Teen Titans #44

Titans East Part 2

Geoff Johns & Adam Beechen Writers
Tony S. Daniel Pencils
Jonathan Glapion & Edwin Rosell Inks
Richard & Tanya Horie & Hi-Fi Colors
Rob Leigh Letters
Cover by Tony S. Daniel & Jonathan Glapion with the Hories
Adam Schlagman Assistant Editor
Eddie Berganza Editor

This is a pretty cool cover, giving us an almost perfect showdown between the Teen Titans and Deathstroke's Titans East. I say almost perfect because one of the match-ups here just doesn't work. And that's Inertia vs. Raven. They have no history together and their power are completely different. Really, it should be Duela Dent in place of Inertia, as she actually tortures Raven in this issue.

Our story picks up with Ravager and Jericho investigating the wooden Titans tower in New York. They're quickly confronted by their father, Deathstroke, and immediately launch into an all-out battle. We see that all the other Titans have been captured and are being held by a member of Titans East. Wonder Girl is in what appears to be the Fortress of Solitude with Match guarding her. Robin is in what appears to be the Batcave, with the mind-controlled Batgirl threatening to inject him with the same serum Deathstroke used on her. But suddenly the Wilson family feud spills into Robin's cell, revealing it to just be an elaborately themed room in the Titans East Tower.

Raven is being tortured by Duela Dent and the Riddler's daughter with horrific images being played on a loop all around her. Cyborg is being taken apart piece by piece by Risk. And Miss Martian is being tortured by the fire powers of Sungirl, while Inertia casually enjoys a glass of ice water nearby. Sungirl claims that she and Inertia are from the future, where all Martians are slaves because of the crimes one Martian committed against humanity, and she says M'gann is that one Martian.

But the torture session is cut short, as Deathstroke sends out a distress call to his team. Jericho has managed to stab his dad with his sword, and Ravager is giving Batgirl all she can handle. Inertia knocks Ravager off Batgirl and Sungirl takes on Jericho. However, Robin was able to free himself during the commotion. He always prepared for Rose to turn against the team, so he began carrying around an antidote to Slade's serum. Robin uses the antidote on Batgirl, who is able to snap out of the mind control fairly quickly and vows to kill Deathstroke.




I apologize for skimming through this so quickly, but there was no Bart in this issue and very little Inertia. It was a nice touch for him to be drinking ice water in front of someone being burned alive. But that's really the only positive I can say about this issue. Somehow, this story feels a lot less epic than it originally seemed like it'd be. A second writer has been brought in, as well as multiple inkers and colorists, giving everything a rushed, half-hearted feel. Which is a shame, because this story should be incredible.

Next time, we'll begin a new chapter in Bart's life with The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #9.