Teen Titans Endless Winter Special #1 (ENDLESS WINTER Pt. 6): No Time Like the Present

Teen Titans: Endless Winter Special #1 is somewhat less an essential chapter to the over-arching “Endless Winter” story than a bridge between the titular previous volume and March’s upcoming Teen Titans Academy. It succeeds pretty well with both, actually, though focuses more the latter than the former. The Teen Titans were in a pretty bad spot at the end of their prior volume, having been abandoned by Damian after his own ethically-murky shenanigans and left to their own rudderless devices. They wanted to be good, but needed structure. Enter Donna Troy and Beast Boy, here to save the day and help them become Titans in more than just name.

Donna and Beast Boy’s plans are less Danger Room, more soup kitchen, though – much to the chagrin of the new kids, who see it as punishment more than anything else. But it’s a teachable moment, and bodes well for the direction Teen Titans Academy may take (albeit under different writers). It’s a sequence chock-full of heart and well-wrought character dynamics (especially Roundhouse’s mom, who must from now on always be on hand for comic relief). We’re also introduced to a potentially wonderful new character, Summer Zahid.

But more crucially to the “Endless Winter” narrative, we get the inclusion of latter-day Hippolyta, threading the past to the present in more than just the Frost King’s assault. Of course, Black Adam still has a part to play (hopefully, some comeuppance for his past behavior that caused this whole mess in the first place) – is it too much to hope that he gets smacked by Hippolyta at some point…?

Lanning & Marz continue to work wonders with “Endless Winter.” Less the vacuous filler arc it initially appeared, “Endless Winter” is proving to be a fun romp with lots of great characterization throughout. It may not be rewriting the rules of the game, but it doesn’t have to. Sometimes being a fun yarn is more than enough. And along with Marco Santucci, Jesus Merino, Cam Smith, and Arif Prianto on art duties – along with A-plus lettering by DC stalwarts Troy Peteri and Rob Leigh – and you have yet another fine installment for a crossover nobody asked for, but nobody should be sad they got. Consider it an early Christmas present. And as for the future of Teen Titans? It looks bright. The blending of old and new blood has worked before, and is poised to work again. Either way, the kids are alright.