“Family Affair" (part 1)
It amazes me how in the same week a writer can release a book that is not his strongest material and also release a book that is rather enjoyable and handled extremely well. I have been a fan of Judd Winick for quite some time. I will try just about anything and everything he puts his name on, mostly because I thought his work on Kyle Rayner and Green Lantern was phenomenal. In fact, I think Judd Winick’s strong suit is the younger twenty-something characters that have essentially grown up in the DC universe. Case and point, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner’s run), Outsiders, Trials of Shazam!, Vertigo’s Blood and Water and Titans. I enjoyed Winick’s run on Batman and the initial resurrection of Jason Todd, but the way Todd’s return has been handled has left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. Of course the other book released this week was Green Arrow / Black Canary which has a decent general plot and fantastic artwork, but overall, it is poorly executed. To me, Winick is in his element on Titans and he does a great job creating a story not only for fans of the classic New Teen Titans but also for new readers who may or may not know a lot about these characters.
The basic premise is that someone, maybe Raven’s father Trigon, is going after anyone who has ever been a member of any incarnation of the Titans. This has led to the reformation of the original New Teen Titans who have gone off in search of these former members to prevent them from being killed or injured. It’s simple really, but it’s a decent plot and it most definitely fits to the personality of Nightwing as well as the mentality of Winick’s Outsiders. There’s really a lot rolled into this issue. There are obscure characters like Argent, a giant shark eating some crazy trying to kill Argent, a concise explanation as to exactly what is going on, a few comedic moments to keep the younger feel of this title more intact, a strangely half naked Raven and plenty of action sequences that would make Michael Bay proud. This is a title aimed at the 18 -- 25 demographic or anyone who enjoys stories in that range.
Of course, there are plenty of moment where the Titans are just kind of standing around and talking. There are a few moments when I found myself rolling my eyes, like when Wally gets thrown back by an explosion after touching Raven, “I got tossed when I touched her.” Thank you, Captain Obvious. Aside from that, I really have no problem with what’s happening here and I enjoyed this issue. In fact, when we reached the end of the issue and discover the big twist, everything in the issue comes together rather well. I liked the general idea of someone hunting down the Titans and I think the dynamic between Raven and Trigon is also well executed, I just wish there was more of a connection between the Titans. These are characters that grew up together, and while I can fathom that being enough of a reason for them to come together, I feel like there should be more drama. Maybe a little more baggage, I don’t want them to just get back together and everything is hunky-dory.
Joe Benitez brings a more cartoony style than Ian Churchill. However, like Churchill, there’s an awful lot of posing and "biceps and boobs" that Churchill is often criticized for. Regardless, given the nature of the issue I don’t really see any other way to draw it. There’s a balance between action and dialogue that almost requires long character shots that give an artist the opportunity to show off his anatomical drawing talents. This being a title aimed to the 18 -- 25 demographic, there’s plenty of sex appeal but there is also a fantastic amount of imagery. For one I love the way Benitez depicts both versions of Trigon. He also does a great job with Wally West and the sexed up look of Starfire. While I am a fan of Churchill’s, Benitez does a formidable job with the tone and style of this issue.
I really like the current direction of this series. I think that once Winick really gets going there’s potential for this title to be the next Outsiders. I hope he plays up the dynamic of the group a little bit more and actually do bring in Kyle Rayner as a member of the team. The reveal at the end of this issue is definitely intriguing and should provide a potentially good story in the coming issues.
What did you think of this book?
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