Super Sons #6 (September, 2017)
"Planet of the Capes, Part 1: teen beat"
Writer - Peter J. Tomasi
Artist - Jorge Jimenez
Colorist - Alejandro Sanchez
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Editors - Paul Kaminski & Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $3.99
I talked a lot of guff about the Rebirth-era Teen Titans yesterday... claiming that Super Sons was everything that comic ought to be. Well, if we go back a few months we can prove (or disprove) that sentiment. Let's see the Super Sons take on the Teen Titans.
Was I right yesterday, or simply talking out my backside? Let's find out!
--
We open with a brief introduction to an old (and arthritic) sculptor. He promises that his life's work will never be forgotten. From here, we shift to Metropolis where Jon Kent is getting ready to go out on the town as Superboy. Feels weird to see Lois and Clark totally okay with this... feels like just a few months ago he was like five years old. Anyhoo, Lois packs his lunch and he heads outside to meet up with his pal Damian.
Robin seems to have some different ideas about the purpose of the evening... he's looking at it as having to train Superboy, while Jon just sees it as a night out to help people in need. Their approaches to do-goodering are pretty different. We get a bit where Damian bites the head off a jaywalker... which leads to a Super lecture, in which Jonathan really sounds like his dad! From here, Superboy saves a cat... and Robin changes a tire. Normal everyday do-goodery stuff. Gotta say, Damian looks adorable changing a tire.
The boys head off to relax, and Damian makes a phone call. He's trying to get a hold of his team... but they appear to be ignoring his calls. Suddenly a bright green cat approaches, which really freaks Jon out. It's obviously Beast Boy... the Teen Titans have arrived!
Turns out they were out looking for Damian anyway. Something's afoot and they need his help. He immediately goes into "field commander" mode, dispensing orders and going over strategy. He sends Superboy home since this is "Titans Business"... and ya see, Jon's only 10. Damian sure is a stickler for semantics, ain't he?
Jon leaps and bounds back home, and arrives one minute before curfew. Lois is getting ready to head out on some Daily Planet business, and Clark is out with the Justice League. Jon plops down in front of the TV.
Back with the Titans, they are following the aura of an energy surge. They track it to a crummy part of town... and they find themselves attacked...
... and very easily taken out. When Damian's the last Titan standing, we meet our big-bad... the Time Commander. Robin hurls a 'rang in his direction, but the baddie stops it in mid-air. He then wriggles his fingers at the Boy Wonder...
We wrap up back at the Kent-house, where Jon is awakened by a sorta familiar voice. He heads to the balcony where he finds... Old Man Robin?!
--
I think this is the first time I've read a story featuring the Rebirth-Teen Titans and haven't wanted to hurl a brick through my... er, comic book.
The characters all felt natural... not the "cranked to eleven" versions we get in their home title. Like here, Gar's a wiseacre...but not to the point where I actually want a villain to smash him into a green puddle. Jackson is tentative... as the "new guy", that's totally understandable... but he's still shown to be ready for action. Over in Teen Titans, his only character trait is that he's "the new guy".
Starfire and Raven do like they normally do... and don't get a whole lot of panel time. I was wondering why they're even a part of the team before I remembered the Teen Titans have a cartoon where they are prominently featured... then again, Cyborg's on that team too... so, what do I know?
Brief tangent... when we arrived at our hotel in Pennsylvania this past weekend, when I turned on the TV, Teen Titans Go! was on. I stayed there for a couple of minutes... remembering the Titans toon from the early 2000's. Only caught it on occasion, but I recall it being pretty good. Pretty loose adaptations of classic Teen Titans tales, but inoffensive... and had a really good voice cast. I assumed that this would be more of the same (albeit with a somewhat different art style)... boy howdy, was I wrong. This felt as though someone was shown the most annoying 10 second anime clip and was then asked to replicate it using the Teen Titans. I feel bad harshing on a kids cartoon... but, I gotta say... I'm happy I wasn't a kid during this constant "lol random" take on comedy.
Back to the book...
This was probably the best Teen Titans story I've read in some time. Sure it wasn't completely focused on them... but the bits in which they appear didn't annoy me... and sometimes, that's all you can ask for. I think what bugs me the most about the actual Teen Titans book is that there's so much potential there. Some great classic characters... some interesting newbies... but nothing ever happens! The characters constantly bicker in that snarky passive-aggressive Millennial way... and every storyline has to do with them adding... or removing a team member. Just when you think we're about to actually go somewhere, the next-issue blurb informs us that "Next: The Return of Kid Flash (again)" or some similar nonsense.
This issue of Super Sons actually worked as a Titans story because... the Titans actually went on an adventure that had nothing to do with messing with their roster! We don't have to worry about Damian firing someone... or someone returning from a five-second hiatus. This is just an adventure... and it's so much better off for it.
I think Jon should eventually join the Teen Titans... even though I'd be scared that they'd cancel this book if that were ever the case. Jon seems like he could be that character to finally give the Titans a "heart". This was never a problem during the Wolfman days... all of the characters were likable and felt like they belonged. Now, none of them do. Now, they need a heart... and that might just be a job for Superboy.
Overall, I was quite pleased with this issue. Jon and Damian's relationship is a lot of fun... they feel like real kids. Timeless kids. Regardless of fads in technology and social engagement, their relationship feels genuine. Their back-and-forth doesn't feel like anything the people of the future will cringe over, and be like "Did we really talk like that?". Also, the art... is really really good. It feels like there's definitely a manga influence in Jimenez's work... but it's still grounded in western comic art. It's a really awesome meshing of styles, I really enjoyed it!
So, if you're like me... a long-time Titans fan who hates the fact that they don't make books like that anymore... give this one a try! I think you'll be happy that you did.
--
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Super Sons #10 (January, 2018)
"One Fine Day"
Writer - Peter J. Tomasi
Artist - Jose Luis
Inker - Scott Hanna
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Andrea Shea
Editor - Paul Kaminski
Group Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $3.99
Man, after spending twenty years in Phoenix, it was incredibly strange to wake up and have to knock snow off a car before I could head out!
Just returned from our jaunt back east for Papa's 90th... seems we have a knack for picking the most inopportune days insofar as weather is concerned. Had a great visit, and the travel wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. Flights were on time (ahead of time, even!) and the streets were, for the most part, pretty clear.
Also, got to stop at a White Castle for the first time in about 20 years. That Chicken and Waffle Sandwich was ridiculously good! It sucks that in my neck of the woods the only regional niche fast food joint is In-and-Out Burger... and, if ya ask me... that ain't all that great.
I'm happy to be home, but still happy that we decided to go. That having been said... I'm still quite exhausted, which as far as the blog is concerned means, we look at a new book. Because... ya know, new books only take about five minutes to read. In fact, I think I've spent more time babbling through this preamble than it took me to read the story.
So, was it a fun five minutes? Let's find out...
--
We open with a countdown... and Jon demonstrating his newfound ability to fly for Clark and Bruce. No longer limited to the "leaps and bounds" approach, Jon is now nearly as fast as his old man when it comes to flyin' the unfriendly skies. While in the air, Jon spies a Big Belly Burger being robbed over in Gotham... Clark defers to Bruce, since it is "his city", and Wayne gives the thumbs up.
With Jon out stopping the crime, Bruce turns to Damian and asks if Superboy has demonstrated any other new powers of late... and mentions their recent adventure alongside the Teen Titans. Damian plays dumb... which is probably not the best thing to do when you're talking to Batman.
Jon returns, landing in the back of the pickup truck... gotta say, it's pretty weird seeing Bruce Wayne drive a pickup. Anyhoo, Damian joins him on the outside and grinds his gears about spilling the beans on the Titans romp. Jon dismisses it by mentioning his mother's super-hearing and super-mind reading, which is pretty cute. From here they pretend to fly on the roof of the truck... and gotta say, this is such a joy to read. Can we get Tomasi on the actual Teen Titans book?
A brief "intermezzo" follows... and features a future Batman rising from the flames in future Gotham City. Going to assume this is Damian Wayne as Batman, as he's wearing the same high-collared belt-pouchy costume he did back in Batman #666 (2007).
Back in the present, we shift three weeks later. Both Jon and Damian are awakened from bed by their fathers, and are told to "suit up". In a pretty neat touch, there appears to be a 90's era Kon-El Superboy poster in Jon's bedroom.
We next join the Super Dads and Sons at the boys' new underwater headquarters! Or the... ahem, Fortress of Attitude. Yikes, that's pretty lame... hopefully Damian gets full veto power over that. The place is completely decked out... it even has a 3-D Printer for Damian to print Batarangs on-demand!
Now, anyone who's ever gotten a really generous gift knows... there are often strings attached, and this is no different. If the boys wanna continue to fight crime together... they're also going to have to go to school together. Turns out that Jon recently started attending the West-Reeve Private School in Metropolis (I understand that reference!)... and he's about to get a new classmate! Any unexcused absences will result in Damian hanging up the Robin costume.
With the rules laid out, the Super Dad's leave the boys to their underwater treehouse. Suddenly they are alerted that Chemo is running amok in Metropolis... and we close out with the World's Funnest taking care of business.
--
Is it already a cliche to refer to this book as a lot of fun? Because... it really is. Fun, that is. This is really everything that Teen Titans ought to be... and more!
I really don't understand how DC has been dropping the ball on the Teen Titans for so long now, when they also have a book like this on the racks. This is an absolute pleasure to read... and shows Damian and Jon as kids... but not petulant Millennials. Those Teen Titans stories are almost immediately dated with their constant dependence on playing to the "Hey, what are kids into?" mentality. Super Sons, on the other hand has a timeless quality and feels like something that could be read in ten or twenty years and still feel relevant. The teens of today won't be reading this in "full cringe" mode remembering just how irritating they were... or how irritating the writer depicted them to be.
This also gets points for being a "one off" and a "day in the life" story. Full disclosure... I have not been keeping up with much of the Rebirth line (outside of the Superman books and Teen Titans). It's a mixture of indifference/disinterest, being absolutely overwhelmed by the bi-weekly deluge, and reading other stuff for the humble blog that I haven't been able to keep up. When my to-read pile was only a few inches tall... it still felt doable, and even somewhat "urgent". At this point, however, I'm so far gone that it doesn't even matter anymore. Super Sons was, unfortunately, one of the books in the now "to-read longbox"... so I haven't really been following it all that closely. This issue really caught me up... and didn't make me feel like I was "out of the loop" on much. This series feels like one that I can "pick up and play" without feeling like I need to do a whole bunch of pre-work.
The art here was also pretty fantastic. Not sure where this Jose Luis came from, but... damn, he cranked out quite the beautiful comic book.
I really can't recommend this enough... I mean, there's history and nods to the past... if you want them. If you never read 90's Superboy or Batman #666... you're not missing out, however, if you did... these additional touches are just awesome to see. This is a book with a massive heart... something I complain about so much of the current line lacking (Teen Titans in particular). I dare you to read this and not smile.
--
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Teen Titans (vol.3) #36 (July, 2006)
"The New Teen Titans, Part 3"
Writer - Geoff Johns
Penciller - Tony S. Daniel
Inkers - Kevin Conrad, Andy Lanning & Norm Rapmund
Colorists - Tanya & Richard Horie
Letterer - Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor - Jeanine Schaeffer
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.99
Can even Geoff Johns hope to repair the post-Byrne Doom Patrol? I guess a Superboy-Prime reality-shattering punch can do the impossible!
--
In Paris... we know it's Paris because the Eiffel Tower is visible... the Brain and Monsieur Mallah are discussing the Brotherhood's latest plot. The former wants revenge on the Doom Patrol... and everyone they love... he'd also like an actual organic body, but we'll get to that later. Speaking of the Doomies, they take the Titans to their creepy new digs. They're surprised to see Mal Duncan is among their number. They're even more surprised when he doesn't greet them... because, ya know... he can't. Robotman, Vox, Bumblebee, and Negative Man port-out to follow up on the Brotherhood. In a cool bit, when the Negative Entity flees Larry's body, he slumps into a wheelchair.
Beast Boy explains Mal's "issue". During his time in space with Vic and Bumblebee, they ran into some problems. Vic was 'sploded... Mal's weapons blew up in his face, costing him his lungs and vocal cords... and Bumblebee was permanently shrunken to six-inches tall, and is now reliant on a special drug from the Chief to keep her tiny heart from exploding. Gar then offers Vic a spot on the Doom Patrol.
Meanwhile, the Chief and Elasti-Girl are operating on Kid Devil... in a secret room behind The Painting That Ate Paris. Caulder is really cold and matter-of-fact... he talks down to Rita, and seems to be treating her like she's no more than a simple tool for him to use. It's really quite sad. We also learn that Niles is responsible for Rita's rebirth in the first place (because he reminds her). Turns out he took her skull from Codsville, and treated it with proteins until he could re-grow her body.
The surgery is interrupted by the ringing of Tim's cell phone. An angry Caulder evicts him from the operating theater. On the line is Blue Devil... and he has some very surprising news for the Boy Wonder.
Elsewhere, Beast Boy is checking in with his adoptive father, Steve Dayton... who's wearing the Mento helmet, and appears to be quite mad. Gar asks him for some help in locating the Brain and the Brotherhood... but Mento is too busy writing novels for Rita.
We join Cyborg, Wonder Girl and Ravager who are taking in the odd sights of the Doom Patrol's headquarters. For any long-time fans of the franchise, this is quite the treat. There's Brotherhood of Dada stuff, a Mister Nobody portrait... just some cool visuals.
Niles Caulder rolls in to inform them that Kid Devil is recovering... and that he'd like to discuss his future. Tim says first things first... before they talk about him, he wants to talk to him. In recovery, we learn that Blue Devil and Kid Devil are estranged... they haven't spoken in years, and Cassidy didn't even know that Eddie was a Teen Titan! Robin asks who Kid Devil has been checking in with over the phone... Eddie says "Nobody".
Niles interrupts the discussion to suggest that Kid Devil doesn't belong with the Teen Titans... instead, he should be part of the Doom Patrol. Robin says "no dice", to which Beast Boy takes exception. Tim brings up how the Chief was responsible for causing the accidents that made the Doom Patrol into... the Doom Patrol. So, I guess that's still part of continuity here. Rita says they've all forgiven him for that... which is kind of them.
Suddenly the Negative Entity returns... turns out Cliff, Mal and Karen have been captured. The Titans head to Paris and find their friends.
Wonder Girl and Ravager run in and slip in a bit of wet-stuff. Turns out it was the fluid where the Brain kept his... brain. Turns out the cloning was a success... and we can see the Brain has found a body... with a very butt-shaped head!
--
This was a grim... and uncomfortable read.
The Chief here is especially sinister, and the entire time I was waiting for that other shoe to drop. He's made it so the Doomies are so beholden to him... he can talk to Rita like she's an object... he can convince Steve Dayton that he has to stay in the Mento helmet in order for Rita to remain in love with him. It's really quite creepy.
Creepy... and interesting! This might not be a Doom Patrol I'd want to read on a regular basis, but it's cool enough for a guest-spot. It also helps us to learn what is (and isn't) in continuity. In the 2004 John Byrne reboot, we were made to assume that the Doom Patrol were a "brand new" concept in the DC Universe. None of the stories before it happened... not the Morrison, not even the Arnold Drake!
Here, we come to find that many of the Morrison concepts actually did happen! The Painting that Ate Paris... Mister Nobody... the Chief "masterminding" the accidents of the Doom Patrol members... it's really cool, and satisfying for long-time readers/fans of the franchise.
A Kid Devil mystery is introduced here. If he wasn't calling into Cassidy, just who has be been talking to? Could he (and Vic) wind up leaving the Titans for the Doom Patrol? What's the Chief's plan here? Does he have an actual endgame in mind... or is he just lonely? A lot of neat questions here... and that's without even mentioning the Brain in his butt-head!
A worthwhile read... one I'd certainly recommend.
--
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Teen Titans (vol.3) #35 (June, 2006)
"The New Teen Titans, Part 2"
Writer - Geoff Johns
Penciller - Tony S. Daniel
Inker - Kevin Conrad
Colorists - Richard & Tanya Horie
Letterer - Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor - Jeanine Schaeffer
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.50
This one might be a bit light on the analysis... by the time you're reading this (if you're reading this on the day it's put out), I'm somewhere back on the East Coast. Got a big family thing back home... it's sure to be a busy weekend!
Now, for the comic... Did somebody say Doom Patrol? Yes... we did, yesterday! Gar Logan's back with the band... let's see how this shakes out!
--
We open at the headquarters of... the Doom Patrol! Our old friend Gar Logan is chatting up the newest Doomie, Vox. We know him better as the Hornblower... or the Herald... or the Guardians... or Mal... it's Mal Duncan, by the way... only now he can't talk lest he blow out Beast Boy's eardrums. They see that they've got a voicemail, and Gar is overjoyed to see that his pal Vic Stone is back among the living.
Back at Titan's Tower, Robin's latest attempt to reclone Superboy is... unsuccessful. Defeated, he heads back to his room... and soon finds himself mounted by his new teammate Rose Wilson! She's nekkid annnnd a little bit drunk, by the way.
Suddenly there's an intruder. This interloper uses an outdated security password (Jericho) which triggers an alarm to sound, The New-New Titans all head into the war room to see who's invaded. It's totally Wonder Girl, by the way... and she and Ravager proceed to beat the hell out of each other.
Cyborg breaks in and is able to separate the furious females. Wendy and Marvin pop their geeky heads in to survey the damage. As care-keepers of Titan's Tower, repair and upkeep is going to fall to them.
Later that night, Ravager sorta "teases" Kid Devil. It seems like he's got the "hots" (pun!) for her.
Back in the war room, Vic, Cassie and Robin talk strategy. She's looking for information on the Brotherhood of Evil (who had recently destroyed Bludhaven). Also, it turns out that the Blastocyst Map they had stolen has something to do with cloning... hmm.
We shift scenes to the Brotherhood causing some some trouble in New York City. Before long, the Titans arrive on the scene. After a few pages of pretty even fighting, Plasmus grabs Kid Devil... and burns his chest.
While the Titans attend to their fallen member, the Brotherhood escapes. EMTs arrive on the scene... while Eddie babbles incoherently about "phone calls". Ravager appears to be especially torn up over this. The EMT's are called off, however, as some specialists in the bizarre arrive... hold on to your hats, it's the Doom Patrol!
--
A fine "bridging" issue... putting more pieces in place to move the story forward.
Some pretty good character work here... I appreciate the fact that Cassie is still at-odds with the team, and while she's almost immediately swept back in their world here, there's still a discomfort... and plenty of contention.
The battle with the Brotherhood is pretty boilerplate until poor Eddie gets his lung crushed by Plasmus. He mentions something about a phone call... something that will pay off a bit later. The fight scene wasn't so long that I felt like it overstayed its welcome... and it did facilitate the next stage of this arc.
We'll discuss more about our "guest stars" tomorrow, as we pay their headquarters a visit.
Sorry for the brevity today... we'll hit up more analysis later on!
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