he's holding that weird canister he picked up last issue. He tries to make it clear from the get-go, that he is no longer "the boy"... which is to say, he ain't Danny Chase no mo. This, naturally, doesn't stop everyone from referring to him as such.
Elsewhere, the Team Titans (who, for the moment are being called the "Teen Titans") are also watching this all go down via the news. Upon seeing Troia, they figure this might be a great opportunity to take 'er out.
Back on the street, Phantasm starts spillin' the beans. Danny's gone, Arella's gone... and in the best news ever, Azarath is gone! Whoo-hoo! Haven't felt this relieved since reading "The Last Morlock Story" in Uncanny X-Men #291(ish)! I'd hope Azarath would stay gone at least as long as the Morlocks did... but, we all know better than that.
While the Teamsters look on (Mirage drooling over Di.. err, Nightwing), the Titans are approached by Elizabeth Alderman. She's blibbuh blabberin' about her lawsuit, and her injunctions against them using their powers within the city limits. Yadda yadda yadda. Phantasm tires of her bellyaching, and ports the team away so they might continue their chat. This of course, only makes them look guilty as hell, right?
Upon arriving... elsewhere, Dick tells the team about how everything came together. The Wildebeest who attacked him... died, and so, Dick took his costume. Later, Danny was attacked... and Dick-the-Beest tossed him a Nightwing Tracer as a "calling card". This was, apparently "hidden in plain sight" during that issue... which, uh, congrats? You got me... by dropping a hint in a scene I couldn't care less about... you slid one past the goalie, Marv!
After a little more chatter, Phantasm gets weary of dealing with the team... and so, he leaves. However... he doesn't take that canister with him... and, just then... it opens! Deep breaths, everybody... it's time to meet: Baby Wildebeest!
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Well, we actually do get a bit more closure here. It's funny, today Titans Hunt would have been an event miniseries unto itself... and this would probably be issue #12.1 or some such nonsense.
It was nice to have the opportunity to see the Titans walk that tightrope of licking their wounds and reflecting while at the same time, attempting to move forward. It's probably an understatement to suggest that this is a very different team compared to the one that was about to celebrate their anniversary a year and a half back (in real time).
Some have changed physically... others emotionally. Some ain't there anymore... and we have a few newbies to boot. Even if I didn't enjoy Titans Hunt in full... there was still a good story worth being told hidden betwixt all of the exposition, tie-ins, and flashbacks. There was definitely a plan here to upend and update the franchise... and, at the end of the day... that's exactly what they did.
I feel like this sort of thing is missing from comics these days. I'm not talking about over-stretched arcs, because we've got those in spades. I'm talking about actually sitting down and writing a story to facilitate and explain changes. Nowaways, we'd just get a new #1... with an all-new team, and hopes that maybe, somewhere down the line, we'd get an explanation of how we got here.
Let's take a look at the lettercol... it's funny, I was just chatting with my pal Tom Panarese (name drop!) about the delays Titans Hunt experienced... and he mentioned that it was so out of wack that the climax was spoiled in another book. Sure enough, one of the letters mentions just that very thing! Here, take a look (As always, full Lettercol below, including the cop-out response from the Editor):
Overall... I gotta say, if you read through Titans Hunt... you're going to want to read this too. It might not rock your socks, but it does help to put a "cap" on the event.
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Letters Page:
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New Titans #84 (March, 1992)
"The Jericho Gambit, Part Three: Endings... and Beginnings!"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Pencils - Tom Grummett
Inks - Al Vey
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Jonathan Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75
It wouldn't feel right starting any bit of business today without first paying a bit of tribute to Stan Lee. I'm not going to try and make this all about me... but, this one's going to be a toughie.
We lost Steve Ditko some months back... which hurt. The thing with Stan though, is Stan always felt like family, know what I mean? He was just always there... and I don't think I ever thought there would be a time when he wasn't. I mean, we all know the realities of life... but, sometimes we choose not to pay them too much mind.
I hate to think of a comics industry that was never guided by his hand... heck, I'm not sure there still would be a comics industry if not for his hand. Ya know, at the risk of blabbering on, I'll tie it off here.
Rest in Peace... Rest in Power... Thank you, Stan.
Now, for today's piece... we're finally wrapping up Titans Hunt. You know what that means... we're also going to be adding it to our Collected Editions Page!
So, if you've missed any of our deep-dives on Titans Hunt, you'll be able to check 'em out there (in order, even!).
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We pick up right where we left off yesterday. Deathstroke has just run his son through with a sword in attempt to stop his corruption at the hands of the Trigon-afflicted souls of Azarath. Ya got all that? As the Titans look on, shocked... they are even more surprised to find, standing in the place of Phantasm... Danny Chase! *gasp* Also, it would seem that Dick was in on the Phanto-ruse.
Slade slumps down and cradles his son's body... when it suddenly turns to dust in his hands. The Azarathian Souls are angry... and since their host body is no more, they turn their sights to the Titans! And so, before long we have Gar, Starfire, Raven, Mal, Bumblebee, and that other Dial-H kid (Christopher King) staring down our heroes!
We focus on Danny and Arella who are facing off with a full-blown demonic Raven... who's just about to lose control, and she thinks she likes it! Raven lets fly with a terrific blast, which nearly kills young Master Chase.
She then fires a blast at her mother, Arella... which she is surprised to find is ineffective. Ya see, that's because Arella's body carries the soul of Azar herself... the former pacifist spiritual leader of Azarath. To give herself a boost, Raven summons all of the Azarathian souls from the other Titans, and into herself.
With Raven fully "darkened", Danny and Arella have the idea to head inside her to confront her soul-self. Just then, the rest of the Titans find themselves surrounded by... Wildebeests! Betcha forgot about them... I know I did!
Inside, Raven just absolutely unleashes on poor Danny... leaving half of his body very badly burned. That's when Arella has the idea of all ideas... it's time for the Care Bear Stareᵀᴹ... which totally does the trick, because... c'mon, it always does!
Outside, there's a huge burst of energy... and it looks like a portal opens. From the portal, the (now cleansed) souls of Azarath are summoned out.
With everything falling apart, the Titans attempt to make their way back to the dimensional door... which, gotta say, gives Tom Grummett one heck of an opportunity to draw some really cool stuff! Steve Dayton is holding the door open. Hmm... okay, I gotta ask... where the hell is Terry? Could'a sworn he came with.
Back inside the Wildebeest Lab, the Phantasm suit stirs back to life... and believes the hows and whys may lie with that former-frankfurter/former-cotton candy/current (dare I say) Baby Wildebeest.
The Titans in total make their way back to the real world... and in a flash, all the Azarathian stuff is sucked back through the portal where it belongs. There's no time to reflect because... well, we're out of pages!
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Annnnnd, that's that.
We end with... an issue long fight, more or less. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that... everything feels rather crammed. As a fake-ass synopsizer, it's a dream... I just get to say "they fought" rather than calling the blow-by-blow action.
I wanna start by jumping all the way to the ending... like the very last page. I know I've harped on (and on) about how poorly paced I found Titans Hunt throughout... but, this really feels like a case of just "running out of pages". I think back to all of the wasted pages we read through during this run... how much repetitive exposition... how many cutaways to the Team Titans... friggin' Pariah recapping Crisis on Infinite Earths #7... so many wasted pages... but, as we draw to a conclusion, there's suddenly no more pages left!
I get "leaving 'em wanting more", but here's the thing... I'm not left wanting more... the only reason I'd want the next issue is to get through it in order to put this entire thing behind us.
Now, yeah... I'm being pretty negative... but that's not to say there wasn't a good story here, because there was. Perhaps if Titans Hunt started in New Titans #71 and culminated in a giant-sized #75 (or Annual #7), we'd have a super-tight story, that didn't feel like a chore more often than not. Could you imagine if The Judas Contract (the "event") was dragged out for over a year? Dark Phoenix Saga? I mean, there's only so long even the most gifted of writers are going to be able to hold a reader's attention. For example, 95% of people checking out this post have already stopped reading by now!
I can't believe I'm saying this... but, if I had to choose between Titans Hunt and Total Chaos... it's Total Chaos, all day, every day. I'll give them credit for trying to update (and un-stagnate) the Titans... but, this story arc circled the drain for a few months too long. Dump about half of it... pull out from the "event" tie-ins... and we might have a story I'd wholeheartedly recommend. As it stands, I could only recommend as an important part of "Titans History", because it actually does alter the team moving forward. As a story? There are far better.
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Letters Page:
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