New Titans #81 (December, 1991)
"War of the Gods, Chapter 23"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Pencils - Curt Swan
Inks - Al Vey
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Matt Hollingsworth
Editor - Jonathan Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75
Alright... I wasn't even sure I was going to cover this one... but, it does take place during (and heavily refer to) the Titans Hunt storyline.
About halfway through rereading the issue I decided "what the heck?"... we'll discuss it. We have zero War of the Gods related posts here... and it'll give me another opportunity to kvetch about poor time management in the Titans Office. Now, doesn't that sound like fun?!
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We open with some purple prose-filled captions and images of a chaotic cosmic event. We'll see this throughout the issue (but I'll only include this one image)... this is a War of the Gods thing, and we'll learn a bit more about it soon. After a shot of Lilith Clay meditating, we hop over to Dayton's Long Island estate where he's on the horn with S.T.A.R. Labs. If you recall, a couple of issues back Aqualad had himself an episode.
Dayton (and the S.T.A.R. Labs folk) are unsure how to deal with Garth's affliction... heck, they're not even sure how his physiology is supposed to work. Did you know Atlanteans' hearts are upside down and on the right side of their body? Well, ya do now! Anyhoo, Red Star chimes in and suggests transporting Aqualad to the West Coast where (former Cyborg-squeeze) Dr. Sarah Charles is studying cryogenics. The idea is... freeze Garth until he can be taken back to Atlantis for proper treatment. So, we're left thinking that a cross-country flight is somehow quicker than plopping him back in the Ocean then? Oh yeah, Lilith is still meditating.
The group goes into full-on exposition-mode. Titans have been captured... People have been killed... Joe Wilson is the big-bad... Donna and Dick were just nabbed. Just when they run out of things to catch us up on... the phone rings. It's Lilith, and she might know where Donna is!
Pantha and Slade do-si-do a bit, but come to a begrudging respect for after realizing they'd both just as soon kill each other. Then they load into the Dayton-Copter, and head over to Lilith's place. She directs them into the bedroom, where they find... Pariah... yeah, that Pariah (as if the cover didn't spoil it)... floating above the covers.
Our man, T. Arthur Long actually takes point here. He doesn't get far though... Pariah just goes into his "I'm here to witness a disaster" blibbuh blabbuh.
He gets out of bed... and begs for the sweet release of death. He's still not making any sense to the Titans... nor is he informing them where Donna is. Deathstroke approaches, but is slammed into a wall. Red Star goes next, and is thrown out a glass door. Phantasm saves him before he goes splat.
Pariah walks through the broken door... and into the night sky. He's still begging for the Gods to release him of his burden. Terry shouts from the balcony... but, Pariah is unresponsive. While we're here... did you ever think we'd get a Terry Long/Pariah scene? I mean, what chain letter in hell did we break to deserve this? Oh Lord, I just realized... Danny Chase is also (kinda) here too. Yikes!
Anyhoo... Deathstroke leaps from the balcony to nab Pariah... which, is one of the funnier panels I've come across in a long while. This doesn't go well for ol' Slade... Pariah is able to judo-toss him over his shoulder... then dangle the Terminator in the sky with a single hand.
At this point, Terry starts shouting again. He talks about how important Donna is to him... then, then... then starts giving Pariah his life story! Ay yai yai.
Thankfully it's this pathetic exchange that shocks Pariah back to his senses. Honestly, I'm surprised he isn't crying (yet)... I mean, Terry Long's life is at least as sad as Earth-3 being wiped out of the multiverse, right?
Pariah flies back into Lilith's place... and shares his own origin story... which we already covered in long form when we discussed Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. Quick and dirty: Pariah wanted to see the origins of the Universe... and found himself damned. His own Universe was wiped out... and he was left flailing in nothingness for millions of years. He'd eventually facilitate the awakening of the Anti-Monitor. What's with these guys dooming their universes by trying to view their origins?
Arella suggests that the Titans leave her and Pariah alone for awhile... however, as they go to leave, she asks Terry to stick around. Terry Long, Pariah, and Raven's mom? This is officially the lamest room in the DC Universe. Oh, and... if you're a fan of Pariah working his crying gimmick... this is the scene for you!
Meanwhile, in the living room... Pantha and Lilith are fighting over the remote control. They happen across a news station that is reporting that Wonder Woman... has died! Good to see that Cable News has reporters on New Olympus, or wherever the hell.
Oh yeah, I probably ought to mention... that's the big "disaster" Pariah is buggin' out about. New Olympus is coming into the universe. That's what all the purple prose and swirly chaotic cosmic imagery we've been seeing is about.
We close out with New Olympus actually showing up... something that will be dealt with... elsewhere! In War of the Gods #4 if you're really interested.
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There are times when we "professional reviewers" find ourselves a bit too deep within a subject to be able to fairly analyze a particular, singular, element of what we're reviewing. This is the case today.
I'd love to review this as a single-issue, and on its own merits... however, in the back of my mind, all I can think about is how this was crammed in... and pushed Titans Hunt back for a third month running!
Even though I definitely felt like this issue was a "dud" (I could think of other, cruder, words to use... but "dud" will suffice)... this was only compounded with the knowledge that the last vital part of Titans Hunt came out ninety-one days ago! And the next part wouldn't hit for another twenty-eight! All this for a War of the Gods tie-in?
And there's the thing... Pariah is crying about the disaster and destruction headed their way... the fact that the DC Universe is just about to be wiped out... annnnnd, I'm just not buying it! Just because you toss Pariah into a story doesn't automatically make it a Crisis-level event! Hell, War of the Gods wasn't even the main "event" going on... as it was coming out! I might've been on the Marvel side of things back in 1991... but I definitely heard DC fans talking more about Armageddon 2001 than War of the Gods!
This was an all-around waste of time... and I really feel bad for faithful New Titans readers for having this issue dropped into their pull-box as they anxiously awaited the next installment of Titans Hunt.
Speaking of the next installment... we'll (finally) get there tomorrow! We've still got three chapters to get through! Hope you're all enjoying it so far (this cutaway and my kvetching notwithstanding).
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New Titans #79 (September, 1991)
"Prelude..."
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Pencils - Tom Grummett, Paris Cullins & Curt Swan
Inks - Al Vey
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Letters - John Costanza
Editor - Jonathan Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75
Ready for another exciting chapter of Titans Hunt?
Well, I'm very sorry... because today is just an exercise in treading water. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't read through this post!
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We open just as Donna Troy is being whisked away into War of the GodzZzzZzz. Our main man Terry is freaking out, naturally... but the rest are distracted by the fact that the invading Wildebeests simply vanished into thin air... and they took Nightwing with them! Suddenly a beam falls from the ceiling. Reacting quickly (perhaps a little too quickly, considering) Deathstroke tackles Terry Long, saving his life.
After the dust settles, Phantasm starts whisking the debris away. At this point, Arella finally decides to saunter on in. She's upset that Donna has been taken... though, not as upset as Terry. The poor dude is a wreck, saying they should have never come back from Greece... ya know what? He's right! That's what we in the biz call a "win-win", we never have to see Terry again... but, he's alive and safe somewhere.
We shift scenes back to Jericho's art studio. He is painting the city... something he feels is very important to do before the "transformation" begins (I thought it was the transference?). Anyhoo, another Wildebeest dares to question him... and is reduced to cinder for it.
Over on Titans Island, Captain Hall is talking to a City Worker named Twyne. Twyne is happy the gig is taking so long, as it means the city will have to charge back the Titans even more... also, it'll certainly bolster Elizabeth Alderman's political aspirations. Hall isn't pleased to hear any of this.
As the remaining Titans take the drive out to Steve Dayton's Long Island compound, we pop in on a meeting between Captain Hall and Elizabeth Alderman. It's here we get to take the "temperature" of the city. Liz claims that New Yorkers are at the point where they fear the Titans... which, isn't outside the realm of possibilities considering recent events. She also makes it clear that she has her eyes set on Gracie Mansion... that is to say, she wants to be Mayor of New York City.
We briefly shift out to the West Coast, where Victor Stone's family is hiding out in a Church. They wonder if their grandson is alright... and we can see that he's not. Though, it's worth mentioning that his expression does seem to change here. Not sure if that was intentional... but it does!
We rejoin Captain Hall (dude's getting a ton of panel-time today). He, and another officer, are checking out an apartment building that Raven was spotted entering at the start of the arc. A helpful editorial caption informs us that Titans Hunt has been going on for two weeks at this point. Anyhoo... they trudge up the stairs, and enter a rather stinky apartment... the apartment of creepy cannibal, Emil Sorda.
Sorda doesn't keep the tidiest of homes... and has actually left his next few weeks worth of "meals" out to rot. Hall and... man, I wish his partner's name was "Oates"... rush out of the place, and call it in to the Department.
They don't know it, but they're being watched by... a shadowy stranger (the likes we saw lurking around Titans Island two issues back). Just like then, they report their findings in to a "Jon". The stranger then sheds... her trenchcoat, revealing a pair of wings. Before taking off, she vows that they'll kill Troia. Hope that didn't give it all away!
Out at Dayton's place, Arella spouts off about some AzzZzzzZzzar stuff... which Slade overhears. They chat about their children... and how Deathstroke thought for a moment, Joe and Raven would wind up being lovers. Slade thinks Joey being "controlled" is a definite possibility, however cannot understand how he is now able to speak. Hey, I know... maybe he's using a lame-o voice modulator or something! Nah, they'd never do something that lazy. Hashtag-Rebirth.
They talk some more... Arella asks if he's told Addie about Joe's recent turn. He hasn't. After everything that happened with their other son, Grant... he isn't sure how to approach it.
Over at some government building, the bean counters are tabulating how much the Titans might owe in damages to the city... which, in perfect DC fashion is Fifty-Two million dollars. How 'bout that? All these years before their 52-Fetish even began!
Elizabeth Alderman excuses herself to powder her nose. In the restroom, she is confronted by... a shadowy stranger! Liz is tied up and tossed in a stall... however, is somehow still able to attend the rest of the meeting! Hmm... hope that didn't give it all away.
Later on, during the same meeting... "Alderman" learns that Donna Troy has returned from her second honeymoon (she doesn't know that she's vanished again though). She says that "Jon" will love hearing this.
Over at Daytons, the good guys put their heads together to plan their next move. Phantasm looks on from outside... and is pretty down that Grayson ain't there. He gives a run down on our current "team"... and wonders if any of them could be trusted. The only one he feels he could've trusted... is the one who was just snatched away by the Beests.
We hop over to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Aqualad is beginning to squirm in his aqua-pod. His squirming leads to full-blown panicking... and he bashes his way through the glass. He isn't well or anything... once free, he just slumps to the ground.
Next, we head over to Jericho's apartment... just as the police are taping it off. Inside, another shadowy stranger pops in. This one we actually get to see... and wouldn'tcha know it... it's Morbius the Living Vampire! Well, okay... it's not... but, if you're familiar with the Titans of this era, this scene will almost certainly give it away. Anyhoo, he finds one of Joey's paintings... with a very recent date on it. He reports his findings to "Jon...ny boy".
Hey, remember how last issue ended with Jericho and Nightwing... and all that talk about transference? Well, here's another look at it. Dick tries to reason with Joey... which, ya know... doesn't go all that well. Joey finally pulls the switch... signalling the start of... whatever it is he's planning! New Titans readers of the day would have to wait four months for this to pay off! Ay yai yai.
That's not the end of the issue, however... that, my friends, is the "big reveal". Just who are all of these shadowy strangers? Well, c'mon, as if you hadn't put the pieces together yet... these are the Team Titans... and they're here to kill Donna Troy!
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Okay, stop me if you heard this one... the pacing... my lord, the pacing. This is almost as if Marv just became bored with the Titans Hunt storyline... or editorial stepped in to really gum up the works. This issue barely moved us forward. Seriously... last issue ended with Jericho about to pull a switch... this one ended with him actually pulling the switch!
Indeed, this issue seemed preoccupied with rushing to introduce the kiddos we'll soon know as the Team Titans. Looking at where we're headed from here... it's a complete mess. The next Titans book to hit the shelves is New Titans Annual #7 (an Armageddon 2001 tie-in, featuring the Teamsters)... then New Titans #80 (that Team Titans origin issue we've already discussed)... then New Titans #81 (a War of the Gods tie-in featuring, Pariah of all people). It won't be until New Titans #82 that we rejoin Titans Hunt proper!
Taking a look at Mike's Amazing World (which, I believe is pretty accurate)... take a look at these release dates:
Look at that column on the far right. That's 119 days from the time Jericho pulls the switch... to finding out just what the damn thing does! That's a long damn time. Of course, none of that matters in 2018... but, I still feel like it's worth mentioning.
So, whatta we get here? Well, a jam-issue, featuring three pencillers with distinct styles, and an inker (Al Vey) doing his damnedest to make it all flow. For the most part, he does a really good job... sure, it's easy to see where one artist ends and another begins, but it's certainly not as jarring as one might imagine.
This issue is frustrating on many levels. Even discounting the delays... just not enough happens here. This feels like an issue crammed full of single-page subplots... the kinda stuff that would be peppered through a dozen or so issues of the book. Considering we're in the midst of several "events" here, I don't think it's fair to lay this all at Marv's feet... I'd guess editorial had something to do with this.
Overall... this issue would read perfectly well if you were binging on Titans Hunt... so, if this arc ever gets collected, it's a no-brainer to include it. If you're reading these, say, daily... it's gonna grind on ya. If you were (heaven forbid) reading these "monthly"... I'm not sure how enjoyable this would be.
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Letters Page:
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New Titans #78 (August, 1991)
"Mind Over Machine"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Pencils - Tom Grummett
Inks - Al Vey, Steve Montano & Bob Lewis
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Jonathan Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75
Now, I've seen some... unfortunate comic book covers in my time... but, eesh, this one... no bueno.
On the other hand, I guess the cat is "totally" out of the bag now... and I can stop being cagey about the reveal on social media!
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We open with Jericho playing the piano. Ya see, he's really just a peaceful fella. Worth noting, and it's a wonderful little detail... the ruins of Titans Island are visible through his window. His play-time is interrupted by one of the Wildebeests who informs him that he's needed in the lab. Once there, we can see that the Hunted-Titans are still there in those tubes. So... they were never even rocketed off to begin with! More on that in a bit.
While admiring the captives, Jericho is chatted up by our old friend Wildebeest Number Eight. He's a bit dubious about all of the recent changes... ya see, the Beests used to be all about stealing money and whatnot. He even mentions that in their earliest dust-ups with the Titans... Jericho stood alongside the good guys! He wants answers... which Joey ain't keen on givin'. He just vaporizes him instead. Fine by me, I always hate a tattletale.
Then... Joe senses something... Donna Troy has returned to New York (from a sorta "second honeymoon" with T-Bag). He sends out an astral... something or another, to check her out. On the ride home from the airport, Donna and Terry discuss their trip, which led to an adventure in the pages of Wonder Woman (vol.2). As they cross the bridge, they can see that Titans Tower is no more!
The cabbie tells them a bit of what went down. Titan's Island was attacked... half of the East Side was burned... the people hate the Titans... yadda yadda yadda. It's taxing my suspension of disbelief here to really believe that a major attack on New York City wasn't global news... Donna and Terry really should have known about this. I mean, people on their plane must've been talking about it, right? Anyhoo... Donna flies over to check out the damage. She's pretty certain it's the work of Deathstroke.
We rejoin the Longs a bit later at the Police Station. They are approached by Captain Hall, who lays it all out for them. He also informs them that professional pain-in-the-neck Elizabeth Alderman is petitioning New York City to file suit against the Titans for damages... which, gotta say, isn't the most jerky thing she's done. The subject then changes to... the killings.
But first... back over to the Soviet Science City. We get to relive the final scene of the last issue in its entirety (and then some). We learn (again) that Cyborg was repaired by the Soviets... with Soviet technology, and that it left him an emotionless robot. Dick wants to bring Vic back with them so the folks at S.T.A.R. Labs might take a crack at him... but are told that ain't gonna happen. Cyborg then "activates". There's a great expenditure of three pages... that, plus the two extra inkers on this issue makes me wonder if they were pushing up against that Dreaded Deadline Doom here.
Anyhoo, from here we get several pages of fighting... Cyborg is unemotionally just pummeling the team, until Red Star pipes up to call him off. Leonid then suggests that Cyborg be able to return to the United States... so long as he can accompany him. After a bit of wheeling and dealing, it looks like we got us a new New Titan!
On the flight home, Nightwing deduces that Vic was the only Titan to actually be rocketed off. The others were simply "view screen" simulacrums. He thinks about everything Pantha said about the Beests being big on bio-experiments... which, would make Victor Stone rather useless to them. The only reason for the subterfuge was to send the good guys on a trip to the U.S.S.R. to keep them out of Jericho's buttered-popcorn hair. Deathstroke almost seems (privately) proud that his boy was so shrewd in his planning.
Back in the States we rejoin the Longs. They're checking out Vic's apartment, and comment that it's been trashed... just like Dick's and Kory's (I guess it's "Kory" with a "Y" this month). Terry gives Donna the idea to call in the Justice League or Superman... which... okay, suspension of disbelief time (again). Half of New York City's East Side has been burninated along with Titans Tower... and the gee-dee Justice League hasn't checked in yet?! Ya kiddin' me? Oh, also... Jericho's astral-whateverthehell is observing this exchange.
Donna tries using her Titans Communicator (about damn time) and manages to get a hold of Nightwing. They're happy to find out that some of their pals are still alive. At this point, Jericho's astral-whateverthehell returns to his body.
Joey reports what he'd found to his Beests... and mentions that Donna looks different than he remembers. Has he really not seen her since she got the bad haircut? Anyhoo... he commands the Beests to eliminate as many Titans as possible... except for Nightwing. Joey needs Dick alive.
Back at Vic's, Pantha pops her head into the window to... antagonize the Longs. When Donna reacts in kind, Pantha's all "hey, hey, hey... we're on the same side". Ya figure if you're going to approach a "god", you might wanna lead with that... and not an insult.
They fight for a bit before Nightwing and the rest show up to straighten things out. Really just feels like another waste of a page. Donna is shocked to see Slade standing alongside Dick... and after a tearful reunion, Terry Long comes out of the closet.
Dick fills Donna in on their betrayal by Jericho... and is still open to the possibility that Joey's been possessed. Before the conversation gets too deep... the Beests attack! Outside, Steve Dayton and Arella notice the Wildebeest Hover Craft thingie... if only they used their Titans communicator to tip off the rest of the gang.
During the brouhaha, a white light fills the apartment... and Donna gets nyoinked into War of the Gods (poor thing). Guess we gotta take the "god-level" hero off the table for this story to remain effective.
Then... we're suddenly back at Wildebeest Headquarters... and Dick has already been taken captive?! What happened to the rest of the Titans? Why didn't we get a fight scene at Vic's place? Oh well. Jericho brings Nightwing over to his teammates and tells him the "transference" is about to begin.
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Alrighty... if you made it through the spoilery synopsis above, you're probably going to have already figured out my main "takeaway" from this issue... Suspension of Disbelief.
Let's break this down. A society of costumed terrorists blew up a building in Manhattan which caused a large portion of the East Side to burn.
Still with me?
And yet... the Justice League (who are also in Manhattan) hasn't thought to check in? Nobody is talking about the fact that New York City was burning despite it being all over the news? Maybe I'm just spoiled by our twenty-first century "always-on" internet... and overwhelming amount of information we get bombarded with, but... I mean, this really should be a bigger deal, right?
I get why they portrayed Donna (and Terry) as being "in the dark" about everything... it facilitates tension and emotion. But, I dunno... this really taxes my suspension of disbelief... almost to the point where I lose track of the story itself.
The scene at the Soviet Science City... was redundant. I mean, last issue's cliffhanger was Victor getting ready to attack the Titans... here, we get an extra couple of pages before... Victor gets ready to attack the Titans. Why? It's not like every issue of Titans Hunt is opening with a great-big recap... we're kinda just expected to follow along. Not sure why the Vic reveal needed to be retold.
What's more... those three pages of exposition in the U.S.S.R. might've been better served as three pages of fighting in Vic's apartment toward the end of the issue! We go from Wildebeest's attacking... to Nightwing standing next to Jericho. I'd almost guess we would've gotten zero pages of fighting, if it weren't for the War of the Gods cut-in to whisk Donna away.
At this point we're eight issues into the Titans Hunt arc... and it's all becoming rather "piecey" and redundant to me. I've said it before, but it's been ages since I last read this. Not really sure how I felt my first (or latest) time through. I'd say hopefully we'll be able to bring it back around... but, Marv and Co. are getting ready to take a little break from the arc. They're just about to introduce the Team Titans (issue #80)... and pop over to War of the GodzzzZZZzzzzZzzzZz (issue #81). Seems like really lousy timing.
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