Titans #28 – John Layman, Writer; Pete Woods, Artist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Titans has sort of been on the fringes of the DCU for a while, letting the grown-up kids have their own adventures ever since the Beast World event. But now it’s tying in with DC KO – and the title is all the better for it. This is one of the largest-scale events DC has ever done in terms of what’s affected, and the massive cosmic battlefield Snyder has set up is only part one of the chaos. Cyborg had to go and participate in the tournament, but before he did, he set up the most difficult effort the heroes have ever faced – the full evacuation of Earth, courtesy of a variety of massive ships, miniaturization technology, and teleporters, using many of the most powerful tools of villains to save the day. That’s because the time is ticking down until Darkseid arrives – and transforms Earth into a new Apokalips that nothing living will currently survive, and there’s no guarantee the heroes’ champion will win the day.
The scope of this issue is massive, but it also does a very good job of humanizing everyone involved. Donna Troy, still adjusting to the role of leader, struggles with the enormity of the task in her hands. Roy Harper seems to have a more fatalistic attitude to everything that’s going on, while Cyborg is clearly grappling with the emotional toll of the task ahead of him. Beast Boy (with an assist from his unofficial little sister Beast Girl) works to keep the human population on board despite propaganda efforts from Darkseid deniers. Even Jon Kent shows up, helping the team founded by his mentor Nightwing. But the tensest segment comes when Raven debates what to do with the apparently comatose Terra, who is in Titans custody – and gets an unpleasant surprise when she tries to check her mind. This is one of the best issues of the series so far, and it’s a great companion piece to the main event.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
