Teen Titans, Vol. 1: A Kid's Game!

I don't know why I don't actively seek out the works of Geoff Johns. Everything of his that he writes has been something that I've enjoyed. I truly don't think he's ever written a bad sentence in his entire career. Maybe it's the subject matter. But that not entirely true. I'm a big fan of the Flash. He's one of my top 5 favorite superheroes. Yet, I think I've only read a fraction of The Flash books written by Geoff Johns.

I've owned this opening volume of Johns' Teen Titans for at least a decade I'd say. It was something my best friend owned that I inherited. While I added this book willingly to my collection, for the longest time I just couldn't bring myself to read it. Then my online database up and shutdown so as I rebuild a personal directory of my collection, I'm making decisions over whether to keep a lot of the unread pieces of my collection or not.

'A Kid's Game!' takes place almost immediately after the events of 'Graduation Day'. With the death of two Titans, both Young Justice and the Titans disbanded. In the aftermath there are two schools of thought: no more team-ups led by Nightwing or Cyborg's vision to train the next generation of superheroes. With the blessing more or less of Batman, Superman and Wally West, Cyborg along with Starfire and Beast Boy have agreed to act as mentors to the revitalized Teen Titans. With their tutelage on the weekends, Robin, Superboy and Impulse will finally see action not as sidekicks but full-fledged heroes.

Lurking in the background is a third party who intensely believes that children should not wear capes. Whomever this mystery player is, they'll be willing to maim and kill to keep the Teen Titans from reforming. Even if who they hurt is a teenaged hero.

Mike McKone's, artwork, among others, matches so well with this storyline. The first 3 issues of this version of the Teen Titans sold out and went into multiple prints and I can see why! That buddy cop humor between those 3 amigos, Tim Drake, Con-El, now Conner Kent, and Bart Allen has carried over from Young Justice. The art is almost as fanciful as the original art from that series. Only it's a tad more refined. The action was so fast paced and I was so engrossed in this new era of Teen Titans that as soon as I finished this volume I ran to where I keep my collection and pulled out volume 2! If it's only half as captivating as this volume, I am in for one heck of a treat!

Excellent covers by the late Michael Turner.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Adventures in the DC Universe #13 (Family Comic Friday)

   It's October and that for many that means new cartoons start! One such cartoon is Justice League Action. It's a reprise of the classic Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons that aired on Cartoon Network in the late 90s. Why even DC Comics voice legends Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill will be reprising their epic roles of Batman and the Joker on the show which will air in 15 minute increments similar to Teen Titans Go!
    So to celebrate this new series, I decided to review an issue from the short-lived but very awesome series Adventures in the DC Universe. This series was created as a companion piece to both the Batman and Superman Animated Series that featured other members of the DC Universe. (This was prior to the creation of the Justice League series.) Each issue was comprised of a main story that often teamed up two unlikely characters and a short story back-up feature on a third character.
    In this issue, the teen speedster Impulse sneaks out of his home to see a hot young band that named themselves after the hero. While at the concert, the band's manager is shot and everyone is a suspect. On the scene is private investigator John Jones, who reveals himself to be the Martian Manhunter to young hero. Together Impulse and J'onn J'onzz seek out the hows and whys behind the attack.
    Then in the second feature, Connor Hawke, son of the original Green Arrow, is mysteriously blinded while investigating a gang. The gang leader's daughter helps the legacy hero escape but when Connor regains his sight, you can believe he's not done with this criminal element. But one his second try, the archer will have to rely on his other senses to stop this foe.
    I loved the Bruce Timm style art. It shows the evolution of the DC animated universe from the Batman/Superman cartoons to their eventual Justice League replacement. This series isn't easy to find but when you do, you often will find them in bargain bins. If your child has been to Mickey D's lately and gotta the JL Action fever based on the super hero toys found in the Happy Meals, then this is the series to keep them excited until the new series airs.
    I wish I could tell you when Justice League Action will air. Going to both Wikipedia and IMDB, both just list October, 2016 as the debut date. So, check local listings and check them often. It's going to be out of this world!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #19

I'm torn. I usually hate it when you read a book and then you find out that the cliffhanger is in the pages of another title. In this case, the cover explicitly states that the JLApe storyline starts here. (JLApe was a cross-over event in which members of the JLA were turned into various types of primates by Gorilla Grodd.) Then at the end of the book there is a checklist of the other books in the story arc. So, I applaud those steps to keep the reader in the know.

However, Legends of the DC Universe is supposed to tell untold tales of the best and brightest of the DC Universe. To me, that means stories from their early days. Here, we get Impulse, a 90s creation. Okay- you can still operate within the realms of this series premise with this. You can expound on Bart’s life in the 30th century. But to tell a story that occurs in the ‘present’ seems to defeat the concept of telling the backstories of the DCU.

The story itself was very good. It was funny, exciting, and made me want to read more

Impulse. Also, I am not on the hunt for the rest of the JLApe annuals.

However, this story does not operate within the established parameters set by the editorial staff in the letters pages of issue #1.

So, I will deem this story worth consuming but I must knock it down a peg because it didn’t stick to the essence of Legends of the DC Universe series.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.