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Mild Mannered Reviews - Teen Titans Comics

Teen Titans #30 Teen Titans #30

Teen Titans #30

Scheduled to arrive in stores: April 23, 2014

Cover date: June 2014

"...And Now The End is Near..."

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciller: Scott McDaniel
Inker: Scott McDaniel

"Home Sweet Home"

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciller: Scott Kolins
Inker: Scott Kolins

Cover: Kenneth Rocafort

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge



"...And Now The End is Near..."

On the Teen Titans yacht, are battling foes The Light and The Way. Raven is injured during the battle and realizes Trigon has abandoned his control of her - her destiny is finally hers to control. The team battle on but are fought to a standstill with neither hero nor villain able to sway the battle, until Skitter arrives, sneaks up on Light and Way finishing them off. Bunker is ecstatic to see his old team mate again but despite her surprise arrival and sudden chatty new personality she tells the team that after The Culling she deliberately hid away until this moment.

Almost as suddenly, Skitter's mother and her secret organization (last seen in issue #22) arrive to collect Light and Way. The organization with no name had sworn to take the Titans down but as Skitter has chosen to stay with them she will afford them some breathing space. As the organization disappears Raven demands to know the truth and so Skitter reveals her time away.

Skitter was a top student that became an intern at STAR and during a night of boredom created a device that could communicate across dimensions. A race with unpronounceable names attacked and attached a parasite to her that made her into the creature she is now. She defeated the attack but was stuck with the parasite which she had to struggle to control. It was so hard to control that she couldn't and wouldn't reveal why to the Titans. Skitter's mother had been monitoring her and during the Culling had used the opportunity to place her into rehab. She is now stuck in spider form but completely in control of her body now hence her return and her mother chasing her down.

Red Robin points out that today was the worst time to return as the team is all but disbanding. Cue another surprise attack, this time from Grymm. The villain has secretly planted a bomb but hearing that they were quitting he is disappointed. An over eager Beast Boy knocks him out, not realizing he was about to share the bomb location. Raven uses her powers and discovers too late that the bomb is aboard the yacht and it promptly explodes.

To Be Continued in Teen Titans Annual #3.

At that moment in the future Solstice and Kid Flash have crash landed on Takron Galtos and are free from their cells. A fellow criminal attacks Solstice but Kid Flash steps in to save her. Bar Torr swears to tame the planet's lost souls and give them hope in the name if the Titans.

1Story - 1: Reading this, you can see why this book deserves to die. It's horrible. So, so bad they even use the same Beast Boy story device TWICE in the story.

You know what this read like? A reunion show of a bad comedy. I kept waiting for the audience clapping track with each face that popped up.

They knew this issue was coming so why has it felt like a hatchet job of tying up lose ends.

This and Superman #30 were two of the worst publications this month, though this wins the crown.

Bunker and Beast Boy appear at the exact moment the Titans teleport home, Light & Way attack at that moment also, Raven is freed from her father, Skitter returns before her team is killed! Skitter's mother appears immediately with an organization with no name, Skitter reveals her awful origin being attacked by a race of spider monsters with no name, Grymm appears, Grymm hearing his enemies are quitting reveals he planted a bomb and they need to switch it off, Beast Boy knocks him out before he can reveal the bomb location, the bomb explodes, Solstice and Kid Flash reappear with yet another farewell after the last two goodbyes.

See not making it up - just really, really bad...

5Art - 5: The art is really good.

Great composition, nice coloring, inking is spot on. Good art, sadly, can't save a badly written book and though a lot of work has gone into making this a visual delight it can't rescue it.

"Home Sweet Home"

A week before the explosion, Bunker and Beast Boy are heading to Miguel's home after striking up a new friendship.

Beast Boy is less than impressed with the town but Miguel is more interested in meeting the reason for his return - his lover Gabe is now out of his coma!

While Bunker gets frisky with his partner, Garfield tries his luck with Miguel's sister.

Days later, the town celebrating, Garfield feels lonely not having any friends, love or home but Miguel shrugs it off and points out that his family and friends are now that of Beast Boy's too.

At this moment a scarecrow like monster named Brutale arrives. His mission is to capture Gabe now he has woken up and return him to a mystery employer who wants his talents. Bunker leaps in and foils the attack to save his boyfriend. Brutale laughs that metas are dating each other but realizes he can still escape and takes a girl hostage. Unluckily for Brutale it is Miguel's sister and Beast Boy, as a rhino, attacks.

Mirroring his stupidity in the previous story he knocks out Brutale before he can reveal who sent him but Gabe uses his psionic power to grab some mental images. They track down the lady boss' hideout but because of Brutale's capture she has fled while Gabe, Miguel and Garfield beat up the remaining forces there, they hear a news bulletin detailing the events of Forever Evil #1.

Gabe waves off his lover and Beast Boy as they head back to face a world without heroes.

4Story - 4: Strangely much more interesting, fun and worthy than the main feature despite, like the main story a slew of coincidences, this worked far better.

I liked exploring Miguel and Garfield as characters. I'm not sure about the modesty comment after Miguel and Gabe begin embracing, it defeats the purpose of championing a LGBT character by belittling it with cheesy comedy. I also disliked the fact the device of the Beast Boy knocking the bad guy out was used again but I mentioned that already. I liked the link to Forever Evil and it had a much better finale.

5Art - 5: The cartoonish art worked here where it hadn't over in the Parasite introduction in Superman. Looking at it closely perhaps it is because the art is far more complimentary to the characters Bunker and Beast Boy and their brash in your face style.

1Cover Art - 1: Can a cover be any more dull?

Submit your most boring in the comments because this montage is nothing more than a yawn.

As the final issue cover (Annual #3 ending the complete run) this is just a sad way to say goodbye, more a whimper than a bang...


Mild Mannered Reviews

2014

Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2014

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