Teen Titans #24

The Insiders Part One

Geoff Johns Writer
Matthew Clark Penciller
Art Thibert Inker
Jeromy Cox Colorist
Comicraft Letters
Tom Palmer Jr Associate Editor
Eddie Berganza Editor

Our cover is a striking, powerful image from Mike McKone — one of his best on this series. Fulfilling a plot line Geoff Johns has been teasing since issue #1, Superboy has finally gone full Luthor mode. He's shaved his hair, cut an L into his shirt and looks downright evil.

Our story begins in San Francisco at 9:24 a.m. on a Saturday. Conner has stayed up all night in the Titans library, reading books about genetics, memories and Lex Luthor. Robin checks in on the exhausted Superboy, lecturing him about staying up too late and reading books that won't help him. Conner admits that he asked Raven yesterday if he has a soul, and to his distress, Raven became flustered by the question and couldn't give him a straight answer. So Conner's been worrying ever since if he, as a clone, really has a soul.

Robin believes Superboy has a soul, but that just brings up more worries for Conner. The scientists at Cadmus weren't able to properly clone a Kryptonian without stabilizing it with human DNA, which turned out to come from Lex Luthor. Conner says Luthor's DNA is corrupted and he claims he can feel that. However, he is finally ready to tell the rest of the team about all this. Conner asks Robin to gather everybody downstairs, while he takes another minute to gather his thoughts. Robin happily complies.

Conner returns to his room to grab a drink of water, when his laptop suddenly begins emitting a high-pitched screech. He looks at the screen, which displays a small message: "Audio connection established." A voice addresses Superboy, complimenting his "greatest invention" on how much he's grown. The voice then says "aut vincere aut mori" (Latin for "either to conquer or to die). This phrase puts Superboy into a trance. His eyes glow red, with heat vision seemingly boiling out of the sockets. He methodically walks into his bathroom, shaves his head and cuts an L into his shirt, just like on the cover.

Downstairs, Beast Boy wonders if anyone else heard that sound like a dog whistle, but he was the only one. Unconcerned, he begins joking about what Robin's meeting is about, saying he can't be blamed for his dirty laundry, since Bart broke the washing machine. Apparently Bart decided to wash Speedy's quiver for some reason, and failed to remove a glue arrow that was left inside. Cyborg says he thought they got all their secrets out in the open last week, but he is glad that Conner is willing to talk now. Cassie asks Tim what this is about, and before he can answer, Superboy walks down the stairs. Raven says she can't feel any emotions in him. The first thing Bart notices is Superboy's hair — or lack thereof.

Beast Boy is worried about a more pressing concern — Superboy's glowing eyes. Raven begins to warn the others, but Superboy immediately blasts her away with his heat vision. Everyone begins scrambling around in disbelief, and Superboy quickly takes out Bart and Beast Boy with two more heat vision blasts. Cyborg orders the Titans still standing to restrain Superboy, and Speedy prepares an arrow. But before she can loose it, Superboy rips out a large chunk of the wall and knocks her out with it. Cyborg steps in front of Superboy, aiming a large gun at his face. But Superboy digs his hand into Cyborg's chest and takes Vic apart piece by piece with his tactile telekinesis.

Robin tries reasoning with Superboy, but he's only answered with another heat vision blast, which he barely dodges. Wonder Girl wraps her lasso around Superboy and begins to cry as she begs him to just talk to her. She hits Superboy with a blast of her lightning, but it doesn't seem to bother him, and he throws her out the window. Superboy follows Wonder Girl outside and pins her up against a tree. Weeping, Cassie begs him to remember his friends. Superboy pauses, and a couple of tears trickle down his cheek. But the moment soon passes, and the brainwashed Superboy knocks out Wonder Girl.

Robin, being the only Titan left standing, launches a desperate, yet futile attack on Superboy and has his arm broken for his trouble. Once Robin is down, Superboy hears another high-pitched screech and flies away toward the voice that tells him the end is beginning.

We then cut to the headquarters of the Outsiders in Brooklyn, New York. Arsenal has accused Shift (formerly Metamorpho) of betraying the team, but nobody else seems to share that theory. While they argue, Robin appears on the monitor, begging Nightwing for help. Starfire asks where Victor is, and Robin says he's ... everywhere, and that Superboy has attacked them. Shift says they should go help the kids, but Indigo suddenly hits him with an energy blast from her mouth. Her body begins to change and she announces herself as Brainiac 8 — the Outsiders' destruction.




This was a good issue. Two years after planting the seed of Superboy's DNA, we finally got the payoff. And it was great. It just took one Latin phrase to turn Superboy into a mindless instrument of destruction. His teammates were too shocked and heartbroken to properly fight back, as he methodically took each of them out one by one. It was emotional, shocking and satisfying, in an odd sense, to see the nearly invincible Superboy let loose like this.

I do have a problem with Robin calling Nightwing first. Yes, the Titans did learn of the JLA's dark secret just last week, but both Robin and Superboy maintained trust in their mentors, Batman and Superman. And when Superboy is acting up, there's only one person that you should call, and that's the Man of Steel, himself. Nightwing and the Outsiders are on the other side of the country, and I'm not sure if they have the ability to teleport over to San Francisco faster than Superman, Batman or the Flash could get there. I'm fine with having a crossover with the Outsiders, but right now their involvement feels kind of forced.

I'm also sad that usual fill-in artist Tom Grummett did not draw this issue. Matthew Clark does have a very similar style to Mike McKone, which is a problem for me. He has the same weaknesses as McKone, amplified by even rougher, less consistent artwork. It's not terrible, by any means, but I really wish I had something stronger for such a powerful story.

Next time, our adventure continues in Outsiders #24.