Teen Titans #53

The Titans of Tomorrow ... Today! Part Three: Combine and Conquer

Sean McKeever • Writer
Eddy Barrows • Pencils
Rob Hunter • Inks
Rod Reis • Colors
Alé Garza with Reis • Cover
Travis Lanham • Letters
Adam Schlagman • Asst. Editor
Eddie Berganza • Editor

Our cover shows poor little Blue Beetle trying to take on an entire army of Titans from the future. This is basically what happens in this issue, except Blue Beetle is joined by Ravager and Kid Devil, and Bart's evil clone is still unconscious and locked in a cell during all this. But the main idea is there. And Garza's art is mostly enjoyable (his future version of Cassie is a bit wonky). However, we once again have a different penciller handling the interior art on this story, which really surprises me.

Bart's evil clone technically isn't in this issue, but he will be in next issue, so I figured we should at least review the basics here. The Lex Luthor of the future explains to Blue Beetle, Kid Devil and Ravager how the Teen Titans met their evil future selves more than a year ago and decided not to go down that path, which caused the future to change. Lex noticed those changes, so he sent the Titans back in time to prevent any more changes. But apparently that wasn't enough, so Lex came back personally, with every former hero he could find. Seems a bit like overkill to me, especially when Lex reveals his main objective is just to kill Blue Beetle, Ravager and Supergirl.

Unfortunately, Lex spends way too long explaining all this, leaving everybody exposed to a shower of a thousand Starros falling from the sky. Eventually, everyone gets a Starro stuck to their face, except for Blue Beetle, truly evoking the imagery of the cover. Meanwhile, Miss Martian kills her future self and reads Starro's mind, learning that his invasion is connected to the Sinestro War. She then picks up the depressed and confused Robin, flying him away from the corrupting influence of his future self.




I still hate the idea of people in the future watching reality slowly change around them and holding onto memories of their previous life. I don't think it should work like that. I also think it was completely unnecessary to bring in Lex and 20 (TWENTY!) future versions of the Titans. But this story itself isn't that bad. And I am glad it finally acknowledged the Sinestro War.

Next time, we'll discover the fate of all the villains who have been kidnapped by the Suicide Squad in Salvation Run #1.