Getting the Band Back Together

Dan Abnett & Brett Booth “Titans Vol 1: The Return of Wally West” (DC Comics, 2017)

Notice something odd about this cover? It took me a few looks to realize that it doesn’t say “Teen Titans”, it’s just “Titans”. Now I’m sure that will be significant, but for now just make a note & set it aside.

Wally West has (surprisingly) been at the heart of DC’s Rebirth. I would think that by following Wally, we will stay close to the heart of the meta storyline.

Wally (the OG one, not the NEW one) has returned to the DCU. But even though he is aware, somehow no one remembers him. The plot here is a classic “hero misunderstanding>hero fight>heroes united to fight the villain” plot. There are reasons why this kind of story has been around for 50 years or more. It’s simple, and it works.

This is another Rebirth book that seems to be all about the setup for future storytelling. That’s OK, because it’s just fun seeing the characters together again, acting like they should. And the story having classic Bronze Age beats actually helps to emphasize the classicist nature of the storytelling.

While it’s not going to blow your mind, this is a fun read. I’d be happy to read more.

Not Much of a Rebirth

Dan Abnett, Brad Walker, Philippe Briones, Gabe Eltaeb “Aquaman Volume 1: The Drowning” (DC Comics, 2017)

Hot on the heels of Green Arrow, I jumped on this Rebirth title.  I’ve always like Aquaman, though it feels like he hasn’t gotten a fun run since I was a kid.

If GA felt like a modernized version of the classic, Abnett’s Aquaman felt like more of the same Nu52 stuff.  There’s an undercurrent of being apologetic for the character, rather than celebrating the cool stuff he does.  Hey this guy rules all the oceans! Think about it – that’s cool, and should create a ton of opportunities for psychedelic adventures.

Instead we get what feels like a retread story with Black Manta.  It just feels like the same old stuff to me.

Visually, I felt like this book suffers from less than A list talent.  It’s all a bit too 90s, if you know what I’m saying.  And I have to wonder if that’s to somehow compensate for it being an “uncool” character.

I don’t see how this book as it now stands is going to pull in any new readers.  It needs a creative revamp to make it fresh & exciting.  Right now it’s just more of the same.