At the beginning of this two part story, S.T.A.R. Labs’ security (or lack thereof) had been breached. This spelled disaster for the city since the culprits broke into the secret vault to access the discontinued projects section which reportedly housed some destructive weapons. However, thanks to the Teen Titans, the city of Manhattan had been saved from what would have a been a catastrophic terrorist event. The Titans’ efforts were broadcasted to the masses leading to a hero’s welcome for the group.
This Teen Titans issue, One Brief, Shining Moment part 2 presents readers with what I viewed as a very accurate representation of how an event such as this would be treated in today’s world. The book begins with Beast Boy and Bunker boasting and basking in their glory in front of TV cameras. The rest of the team converse with Manchester Black who has Raven transport them to the heart of Times Square where the Titans are greeted to a parade in their honor. Just like that, the Teen Titans are stars–household names! I can smell the movie deals coming already. Teen Titans – starring Taylor Lautner as Red Robin and Hayden Panatierre as Wonder Girl. (Actors subject to change to whoever is popular at the Teen Choice Awards).
While we’re on the subject of films, I was totally surprised by this month’s variant covers (I was too busy arguing about a particular June variant cover). DC re-imagined a slew of awesome movie posters starring the characters for each title. The Teen Titans variant was an adaptation of The Lost Boys flick starring the Coreys (Haim, Feldman) and Keifer Sutherland. Artist, Alex Garner recreated the movie poster and did a terrific job. Make sure you get a chance to check out the variants, I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
The art seemed to improve this go around. I already stated that I felt like Kenneth Rocafort’s illustrations suited the book well. They seemed to benefit from having the colors done by Blond. Ha! That’s punny. Anywho, the pages look a lot more lively with the brighter colors. A scene that depicted Raven, who is more of a dark character, was one of the most vibrant pages in the entire book. Also, Beast Boy’s green tint appeared more fierce as he shape-shifted into these ferocious animals. I will say though that there was a particular frame where Manchester Black looked a bit like a long-faced rabbit. It look as if he had also finally managed to put on a shirt under his duster, but fret not…it ’twas only a scarf. His Union Jack nips were still free.
As far as the story goes, not too much happened in terms of big action or stellar revelations. Will Pfeifer still was able to offer an interesting story to progress things along. Multiple threads were opened up to string us along for the ride. It allowed for a little exploration into each members’ world after their sudden rise to stardom. Manchester Black still manages to maintain his smug look while he seems to hold his cards close to tattooed chest. Gar and Miguel get their first taste of showbiz in a funny parody of Saturday Night Live. It was a fascinating exchange that could possibly lead to a small rift between the two, but that’s just a prediction. Raven takes some time to relax and enjoy herself while others take time to enjoy Cassie “Wonder Girl” Sandsmark in some sort of viral voyeuristic way. Thankfully, our fellow Gotham representative, Tim Drake still has his head in the game. Things don’t sit right with him knowing that a more powerful weapon is out there than the one that almost brought Manhattan to its knees. Of course Manchester shrugs it off because he has more juicy gossip coming through on the news feed. Check the spoiler tags.
Recommended if:
- You love some good ol’ Titan fun
- You want to see BB do a SNL type intro
- You’re excited for Kon-El to return
Overall:
The issue is the end of a filler arc, but it helped progress the feel of the book along. I no longer have to comment on the title trying to find itself and get to enjoy the story that’s being presented. Nothing spectacularly over the top, but it definitely was amusing. With the ground work finally laid, I’m ready to see Superboy tear everything down. In a good way, hopefully.
SCORE: 8/10
