Titans #7 review

The Titans have moved to New York. Manhattan, to be precise, due to Lilith psychically spotting the word in the mind of just-defeated nemesis Abra Kadabra. Knowing he's from the future and obsessed with the Titans, they figure that's where they need to be. So they're building a headquarters and equipping themselves for action. With money from Bruce Wayne, an invisible jet from the Amazons and the incredibly impressive Atlantean equivalent of an IKEA flatpack, they're getting ready for action. 

Helping them is lawyer Dale Cendali...
...while new villain Tyler Wendt - let's hope he gets a codename should he return - is very definitely hindering things. 
I like that good as Donna and Wally are, they're looking to Roy for a plan. And after he's had one, and calmed things down, there's some good old-fashioned Wally/Roy bickering with Donna in between. 
The arrival of Superman, though, helps Wally regain his focus - Donna and Roy are a tad overwhelmed - and soon he's talking to a hero who, like him, remembers another reality. 
It's a wonderful encounter, typical of writer Dan Abnett's sure touch. Whether he's writing this book, Aquaman or Earth 2 Society, he fits characters and story together beautifully. Conversations are just right without being predictable. 

And that's not the only heartwarmingly good moment this issue, as Donna and Roy confront the mysteries of the young Amazon's past. What's that you say, Donna's origin was seen in Wonder Woman within the last couple of years?
Oops. And thank the Greek gods for that, the New 52 Donna Troy was one awful mess. Here we have a Marv Wolfman/George Perez/Phil Jimenez Donna, something DC Comics always needs. 

Oh, and look at the panel with the food - cherries in art can symbolise rebirth, as in DC Rebirth and Donna's neverending cycle of origins. It could not be more perfectly placed by Weeks. 

Or it could just be that Donna fancied a sundae but not the topping. 

Also this time, having not been around since the Titans Hunt mini-series that preceded this book, Karen and Mal Duncan are back to investigate Karen's Bumblebee powers - and wait til' you see who they hope will help them. 

Lee Weeks, who I've not seen at DC since last year's wonderful Lois and Clark mini, is here to spot regular artist Brett Booth and it's a joy to have him. He gives the characters the emotional shades demanded by Abnett's script, as well as drawing the best Superman/Flash race yet. I won't spoil that one, so you can get your money's worth, but here's another taste of how he draws Clark and Wally together, with colours by the ever-excellent John Kalisz. 
The issue ends with a look at the Titans' new headquarters. You're imagining it in your head now, aren't you? I was too, but it's nowhere near as naff as the original Titans Tower. 
It's hard to pick a favourite cover - Lee Weeks and colourist Brad Anderson's photo-filled regular image is very tasty, while Nick Bradshaw and colourist Alex Sinclair's worm's-eye view variant has loads of impact. Let's declare this particular race a draw. 

If you've not yet tried Titans, here's a fantastic jumping-on point, showcasing the book's characters, situations and mysteries. Hours after reading it, I'm still grinning broadly. 

Comments

  1. I love this series. Love. It. Abnett is hitting all the right notes with this series. It's a perfect blend of family/friends/finding your way in the world. I hesitate to say it's reminiscent of Wolfman/Perez, because it's really got a different flavour, but it's hitting all the right buttons that that series did. It's my favourite DC read right now.
    I'm curious about the scene with Donna. Did you get the impression that she was adopted by the Amazons as a baby and then sent back to live in man's world as a child? When she was talking about her mother, I couldn't figure out if she was talking about Hippolyta or an adoptive mother we haven't met yet.

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    1. I think the latter. That would make sense of the line about the Amazons giving her up and sticking a note in the swaddling... plus, calling Hippolyte her 'step-mom' wouldn't be correct, she would just be her adoptive mother, and probably referred to simply as 'mother'. Mind, if she then got another non-birth mother, she'd not be a step-mom either.

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  2. I think this issue, with Donna at least, once again shows us that there is something happening to the characters. This is supposed to be the New 52 Donna, but we can see from this issue that the spirit or personality of the old Donna is emerging into this world, and as we are slowly seeing in Wonder Woman, various aspects of Diana are also making their way into this reality, and Diana is struggling with the conflicting memories it is causing.

    I hope when this is all said and done we will finally have a truly definitive origin for Donna, one that explains her powers, her resemblance to Diana, etc.

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    1. I didn't get the impression Donna was struggling with new memories, more that the Finch origin has gone, been supplanted. I hope we won't get a big 'which origin is true?' thing, let them cover that in Wonder Woman. Mind, Abnett is obviously gong somewhere, some you're likely correct and I'm not!

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  3. I'm glad to see some character work done on someone who isn't Wally (in my head I've been calling this book Flash Lite & Cameos From Other Guys) but the Wonder Girl thing is terrible. Few liked Meredith Finch's new origin for Donna but it was done on a blank slate. Now we have those stories out there and contradicted already. Maybe we could just leave her past alone? All it's done is screw up what was once a simple and vibrant character...

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    1. Oh, leave her origin alone, in there. Then again, I found the Finch origin abhorrent, so I'm good with assuming we just have Donna's origin back circa Who is Donna Troy.

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  4. Naffy was the old Titan Tower bad looking?

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    1. It was the lopsidedness, and the fact it seemed to be that shape purely for branding!

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  5. Now that's a Superman/Flash race I can enjoy!

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