TEEN TITANS #29

[ DEATH BY SALE ] 

There once was a very mean bloke, who’d choke whenever he’d smoke. But then, one day, his choke, went away, because he transformed himself into Deathstroke. Want to know more? Then please ignore the following adventure created by Adam Glass, Bernard Chang, and published by DC Comics in May, 2019.

TO QUOTE Brendan Behan: ‘At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one's lost self’.

THE REVIEW:

There comes a time in a person's life where every man, woman, and child desperately wants to do something but can’t actually bring themselves to do it. Heck, just take a look at the Teen Titans and you can clearly see what I mean.

After all, Crush wants to tell Djinn how much she loves her but is scared of being rejected. Robin, on the other hand, wants to kill Deathstroke but is apprehensive that he might fall back into his old ways. And as for Kid Flash, well, he wants to tell his team-mates that Damian and Emiko are collecting all of the criminals they’ve captured underneath their HQ, but isn’t quite sure if he should do this or not. Want to know more? Then please pick up issue 29 of the Teen Titans today. In the meantime though, here, have a look at this… 

Part One) THE MORAL DILEMMA:   Now before we begin, please allow me to address the pink elephant in the room. Namely, is it right for Robin to capture, detain, and store super-villains without any form of bureaucratic consent? 

Well, at face value, I’d say no, I don’t think so, particularly when you take into consideration that the vast majority of official prisons are governed by the countries they’re based in. Generally, most prisons try to comply with a number of pre-defined regulations that makes sure each one is up to some sort of satisfactory standard, ranging from security measures, health and safety provisions, administrative procedures, and other such paraphernalia which aim to keep everyone in check, both detainee and detainer alike. 

In this case, however, we also have an extra added ingredient thrown into the mix, that being, the moral dilemma. After all, why should one person be allowed to detain another if both parties are morally dubious? Seriously, who’s worse? The murderer or the murderer? And how do we choose which one has the higher moral ground? I mean, do we select ‘the jailer’ based on status, personality, or style? Or alternatively, do we consider quantity over quality? Meaning, those who kill less have a loftier standing than those who kill more!

Well, whatever the case may be, I’m sure you will agree with me when I say that this is a very difficult question to contemplate, and sometimes, it requires us to think outside the box. Or in other words, could Robin be right? Could Robin’s plan to fight fire with fire be more productive compared to the normal procedures? And if this is true, why is he keeping it a secret and not getting more heroes involved? Like Batman, for instance, or another member of the Bat-Clan!

But then again, maybe that’s part of his master plan? Maybe Damian has already factored in being caught and that is why he’s formed a team around him to prevent any such reprisals? Keeping in mind that Wally has a connection to The Flash, Crush has a connection to Lobo, he has a connection to Gotham’s Guardians, Djinn has a connection to the mystical realm, and so on, and so forth. All of which begs the question: What next, and does it have anything to do with that Other character they urgently want to find? A character, for all intents and purposes, who seems like a mysterious villain that we don’t really know much about, just like Robin’s motives for constructing his underground prison! It’s food for thought, isn’t it? And goes to show that the best is yet to come!

Part Two) ISSUE 29:   Okay, so now I’ve got that off of my chest, I can finally begin telling you what I felt about this issue of the Teen Titans. Well, first and foremost, I would just like to say that the overall episode came across more like a continuation of the ongoing series, rather than the third-part of a four-part crossover event. This is because the general narrative only refers to what happened in part two (a.k.a. issue 42 of Deathstroke) twice throughout its entire premise. Once, halfway through, when Red Arrow spoke to Robin about Slade; and the second time, a few pages later, when she spoke to the big man himself. Apart from that though, well, more or less, the rest of the issue flowed like a normal episodic adventure, full of drama, pathos, and character-based interludes.

Now, some of the interludes I enjoyed reading the most, include: (1) Those two scenes featuring Crush, where she had a jovial exchange with Roundhouse (Yes. She is a lesbian) before approaching Djinn and giving her a big wet kiss (Ka-Bam).  This was then followed by (2) A couple of scenes featuring Wally West, where he wasn’t quite sure if he should tell the rest of the team about Damian's underground prison (Do you think he has some sexual chemistry with Red Arrow?). And last, but not least, there’s (3) Damian, Damian Wayne, who isn’t quite sure what to do with Deathstroke or the situation he’s placed the team in (Which, in many ways, is the main theme behind this story. The theme of uncertainty). So, as you can see, what we have here are a couple of really great character-based vignettes that are very personable and enjoyable to follow.

As for the art, on the other hand, well, as per usual, Bernard Chang takes a huge swing and hits it right out of the park by producing some stellar looking illustrations chock-full of personality, style, and emotional depth.  In fact, his stuff is so great to look at, I’m going to have a pretty tough time selecting what I liked the most. Although, at a rough guess, I’d say one of my favorites would have to be a close-up of Red Arrow threatening to poke Slade’s one remaining eye out (boy, that was harsh), and this was quickly followed by a full-page panel showing Crush planting a kiss on Djinn (Mmmmuaahh). Trust me, comic book fans, these pictures are the bomb — BOOM — and they truly blew this issue up rather than let it down.

Well, you know what I mean, and even though this crossover didn’t feel like a real crossover, at the end of the day, the story made sense, the plot progressed in the right direction, and I’m sure more thrills, spills, and chills are coming soon.  What did you think, dear reader? What did you think about The Terminus Agenda? I mean, are you a bit like me, and enjoy the characters but aren’t too bothered about the plot?  Or alternatively, would you like this story to tell a story rather than a sequence of events? Either way, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. 

THE MUSIC:

Now, to some degree, a large portion of this story revolves around certain people feeling apprehensive, frustrated, and somewhat unsatisfied with their station in life. Similar, in fact, to The Rolling Stones song...

THE COMPARISON:

Actually, while I’m on the subject of people feeling unsatisfied, why don’t I compare this comic book to the visual embodiment of pure dissatisfaction.  No. Not feminism. But rather, bureaucracy in all of its many forms.

Comparison made, and may the Lord have mercy on my soul. 

THE CONCLUSION:

At the end of issue 29, Robin was suddenly confronted by, who? Who do you think Robin was suddenly confronted by? Could it be someone like...

1. Batman: For not tidying his bedroom properly.
2. Kim Kardashian: For tweeting something about her ass.
3. Tim Drake: For usurping his role within the DCU.
4. Donald Trump: For building a better wall than he did.
5. Ace the Bat-hound: For not feeding him his favorite doggy snack.
6. Brie Larson: For being more irritating than she is.
7. Everyone housed underneath his headquarters: For incarcerating them there in the first place. 
8. Crush: For kissing Djinn. 

Nuff said.