Titans #27
Recap
***WARNING: This review contains major spoilers!***
Donna visits Roy Harper’s grave (Heroes in Crisis #1) and M’gann has just informed the team that Grayson has been shot in the head while working with Batman (Batman #55) and that the injury will likely cause severe mental trauma. Beast Boy tells the team of another crisis, Tyler Banes is the first emergent meta that the Titans tangled with (Titans #23), and his metagenic energy is killing him.
Donna’s grief over Harper and Grayson has driven her to day-drink while Raven’s absent soul-self has hollowed her out. Steel theorizes that exposure to intense source-energy may stabilize Tyler, but M’gann rejects on the basis that experimenting on living human beings is immoral. The team feels like it’s falling apart without Grayson’s leadership, but Donna convinces M’gann to take the reins and she greenlights the dangerous procedure. It fails and the team despairs. The final panel teases impending doom with the return of Tempest.
Review
Art: The character face and figure detail is excellent but almost all of the backgrounds lack detail and/or have a little shading. I realize this is a particularly emotional issue and maybe Peeples didn’t want to distract from what was going on with the characters, but overall it comes off as somewhat of a minimal effort. Also, why is Nightwing on the cover?
Writing: This is really the issue I’ve been hoping would happen all along with this new team. Crisis has inserted itself and is testing the team’s resolve and relationships. Donna is drinking to cope but also trying to keep the team functional (though SHE would be a better leader than M’gann if she knew how to cope with Roy’s loss in a more functional way). It is SO difficult to see Gar in emotional anguish, he’s such a loveable guy. This issue also shows how one can do crossover events right, making me quite glad that I’m following the Batman and Heroes in Crisis publications. Nightwing is the guts of this team, and the Titans rightfully feel his loss. I’ve gone from really liking this new team to loving it within the span of the last few issues; I’m really glad I stuck with trusting Dan Abnett to keep the momentum going in the right direction!
Final Thoughts
This new Titans team has gone from a good read to a great one, definitely worth putting in your hold list!
Titans #27: Parting is such…a terrible thing.
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 7/107/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 7/107/10