Titans #13

Recap
A FAMILY REUNION FROM HELL! As Raven's powers grow, the jealousy of her surviving siblings grows with them. Will their rivalry lead to doom for all? Do the Titans stand a chance against the spawn of Trigon?
Review
Titans #13 picks up with the continued aftermath of the Titans: Beast World events which saw a mind controlled Beast Boy cause an extreme amount of destruction while Raven’s body was taken over by her evil consciousness. While much of the narrative focuses on Beast Boy’s conflict with Apex Ava, the undertones of Raven’s betrayal and her manipulation of the Titans is where this story arc’s strengths truly lie. Meanwhile, there is a plot behind the scenes that sees Raven’s enemies from down under plot against her with one surprise arrival that looks to tip the scales.
Tom Taylor has really been involved in the overall Dawn of DC narrative since the inception, depicting a Titans team that has constantly been battling against societal pushback, which started as them trying to live up to the Justice League standards and evolved into them fighting to earn back the trust of the world. Taylor does a great job of keeping these themes present throughout every issue of this run, with Titans #13 serving as another reminder about why the Titans are in the state they are in. This book has stayed very consistent and Taylor is always up front about what kind of story this is going to be. When the conflict spins out and sees the world still fearing Beast Boy, it makes sense and adds to the scope of the theming.
This arc has been all about Raven’s manipulation of the Titans, with Titans #13 reaching a point where Beast Boy starts to realize that something is totally wrong with the situation. This moment is shockingly sinister and almost terrifying, as Raven’s manipulation of emotion genuinely hits a point that puts the whole team’s reality into perspective. Taylor has positioned these heroes in such a way that they are forced to fight against preconceived perceptions while also being manipulated to a degree that makes them act out of character. It almost makes the series psychologically bending in nature, peeling back layers that add to the complexities of the story.
Daniele Di Nicuolo’s art works really well in this issue as it does an excellent job capturing the action of the super hero narrative while also making the emotional moments hit. It also takes a skilled artist to make two green shape shifting characters fighting look visually distinguishable, and Di Nicuoulo does an excellent job. Props also need to be given to Adriano Lucas, whose colors also add to the flair of the conflict, showing the visual similarities as the pencils provide a juxtaposition of character actions and motivation.
Final Thoughts
Titans #13 is a great continuation to this arc, showcasing the multifaceted narrative that has made this run so unique.
Titans #13: Betrayal From Within
- Writing - 8/108/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10