Titans #21 – John Layman, Writer; Pete Woods, Artist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Psycho Pirate has emerged as the big threat of this run of Titans, taking over Raven’s mind and using her empathic powers to turn the Titans against each other. He’s an interesting villain – equally a pathetic also-ran and a truly dangerous threat. And now that he’s inside Raven’s mind, he’s able to cause chaos – which leads to Roy waking up beaten half to death in the middle of Central Park. Roy narrates much of this issue, and he’s less than certain about the return of Vanadia – a former tool of Waller’s who has now been resurrected as a fully cybernetic ally – but it’s Raven who has to play the starring role here as she battles to take back control of her mind and unite the two sides of her self. We’ve been following this story for a long time, though the previous run, with Raven switching personalities and looks often. This issue has a strong hook to it, but I’m hoping Raven’s new stability holds for a while.
Catwoman #74 – Torunn Gronbekk, Writer; Marianna Ignazzi, Artist; Patricio Delpeche, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: This run has been a no-holds-barred escape thriller, as Selina – in her disguise as Evie – travels the world, staying one step ahead of old enemies and new ones. But now, the walls seem to be closing in as one of her old associates has been gunned down despite being undercover for years in a foreign country. Tipped off by a friend, Selina finds herself chased by an army of goons, including the brother of one of the villains she fought in previous issues. Honestly, I find much of the plotting in this run a little dry, with few of the villains really making an impact and Selina seeming to be rather passive at points while away from Gotham, but it makes up for it with some high-intensity action, particularly in the final few pages. Despite its action-heavy theme, this is a pretty slow-burn run that is holding a lot of its mystery tight to its chest, so it may read better in trade.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
