Comic Book Review: Titans #5

Titans #5

Script: Judd Winick
Pencils:
Inks: Prentis Rollins and Bit with Rodney Ramos
Colors Edgar Delgado
Letters: Rob Clark Jr.
Cover: Joe Benitez and Oliver Nome

Story: I Know Your Heart Because I Know Mine

Everytime the original "New Teen Titans" get together, Trigon has to be involved and issues 1-4 of this new series, we saw withered, decrepid Trigon try to conquer the world again, but fail because his sons absorbed his power and left him trapped, again, in his diminsion. I wonder if his name comes from the fact that he might try (tri-), but he stays gone (-gon).


Anyway, the three lads have discovered that absorbing his power in his weakened state was pretty pointless. Talk abaout a Duh moment.

Anyway, sibling rivalry brings the Trigon Fraternity back to manipulate Raven's dark side. Unfortunately, their mechanations coincide with Changeling trying to be sweet to the resident goth girl. Between you and me, I think ol' Gar has the hots for our girl Raven.

Well, the Titans had to trick the brothers last time, so Garfield against the three on his own with Raven being swayed to the dark side pretty much means Changeling is toast.

Subplots include Cyborg's new chassis and Starfire telling Nightwing that they shouldn't get back together yet again because he's a Dick...Ok, actually because she knows he doesn't love her enough to make it last this time.

I've never been a big fan of Trigon. He's one of those demons where anything is possible, and I've never been a fan of that all-powerful type of character. More importantlly, though, is that when Trigon comes around, it causes a spike in Raven's famlial angst which annoys. Trigon being a frail, old demon made him more interesting, but the brothers just help with the whole, "Whoa is me, my family sucks," stuff.

Winick's writing is very entertaining. The comments from the peanut gallery (Flash and Red Arrow) at Cyborg's new body were great. Gardield's awkwardness around Raven and her realizing what Gar's doing but not pressing him is very believable. In fact, speaking of awkwardness, the Koriand'r and Dick scene was amusing and sad at the same time, and pretty realistic considering we are watching an urban night vigilante and a voluptuous, golden-skinned alien babe.

Winick's plot is fine except I was hoping for a breather before more of the brothers.

Lopez's art is vibrant and fun with impressive animation for a stagnant panel. His depiction of Garfield's face as a bear when Raven asks if he was asking her on a date is priceless. But then the closeup of Raven's eyes when she says, "I think about murdering the Titans,"...the word is creepy and that panel captures it perfectly. My one complaint is that Starfire's breasts are drawn more realistically...more proportional. I'm not complaining from a continuity standpoint...I'm complaining from the "there aren't enough golden boobies in comics" standpoint.

Rating: 4 Worms - Great writing and art, decent but slightly annoying plot and villains.