Teen Titans #21

As time has gone by, the classic comic book kid sidekicks have developed into important and diverse characters that often are as interesting as their staple hero counterparts. Nowadays, these kid wonders often are featured in their own series, which are widely popular, especially in younger readers. What’s more, this smaller category of super heroes seems to often end up working together in small groups rather the one man against it all that we see in the senior super guys. Probably the most well known is the Teen Titans. Started by the original Robin, the Teen Titans have been fighting crime and boredom for a while now and have gone through several changes throughout the year.

The current Teen Titans was reestablished by Raven and is currently under the leadership of Cyborg. There’s also the latest Robin (Tim Drake), Wonder Girl, Super Boy, the new Kid Flash, and, of course, Beast Boy, as well as quite a few others, but these make up the current main squad. In issue #21, the Titans receive a new yet temporary member, Speedy. (This is not the original Speedy. He is Arsenal now. This Speedy is a shapely blonde by the name of Mia, who is the Green Arrow’s new sidekick.) But Speedy seems to be hesitant to join the group as she went from the streets to being a sidekick and never had much interaction with peers.

The story, by Geoff Johns, is looking pretty good at this point, and the dialogue was exceptional and didn’t contain any zingers, puns, or witty comebacks. For Teen Titans, that’s unheard of. I also like the subtle foreshadowing of things to come, such as the mentioning of Beast Boys unreached potential. Mike McKone (pencils) and Marlo Alquiza (inks) operate in the more life like and definite lined style that is prevalent in today’s major series, and do a damn-fine job of it. Check out the old school cover and their awesome title page that introduces the Teen Titan’s current main players.

Mia luckily starts things off on the wrong foot by freezing Cyborg with a freeze arrow when she mistakes a training session for a fight. After a U.N. sized serving of apologies, she finally begins to settle in when Kid Flash busts in with news of an emergency. It seems that Dr. Light is not the washed up loser they thought he was. The JLA had apparently brain washed him and were using him to train and test the Teen Titans for a while now. All the while, the Teen Titans were unaware. Now he is back in all his glory, and has kidnapped the Green Arrow. He is demanding a fight with the Titans so that he can reclaim his honor, and now the Titans go into battle while seriously underestimating their opponent. And as “Tzen’s Art of War” teaches us, that is the most costly mistake one can make.

I think it is fun to see the younger heroes in the spotlight. The themes and plots are just as serious, but (except for Raven) the heroes are not yet cold and dead inside, beat back by the tides of the bitter world they try to protect. So watch with me as the waves of decrepit humanity and horrific images they can’t forget beat them into a brooding, destructive psychosis (The first two Robins, the new Batgirl, etc.) Or at least to check out some well built 18ish girls without the annoyance of volleyball.