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Titans (2016)
Titans, Vol. 5: The Spark
Roll call: Nightwing, Donna Troy, Raven, Steel, Beast Boy and Miss Martian! But can even their combined might stand against new super-powered weapons of mass destruction birthed by the Metagenes? An all-new chapter to one of DC's greatest superteams is here in Titans Vol. 5, a great jumping-on point!
Can anything stop the Metagene pandemic unleashed through the events of Justice League: No Justice? The Titans are on the case. With Nightwing leading this new squad, these former sidekicks must stop the fallout from an intergalactic threat before it consumes the planet!
From writer Dan Abnett (Aquaman) and acclaimed illustrator Brandon Peterson (X-Men) comes the newest era of Titans! Collects Titans #23-27 and Titans Special #1
Can anything stop the Metagene pandemic unleashed through the events of Justice League: No Justice? The Titans are on the case. With Nightwing leading this new squad, these former sidekicks must stop the fallout from an intergalactic threat before it consumes the planet!
From writer Dan Abnett (Aquaman) and acclaimed illustrator Brandon Peterson (X-Men) comes the newest era of Titans! Collects Titans #23-27 and Titans Special #1
184 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2019
55 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 13, 2019
Just when you think Abnett's Titans book couldn't get any worse, it does. Abnett jettisons the classic team in favor of what should be old friends but in this new continuity are just acquaintances. The Titans have been co-opted by the Justice League to respond to weird outbreaks of source wall energy. It's basically MacGuffin of the week. That sense of friendship and family that has long been part of the Titans is replaced by bickering and hackneyed subplots like Donna now has a drinking problem. Then the book ends with the events of Nightwing #50 which would mean there's no way Nightwing can remain as team leader. And there's a scene in the last issue with Donna Troy at Roy Harper's grave which isn't explained. It wouldn't surprise me if the series is cancelled before twe get any answers. At this point, the best thing DC could do is put a bullet in this series until they can get a writer on the book that actually understands the team dynamics of this title.
January 9, 2019
I am surprised by this turnaround.
World: The art is solid, the artists that were on this book were well selected and fit the tone and the look of this book. The characters are expressive which is always a must for me. The world building here is a bit choppy but still works. Following the events of the last book and the team breaking apart and just like that a new team is created and a new focus is done. I like the use of the Dark Nights Metal idea that gives this book a real and tangible focus and mission. The idea behind the energy is very X-Men but that’s fine. The pieces that Abnett chooses for the new team and the locales that he uses like the Hall of Justice is a great tie into the past of the DCU and I enjoyed that.
Story: The story is actually not bad because there is a clear focus and mission for the book to exist. Helping new Metas is something Dick would totally do and the team he selects are characters that readers love and they are back together again. The pacing was fine and the one and done nature of the first couple of issues was done well setting up status quo and creating the rules for the new book. There is a lot of bullshit science stuff here and McGuffins a plenty but so far it’s not too ridiculous yet. I also like that there are quiet moments in the book and it allows for characters to grow and actually interact. It’s solid, it’s not super original and great but it is way better than the rest of the series already.
Characters: I am surprised with the characters. Abnett was not doing well with the original Titans and I found them wildly inconsistent, whiny and just broken and with this new soft reboot of they title I am finding the characters much better. There is a clear set of arcs for each character that Abnett has set up for the characters and readers can easily understand and get behind that. There is a slight issue I have with Donna drinking cause going that route is so cliche and we don’t need another Harper but I can see what Abnett is doing and I don’t like it. I like the idea of Raven and what she’s going through and that can be a storyline for the future. I like that Nat is on the team but I really wish DC would redesign her suit so they doesn’t have Xenomorph head.
I enjoyed this book, I was expecting a train wreck and I got an average and serviceable book to read.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is solid, the artists that were on this book were well selected and fit the tone and the look of this book. The characters are expressive which is always a must for me. The world building here is a bit choppy but still works. Following the events of the last book and the team breaking apart and just like that a new team is created and a new focus is done. I like the use of the Dark Nights Metal idea that gives this book a real and tangible focus and mission. The idea behind the energy is very X-Men but that’s fine. The pieces that Abnett chooses for the new team and the locales that he uses like the Hall of Justice is a great tie into the past of the DCU and I enjoyed that.
Story: The story is actually not bad because there is a clear focus and mission for the book to exist. Helping new Metas is something Dick would totally do and the team he selects are characters that readers love and they are back together again. The pacing was fine and the one and done nature of the first couple of issues was done well setting up status quo and creating the rules for the new book. There is a lot of bullshit science stuff here and McGuffins a plenty but so far it’s not too ridiculous yet. I also like that there are quiet moments in the book and it allows for characters to grow and actually interact. It’s solid, it’s not super original and great but it is way better than the rest of the series already.
Characters: I am surprised with the characters. Abnett was not doing well with the original Titans and I found them wildly inconsistent, whiny and just broken and with this new soft reboot of they title I am finding the characters much better. There is a clear set of arcs for each character that Abnett has set up for the characters and readers can easily understand and get behind that. There is a slight issue I have with Donna drinking cause going that route is so cliche and we don’t need another Harper but I can see what Abnett is doing and I don’t like it. I like the idea of Raven and what she’s going through and that can be a storyline for the future. I like that Nat is on the team but I really wish DC would redesign her suit so they doesn’t have Xenomorph head.
I enjoyed this book, I was expecting a train wreck and I got an average and serviceable book to read.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
May 3, 2024
Well...if I thought the last volume centred around a team that lacked cohesion, they're a bloody masterpiece in comparison. How Abnett has managed to ruin what is proven to be a winning ensemble is actually quite impressive. The story is underwhelming, the characters mesh about as well as water and electricity, and boy, is it disappointing.
April 25, 2025
4.5 stars
March 1, 2019
Sure, "change" has been one of the defining attributes of the Titans since Marv Wolfman revamped them in 1980. But, you can't make a change this big without provably offering something better or more interesting, else you're going to get real pushback. And, the "New" Titans definitely isn't either better or more interesting.
Before, Titans was a comic about friendship, spotlighting many of the heroes neglected by the Nu52. Now, it's a troubleshooting squad going after the MacGuffin of the week. And, the premise is every bit as shallows as it sounds: MacGuffin superpowers are appearing thanks to the Source Wall fracture, so the Titans now hunt those new powered beings down.
Then, the comic gets derailed even worse in its last issue as Nightwing is mostly killed and we learn that Roy Harper died somehow too (and we know that's not going to be all).
The entire Dan Abnett Titans series has failed to live up to is strong potential, but this is the volume that caused me to toss the entire series on the pile to go to the used-book-store, because if DC doesn't care about the team they originally pitched us, neither do I.
Before, Titans was a comic about friendship, spotlighting many of the heroes neglected by the Nu52. Now, it's a troubleshooting squad going after the MacGuffin of the week. And, the premise is every bit as shallows as it sounds: MacGuffin superpowers are appearing thanks to the Source Wall fracture, so the Titans now hunt those new powered beings down.
Then, the comic gets derailed even worse in its last issue as Nightwing is mostly killed and we learn that Roy Harper died somehow too (and we know that's not going to be all).
The entire Dan Abnett Titans series has failed to live up to is strong potential, but this is the volume that caused me to toss the entire series on the pile to go to the used-book-store, because if DC doesn't care about the team they originally pitched us, neither do I.
July 23, 2020
5 🌟
Nightwing forms a new team to deal with the threats that came with the fall of the Source Wall.
Nightwing forms a new team to deal with the threats that came with the fall of the Source Wall.
February 10, 2019
Titans, go! Nightwing, Donna Troy, Steel, Beast Boy, and Raven are joined by new Justice League liaison Miss Martian with a new mission statement - protect those affected by the Source Wall energy now leaking all over Earth thanks to the events of Justice League: No Justice. With new villains and insane situations thrown their way, do the Titans have any chance of turning the tide, especially with the new Blood Cult hiding just beyond the horizon?
I really liked the previous four volumes of Titans, and this new direction seemed peculiar after the very family-oriented version, but after an issue or two, I could dig it. This story's about learning who you are, and how to deal with the curveballs that life (and Source Energy) can throw at you. The new combination of old Titans and other heroes like Beast Boy and Raven works oddly well, and it's nice to see Donna Troy stepping back into the spotlight properly after being dragged through the Troia story a few issues back.
Most of the situations the Titans get thrown into are totally bonkers in the way that only stories about mysterious energy from beyond the edge of space can be, but they take them in their stride easily. There's a very human aspect to how they attempt to solve these problems, culminating in issue 27 which is incredibly powerful and also incredibly sad.
On the art front, Brandon Peterson sets the tone for the book before mysteriously vanishing for most of it, with Brent Peeples and Clayton Henry picking up the slack afterwards. Peterson's more CGI work doesn't gel well with the other two, whose clean, clear style is much more suited to the book; Peterson would be a better tag-team with someone like Clayton Crain I think, but then Crain doesn't often need fill-ins, so who knows.
Titans is one of a few books making a sharp turn in terms of story direction, but there's definitely more than a Spark of a good idea to keep this going for a while (see what I did there?).
Oh, and both the Special and issue 25 are extra-sized too, so this volume's really got a lot of bang for it's buck.
I really liked the previous four volumes of Titans, and this new direction seemed peculiar after the very family-oriented version, but after an issue or two, I could dig it. This story's about learning who you are, and how to deal with the curveballs that life (and Source Energy) can throw at you. The new combination of old Titans and other heroes like Beast Boy and Raven works oddly well, and it's nice to see Donna Troy stepping back into the spotlight properly after being dragged through the Troia story a few issues back.
Most of the situations the Titans get thrown into are totally bonkers in the way that only stories about mysterious energy from beyond the edge of space can be, but they take them in their stride easily. There's a very human aspect to how they attempt to solve these problems, culminating in issue 27 which is incredibly powerful and also incredibly sad.
On the art front, Brandon Peterson sets the tone for the book before mysteriously vanishing for most of it, with Brent Peeples and Clayton Henry picking up the slack afterwards. Peterson's more CGI work doesn't gel well with the other two, whose clean, clear style is much more suited to the book; Peterson would be a better tag-team with someone like Clayton Crain I think, but then Crain doesn't often need fill-ins, so who knows.
Titans is one of a few books making a sharp turn in terms of story direction, but there's definitely more than a Spark of a good idea to keep this going for a while (see what I did there?).
Oh, and both the Special and issue 25 are extra-sized too, so this volume's really got a lot of bang for it's buck.
June 17, 2019
Well it's better than the last volume. SO that's good news. Bad news? It still kind of sucks.
This volume is basically a mishmash of trying to be light hearted fun with some weird magic shit going on where two worlds, or realities combined, and now we have Martian Girl on the team with half the teen titans like beast boy and raven. Together they solve it all. The second half is dealing with Nightwing getting shot in the head and the team reeling from the events.
This whole thing isn't great but it's not horrid. It's borderline saturday morning cartoon episodes...however I did like to get actual emotions out of characters after losing their friend and also some funny moments before that. Saying that, still not great or even good. This series hasn't been good at all. A 2 out of 5.
This volume is basically a mishmash of trying to be light hearted fun with some weird magic shit going on where two worlds, or realities combined, and now we have Martian Girl on the team with half the teen titans like beast boy and raven. Together they solve it all. The second half is dealing with Nightwing getting shot in the head and the team reeling from the events.
This whole thing isn't great but it's not horrid. It's borderline saturday morning cartoon episodes...however I did like to get actual emotions out of characters after losing their friend and also some funny moments before that. Saying that, still not great or even good. This series hasn't been good at all. A 2 out of 5.
October 8, 2020
For the most part, this book just seemed awkward. Stories seemed to transition or end suddenly, and there weren't many moments that just completely sucked me in. That all said, I did enjoy when Nightwing and Miss Martian were stuck in "TV Land." That was amusing. And this volume did have some nice introspective Nightwing moments. But all in all... it just seemed kind of rushed. As much as I liked "Dark Nights Metal," some of the fall-out from it has come across as far-fetched. And this volume, especially, kind of destroyed my suspension of disbelief. Still, I like seeing Miss Martian back in the canon, and I'll admit that the last issue had me feeling emotions. (Stupid writers making me feel sad because they SHOT NIGHTWING IN THE HEAD.) Ugh... I still haven't read what actually happens to Roy Harper, but I'm sure if I keep tackling my to-read list, I'll eventually find out. (And probably feel more stupid emotions.) All in all, if you're a fan of Nightwing, this book will have something for you, but it's far from perfect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2018
Пора признаться, новых «Титанов» я начал читать лишь по одной причине. Посмотреть, что случится с командой, когда на тот свет и в реанимацию отправится каждый второй из её участников. Ну, на самом деле, ничего не случилось. Редакторы заранее постелили травку, объединив две «титанические» команды в одну, но проблема оказалась даже не в этом.
Главным цимесом «Титанов» всегда были дружба и гендерный баланс. Романтика, флирт, цветочки, обнимашки. В новом же составе пацан всего один, и это совершенно невменяемый (особенно теперь) Гар Логан. Все остальные - суровые женщины с травмой, которые почти все пришли сюда временно, из других онгоингов. Одна сделана из глины, вторая - потеряла душу, третья - черная лесба в стальном доспехе. Мотивации Марсианки я пока вообще не понимаю. В целом, напоминает плохой командный комикс от Marvel.
Спасти его мог бы хороший и продуманный сторителлинг, но с этим здесь особенно фигово. Весь том - механическая реакция новой команды на три внешних ивента (No Justice, Drowned Earth, Heroes in Crisis, быть может, что-то еще). Суть ивентов: что-то происходит, мельтешит, мы кричим и сражаемся с… чем-то безликим, безымянным и бесформенным. Самая убогая категория героических комиксов. Пеллетье, кстати, тоже из линейки ушёл, поэтому на карандаше - неизвестные мне новички и монстр из прошлого в лице человека под ником «Брандо».
Главным цимесом «Титанов» всегда были дружба и гендерный баланс. Романтика, флирт, цветочки, обнимашки. В новом же составе пацан всего один, и это совершенно невменяемый (особенно теперь) Гар Логан. Все остальные - суровые женщины с травмой, которые почти все пришли сюда временно, из других онгоингов. Одна сделана из глины, вторая - потеряла душу, третья - черная лесба в стальном доспехе. Мотивации Марсианки я пока вообще не понимаю. В целом, напоминает плохой командный комикс от Marvel.
Спасти его мог бы хороший и продуманный сторителлинг, но с этим здесь особенно фигово. Весь том - механическая реакция новой команды на три внешних ивента (No Justice, Drowned Earth, Heroes in Crisis, быть может, что-то еще). Суть ивентов: что-то происходит, мельтешит, мы кричим и сражаемся с… чем-то безликим, безымянным и бесформенным. Самая убогая категория героических комиксов. Пеллетье, кстати, тоже из линейки ушёл, поэтому на карандаше - неизвестные мне новички и монстр из прошлого в лице человека под ником «Брандо».
June 28, 2022
New era, new team, same writer, but another really good book.
Spinning out of the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal and Justice League: No Justice (haven't read both of this sagas, and probably will not on the future), we got something called the "Source Wall" that was just opened or destroyed and becomes a great "well" of energy, which is waking up great powers on people and giving new ones to them. So, Dick, in talks with the JLA, decides to bring the Titans back to solve the problems when and where that energy hits. He assembles a very nice team, with Donna, Raven, Beast Boy and the new Steel, along with Miss Marvel being the league Liaison on the team.
A very nice book, with amazing artists making moves on this issues. We usually see stand alone stories on every chapter, with some good scenes about the relation of this group. Titans were always about friends and family, and we don't got this on this one. And the last issue, was about that infamous arc that Dick is shot, that i didn't have the oportunity to read yet, but i know that people really hates this storyline. Let's see where this will go.
Spinning out of the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal and Justice League: No Justice (haven't read both of this sagas, and probably will not on the future), we got something called the "Source Wall" that was just opened or destroyed and becomes a great "well" of energy, which is waking up great powers on people and giving new ones to them. So, Dick, in talks with the JLA, decides to bring the Titans back to solve the problems when and where that energy hits. He assembles a very nice team, with Donna, Raven, Beast Boy and the new Steel, along with Miss Marvel being the league Liaison on the team.
A very nice book, with amazing artists making moves on this issues. We usually see stand alone stories on every chapter, with some good scenes about the relation of this group. Titans were always about friends and family, and we don't got this on this one. And the last issue, was about that infamous arc that Dick is shot, that i didn't have the oportunity to read yet, but i know that people really hates this storyline. Let's see where this will go.
June 4, 2019
3.5 Stars
Nightwing approaches the Justice League (specifically the Trinity) and explains the need for a team of heroes to combat against new metas and threats that arise from the ambient comic radiation coming from the destruction of the Source Wall. They agree, and the Titans are reborn!
Nightwing, Beast Boy, Diana Troy, Raven, Steel (Natasha Irons), and their JL Liaison Miss Martian, take on various threats with metas, but all have their flaws and faults as well. Nightwing and Miss Martian can't stand each other, Beast Boy isn't in control of his powers completely, Steel is overconfident, Donna Troy is using alcohol to control her moods, and Raven (during the course of the Volume) has lost her "soulself".
AND.... the Blood Cult is back, under the new guidance of Mother Blood!
The last issue takes place after the events of Batman Vol.8, when Nightwing has been shot in the head. The team seems to be lost without leadership... but Tempest seems to be returning to the team... What will happen to the team next?
Well written, but somewhat predictable. I do like the new lineup and hope to see more from the team soon.
Recommend.
Nightwing approaches the Justice League (specifically the Trinity) and explains the need for a team of heroes to combat against new metas and threats that arise from the ambient comic radiation coming from the destruction of the Source Wall. They agree, and the Titans are reborn!
Nightwing, Beast Boy, Diana Troy, Raven, Steel (Natasha Irons), and their JL Liaison Miss Martian, take on various threats with metas, but all have their flaws and faults as well. Nightwing and Miss Martian can't stand each other, Beast Boy isn't in control of his powers completely, Steel is overconfident, Donna Troy is using alcohol to control her moods, and Raven (during the course of the Volume) has lost her "soulself".
AND.... the Blood Cult is back, under the new guidance of Mother Blood!
The last issue takes place after the events of Batman Vol.8, when Nightwing has been shot in the head. The team seems to be lost without leadership... but Tempest seems to be returning to the team... What will happen to the team next?
Well written, but somewhat predictable. I do like the new lineup and hope to see more from the team soon.
Recommend.
May 26, 2019
The fecal matter has just intersected with the spinning blades of the cooling device. ~M'gann M'orzz
November 26, 2019
[Read in single issues]
I really, REALLY love this team. I'm upset that it's just for a short run.
I hope they bring them all back together soon
I really, REALLY love this team. I'm upset that it's just for a short run.
I hope they bring them all back together soon
September 23, 2019
I really loved the first interaction between Nightwing and Beast Boy. It's the best of Dick Grayson.
I couldn't get behind this volume because they spent so much time setting up a new team, and then it fell apart before the volume was even over. Why start something that they never intended to go anywhere?
I couldn't get behind this volume because they spent so much time setting up a new team, and then it fell apart before the volume was even over. Why start something that they never intended to go anywhere?
April 28, 2020
I give kudos to Dan Abnett for trying to make lemonade out of lemons as his book is completely hijacked by events in other books. It still didn't completely work, but I'm not sure that anyone could have done better.
October 30, 2020
Synopsis: When the Source Wall collapsed, it released unknown energies into the universe and some of those energies have ended up causing people on earth to get meta-human powers. To deal with this situation since the Source Wall collapse is not public, the Justice League allows Nightwing to reform the Titans, including Steel (Natasha Irons), Beast Boy, Donna Troy, Raven and Miss Martian (who was chosen by Martian Manhunter to be their babysitter). Their first encounter with one of these meta-human does not go well as one of two of the affected is killed.
Their next emergent, as they call them, is an old man, whose book series never took off when he wrote them. His powers have allowed him to create his fictional world and while removing the Source Wall energy from his mind, one of his creations switches places with Raven's soul self, leaving her trapped in his fictional, now very real, world.
Next, three emergent events happen at the same time and the team splits up. Raven realizes her soul self is missing during the battle, Nightwing and Miss Martian come to an understanding with sexual tension, and Donna finds the remains of Brother Blood's followers and Ben Rubul from the Supergirl Rebirth title. Blood's cult has found a way to harness Source Wall energy through Rubul's research. After destroying an Source Wall energy amplification device, the other emergents return to normal.
The Blood cult draws the Titans to a small town in Norway, where the cult tests a device that can construct monsters using Source Wall energy. The Titans also have a device, built by Rubu and Steel, that should snuff out Source Wall energy by storing it within the device. When the battle is over, the Titans realize the monsters were constructed from the blood of the murdered townspeople.
The last issue deals with the aftermath of Nightwing being shot in the head during Batman vol. 8: Cold Days. The Titans are down in the dumps with Dick in critical condition - Donna's drinking, Miss MArtian is bottling her emotions, Beast Boy keeps beasting out, and so on. They try to save Tyler, one of the first emergents they encountered, who is dying from Source Wall energy. Unfortunately, they fail and Tyler dies, leaving the team more depressed than before.
Review: What a surprise this volume was! I was a bit worried going in because of the team change up and that Nightwing and Donna were the only ones returning to the team from the previous one. But damn, if it didn't hold my interest and I quite liked the characters and their dynamics with one another. Not sure what happened in Teen Titans (and I don't care to), but Raven and Beast Boy were excellent additions to the team - it added diversity in terms of age.
Natasha Irons as Steel was a great choice as well. She had a very sleek design, though I wish they would have her without the helmet in her regular costume - I'm not a huge fan of the mask. The fact that she's some kind of gay puts her on my radar as well. Honestly, she might have been the most stable person in the group during the entire Spark arc - everyone else lost their shit at some point, but not Steel. Miss Martian is meh. I've never cared for her, even in the cartoon Young Justice. Not a bad choice, just not my favorite.
Also, can Donna Troy get her own book already? For me, Donna has the same appeal as characters like Jason Todd and Roy Harper - they're rebellious, usually have some kind of vice, and always have beef with their mentor. Donna's vice is drinking tequila straight, which is a choice and I can respect that. If nothing else, it tells you what a BAMF she is since her ass is drunk this entire book and she manages to avoid any major injuries.
The story itself is solid. The purpose for the Titans is actually concrete this time, instead of last time where it was literally just them being a superhero team because they're friends. I don't have a problem with that, but with this team change up, I felt that the writer went out of his way to differentiate this team from the previous one in terms of members and purpose which is what I felt needed to be done.
The Source Wall energy stuff is a bit flimsy at times, though I suppose it makes sense. I will say, however, this is not a new idea, not really. We've seen this kind of thing happen before - recently with the Lightning Strikes Twice story arc in the Flash Rebirth. It's also done in the Flash tv show with the Particle Accelerator explosion. It's kinda old hat, but all the shit with the Blood cult is decent. And the fact that they used the blood of the people they murdered to create monsters was real fucked up.
Overall, surprisingly good. Team dynamics work, story works. Not much to complain about.
Their next emergent, as they call them, is an old man, whose book series never took off when he wrote them. His powers have allowed him to create his fictional world and while removing the Source Wall energy from his mind, one of his creations switches places with Raven's soul self, leaving her trapped in his fictional, now very real, world.
Next, three emergent events happen at the same time and the team splits up. Raven realizes her soul self is missing during the battle, Nightwing and Miss Martian come to an understanding with sexual tension, and Donna finds the remains of Brother Blood's followers and Ben Rubul from the Supergirl Rebirth title. Blood's cult has found a way to harness Source Wall energy through Rubul's research. After destroying an Source Wall energy amplification device, the other emergents return to normal.
The Blood cult draws the Titans to a small town in Norway, where the cult tests a device that can construct monsters using Source Wall energy. The Titans also have a device, built by Rubu and Steel, that should snuff out Source Wall energy by storing it within the device. When the battle is over, the Titans realize the monsters were constructed from the blood of the murdered townspeople.
The last issue deals with the aftermath of Nightwing being shot in the head during Batman vol. 8: Cold Days. The Titans are down in the dumps with Dick in critical condition - Donna's drinking, Miss MArtian is bottling her emotions, Beast Boy keeps beasting out, and so on. They try to save Tyler, one of the first emergents they encountered, who is dying from Source Wall energy. Unfortunately, they fail and Tyler dies, leaving the team more depressed than before.
Review: What a surprise this volume was! I was a bit worried going in because of the team change up and that Nightwing and Donna were the only ones returning to the team from the previous one. But damn, if it didn't hold my interest and I quite liked the characters and their dynamics with one another. Not sure what happened in Teen Titans (and I don't care to), but Raven and Beast Boy were excellent additions to the team - it added diversity in terms of age.
Natasha Irons as Steel was a great choice as well. She had a very sleek design, though I wish they would have her without the helmet in her regular costume - I'm not a huge fan of the mask. The fact that she's some kind of gay puts her on my radar as well. Honestly, she might have been the most stable person in the group during the entire Spark arc - everyone else lost their shit at some point, but not Steel. Miss Martian is meh. I've never cared for her, even in the cartoon Young Justice. Not a bad choice, just not my favorite.
Also, can Donna Troy get her own book already? For me, Donna has the same appeal as characters like Jason Todd and Roy Harper - they're rebellious, usually have some kind of vice, and always have beef with their mentor. Donna's vice is drinking tequila straight, which is a choice and I can respect that. If nothing else, it tells you what a BAMF she is since her ass is drunk this entire book and she manages to avoid any major injuries.
The story itself is solid. The purpose for the Titans is actually concrete this time, instead of last time where it was literally just them being a superhero team because they're friends. I don't have a problem with that, but with this team change up, I felt that the writer went out of his way to differentiate this team from the previous one in terms of members and purpose which is what I felt needed to be done.
The Source Wall energy stuff is a bit flimsy at times, though I suppose it makes sense. I will say, however, this is not a new idea, not really. We've seen this kind of thing happen before - recently with the Lightning Strikes Twice story arc in the Flash Rebirth. It's also done in the Flash tv show with the Particle Accelerator explosion. It's kinda old hat, but all the shit with the Blood cult is decent. And the fact that they used the blood of the people they murdered to create monsters was real fucked up.
Overall, surprisingly good. Team dynamics work, story works. Not much to complain about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2019
Titans: The Spark picks up where the previous volume left off, collecting the next five issues (Titans #23–27) of the 2016 on-going series and the Titans Special. The trade paperback takes place after the events of Justice League: No Justice and covers four storylines: "Emergent", "The Spark", "Blood Will Flow", and "One Life".
"Emergent" is a one-issue special (Titans Special) that has Dick Grayson dealing with the emerging meta-human burst from the events of Justice League: No Justice and Batman: Metal. It has Dick Grayson as Nightwing recruiting a new team of Titans to deal with this emerging situation. He recruits Rachel Roth as Raven, Garfield Logan as Beast Boy, Donna Troy, and Natasha Irons as Steel. However, the Justice League installs a liaison (or babysitter) in Miss Martian.
"The Spark" is a three-issue story (Titans #23–25), which has the Titans on their first mission together. However, there is a lack of cohesion in the team, Dick Grayson as Nightwing and Miss Martian try to figure out who is the leader of the group, while the team that Nightwing recruited doesn't exactly trust Miss Martian and hate the fact that they need a babysitter. Through their mission, a semblance of trust is made.
"Blood Will Flow" is a one issue story (Titans #26) that has the Titans rescuing Benjamin Rubel from a newly revitalized Blood Cult, the Church of Blood, whose evil experiments have transformed an entire town into bloodthirsty zombies and Rubel's notes is key to this phenomenon. In the end, he became the technical adviser for the team.
"One Life" is a one-issue story (Titans #27) has Donna Troy dealing with Roy Harper's death (Heroes in Crisis) and the incapacitation of Dick Grayson of Nightwing (Batman #55). The Titans have to deal with their missing leader and what they would become without him. Furthermore, they have to deal with ailing Source Wall victims as they try their best to save them.
Dan Abnett penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well, I like the idea of Dick Grayson taking a proactive decision in helping the victims that were affected when the Source Wall broke and forming a new Titans team. I wasn’t totally thrilled with the inclusion of Miss Martian, while I like the character, her introduction wasn’t my favorite – the act of having a Justice League liaison without consulting Dick Grayson as Nightwing reeks of disrespect.
Brent Peeples (Titans #24, 26–27, Titans Special), Brandon Peterson (Titans #23, 25), Guillem March, Denis Medri (Titans #23), Sergio Davila, Vicente Cifuentes, Matt Santorelli, Brain Chin, Nicola Scott, Max Raynor, and Ben Oliver (Titans Special) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling style somewhat complements each other, however it is really distinctive and one could differentiate the other pencilers, which makes the flow rather rugged – artistically speaking.
All in all, Titans: The Spark is a somewhat good continuation to what would hopefully be an equally wonderful series.
"Emergent" is a one-issue special (Titans Special) that has Dick Grayson dealing with the emerging meta-human burst from the events of Justice League: No Justice and Batman: Metal. It has Dick Grayson as Nightwing recruiting a new team of Titans to deal with this emerging situation. He recruits Rachel Roth as Raven, Garfield Logan as Beast Boy, Donna Troy, and Natasha Irons as Steel. However, the Justice League installs a liaison (or babysitter) in Miss Martian.
"The Spark" is a three-issue story (Titans #23–25), which has the Titans on their first mission together. However, there is a lack of cohesion in the team, Dick Grayson as Nightwing and Miss Martian try to figure out who is the leader of the group, while the team that Nightwing recruited doesn't exactly trust Miss Martian and hate the fact that they need a babysitter. Through their mission, a semblance of trust is made.
"Blood Will Flow" is a one issue story (Titans #26) that has the Titans rescuing Benjamin Rubel from a newly revitalized Blood Cult, the Church of Blood, whose evil experiments have transformed an entire town into bloodthirsty zombies and Rubel's notes is key to this phenomenon. In the end, he became the technical adviser for the team.
"One Life" is a one-issue story (Titans #27) has Donna Troy dealing with Roy Harper's death (Heroes in Crisis) and the incapacitation of Dick Grayson of Nightwing (Batman #55). The Titans have to deal with their missing leader and what they would become without him. Furthermore, they have to deal with ailing Source Wall victims as they try their best to save them.
Dan Abnett penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well, I like the idea of Dick Grayson taking a proactive decision in helping the victims that were affected when the Source Wall broke and forming a new Titans team. I wasn’t totally thrilled with the inclusion of Miss Martian, while I like the character, her introduction wasn’t my favorite – the act of having a Justice League liaison without consulting Dick Grayson as Nightwing reeks of disrespect.
Brent Peeples (Titans #24, 26–27, Titans Special), Brandon Peterson (Titans #23, 25), Guillem March, Denis Medri (Titans #23), Sergio Davila, Vicente Cifuentes, Matt Santorelli, Brain Chin, Nicola Scott, Max Raynor, and Ben Oliver (Titans Special) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling style somewhat complements each other, however it is really distinctive and one could differentiate the other pencilers, which makes the flow rather rugged – artistically speaking.
All in all, Titans: The Spark is a somewhat good continuation to what would hopefully be an equally wonderful series.
August 8, 2022
Los Titanes siempre han sido mi equipo favorito, y hace algún tiempo comencé a leer estos volúmenes
A mi en su momento me encantaron y tengo muy buen recuerdo de ellos, pero al no encontrar la parte 4, 5 y 6 dejé de leerlos
Ahora los he encontrado, y he de decir que no recuerdo al 100% las primeras tres partes
Si bien, he entendido el contexto del volumen 4, en donde se han separado los titanes, con este volumen me perdí.
Encontramos a Nightwing formando una nueva alineación de titanes, en donde reclutará a Raven y BeastBoy, que hasta donde tengo entendido eran miembros de los Teen Titans, aquí empiezo a perderme respecto al historial de estos dos, al igual que su edad.
También reúne a Steel, a quien no había tenido el placer de leer, y la verdad es uno de los personajes más interesantes del volumen, aunque sigo sin entender si tiene alguna relación con Superman, creo que menciona ser su sobrina o su prima, pero ni idea de su historia ni como ha llegado a la tierra.
De la antigua alineación sólo quedan Nightwing y Donna, y junto a ellos se une la Sra. Marciana, quien parece ocultar secretos y tal.
Estoy abierto a leer sobre esta nueva alineación, pero necesito más contexto sobre los antiguos miembros, pues simplemente desaparecieron.
Al final de este volumen te muestran que Roy Harper esta muerto (WTFFFFFFF????) Y como me disparan en la cabeza a Nightwing (WTFFFFFFFFFF X2)
Detesto horriblemente tener que leer números de otros volúmenes para entender o no perderte en la historia
A mi en su momento me encantaron y tengo muy buen recuerdo de ellos, pero al no encontrar la parte 4, 5 y 6 dejé de leerlos
Ahora los he encontrado, y he de decir que no recuerdo al 100% las primeras tres partes
Si bien, he entendido el contexto del volumen 4, en donde se han separado los titanes, con este volumen me perdí.
Encontramos a Nightwing formando una nueva alineación de titanes, en donde reclutará a Raven y BeastBoy, que hasta donde tengo entendido eran miembros de los Teen Titans, aquí empiezo a perderme respecto al historial de estos dos, al igual que su edad.
También reúne a Steel, a quien no había tenido el placer de leer, y la verdad es uno de los personajes más interesantes del volumen, aunque sigo sin entender si tiene alguna relación con Superman, creo que menciona ser su sobrina o su prima, pero ni idea de su historia ni como ha llegado a la tierra.
De la antigua alineación sólo quedan Nightwing y Donna, y junto a ellos se une la Sra. Marciana, quien parece ocultar secretos y tal.
Estoy abierto a leer sobre esta nueva alineación, pero necesito más contexto sobre los antiguos miembros, pues simplemente desaparecieron.
Al final de este volumen te muestran que Roy Harper esta muerto (WTFFFFFFF????) Y como me disparan en la cabeza a Nightwing (WTFFFFFFFFFF X2)
Detesto horriblemente tener que leer números de otros volúmenes para entender o no perderte en la historia
March 15, 2022
Not a bad little title. Having started the Titans show on Netflix it was good to see some characters I was familiar with in this Titan graphic novel.
The story was pretty good, and I liked the concept. The part where the old man in the park had unknowingly conjured characters from novels he wrote a long time ago, and the bit where Nightwing and Miss Martian were sucked into the TV were great! There were a few confusing things brought up but that was to be expected jumping from volume 2 to volume 5. Hopefully these will be cleared up if I source the rest. I felt at points it jumped around some, like there were issues that didn’t get placed in this volume maybe? Over all though, it was a good read. Dying to know what happens next!
The story was pretty good, and I liked the concept. The part where the old man in the park had unknowingly conjured characters from novels he wrote a long time ago, and the bit where Nightwing and Miss Martian were sucked into the TV were great! There were a few confusing things brought up but that was to be expected jumping from volume 2 to volume 5. Hopefully these will be cleared up if I source the rest. I felt at points it jumped around some, like there were issues that didn’t get placed in this volume maybe? Over all though, it was a good read. Dying to know what happens next!
January 8, 2021
This year, I am going to try and catch up with my massive collection of comics, that have just been gathering dust because I kind of ignored them the past couple of years. Titans seemed like a great start for this project and I am already fully engulfed into the dc comic verse again. The Titans (or Teen Titans) have always been a favourite superhero group of mine, and the events here are so thrilling and pulling me back into my memories of the past. It's been a long time since I've read these comics though, so it is a bit confusing to me right now because there are so many different story lines that I can barely keep up. But it's great!
June 25, 2019
Basic plot: The Titans battle various emergent events from the fall of the source wall.
Really, that was it. There is a sense of futility and seriousness to this particular volume that robs it of any warmth and strips away humor. In short: it's a downer, emotionally. The volume ends on a down note, too, after the Titans take a beating and face some other major losses. The pacing is good, the art is solid, but emotionally, the arc almost has to get happier from here because any more depressing would just be awful.
Really, that was it. There is a sense of futility and seriousness to this particular volume that robs it of any warmth and strips away humor. In short: it's a downer, emotionally. The volume ends on a down note, too, after the Titans take a beating and face some other major losses. The pacing is good, the art is solid, but emotionally, the arc almost has to get happier from here because any more depressing would just be awful.
March 18, 2019
There was this one panel with Raven that I literally stared at for, like, minutes, trying to figure out what the heck I was looking at. If that was a real person, she would definitely have a broken spine and both hips dislocated...
March 29, 2019
In the end the story is okay.
But there are simply too many dangling plot lines to keep me satisfied. For example there are often comments about this thing is a problem but no movement towards fixing that thing.
2.75
But there are simply too many dangling plot lines to keep me satisfied. For example there are often comments about this thing is a problem but no movement towards fixing that thing.
2.75
January 8, 2020
Changing the team for the lame BO JUSTICE was jarring but also needed. Thought I'd hate it but actually lobed how over their heads everyone was by the source wall energy. Then Nightwing gets shot! Only thing missing was character development.
December 19, 2018
45/100.
Buen inicio, buen dibujo, pero guion flojo debido a los villanos y a un tratamiento de personajes dudoso.
Buen inicio, buen dibujo, pero guion flojo debido a los villanos y a un tratamiento de personajes dudoso.
March 19, 2019
So many questions.
May 8, 2019
Special 1, ☆☆☆
23-25, The Spark, ☆☆
26, Blood Will Flow, ☆☆☆
27, One Life, ☆☆☆
23-25, The Spark, ☆☆
26, Blood Will Flow, ☆☆☆
27, One Life, ☆☆☆
August 6, 2019
All in all, a decent story. There's some great dialog.
January 14, 2022
2.5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews