Teen Titans #32 – Adam Glass, Writer; Bernard Chang, Artist; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 3/10
Ray: Teen Titans continues to be the most troubled book in the DC stable, as Adam Glass’ run has taken it from a semi-functional group of friends to a bunch of characters who can’t even stand to be in the same room as each other most of the time. This current arc focuses on Crush, who was beaten nearly to death by her father Lobo last issue. It was a grotesque spectacle of watching a teenage girl be brutalized for twenty pages, but it’s all quickly reversed when Djinn heals her in the opening of Teen Titans #32. This furthers the comparison of Djinn to Raven – yet another young powerful magic girl with ill-defined powers and an evil relative she lives in fear of. The first half of the issue is mostly the team talking to each other and arguing over their next move as they await Lobo’s return. Some of the dialogue might have some emotion to it if we had been given any indication this team cares about each other.
Then Lobo shows up, and this issue is almost a reverse of the previous one in that it’s Lobo being brutalized by six teenagers for ten pages. That’s definitely more satisfying to watch, but it’s still a second issue in a row of nothing but graphic violence. There’s also the problem that Lobo is written horribly here. At his best, he’s an antihero. At his worst, he’s a sociopathic bounty hunter with no morals who will kill anyone for a fee. Here, he’s a sadistic monster who gets off on the idea of torturing and killing his daughter, and there’s no way someone like him should be allowed to run free while Superman exists. Eventually Djinn sort of lobotomizes him, but not enough so that he can’t quickly be offered a gig by Lex Luthor in the finale to kick off the requisite tie-in. We’re left with more questions about Djinn, more arguments between team members, and nothing closer to a coherent team after this issue.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
