Teen Titans #14

The Origin of Wonder Girl Part Two

Scott Lobdell • Writer
Fabian Nicieza • Script Assist
Ale Garza • Art
Andrew Dalhouse • Colors
Travis Lanham • Letters
Brett Booth, Mark Irwin & Andrew Dalhouse • Cover
Darren Shan • Assistant Editor
Eddie Berganza • Editor

Our cover shows Wonder Girl, Superboy and Red Robin gruesomely battling Diesel's "blood warriors." Once again, Superboy is wearing a uniform he doesn't actually wear in this issue. And this gratuitous display of violence has nothing to do with Kid Flash, so we'll skip over it.

The black-and-white variant actually makes the violence seem even more graphic. But that's one of the hallmarks of the New 52, right? Fill every issue with as much nonsensical violence as possible, while constantly pushing the limits of what that "Teen" rating can handle.

While Red Robin and Superboy are helping Wonder Girl wrap up her fight against her armor and Diesel, Kid Flash, Bunker and Solstice are still holed up in a motel off the Jersey Turnpike. Kid Flash and Bunker have at least managed to procure stylish civilian clothes, but they're dreadfully bored while waiting for the others to come back. Kid Flash knocks a can of soda loose from a vending machine for Bunker, then say he wishes he could play Call of Duty, eat 32 Hot Pockets and implies that he wants to sleep with Solstice.

Eventually, Wonder Girl defeats Diesel and takes control of her armor, so everybody returns to Lex Towers in Manhattan, where Tim Drake's penthouse seems to have been rebuilt in their absence. Kid Flash is happy to be back home, where he doesn't have to pay for the adult channels anymore. Superboy takes off for his apartment across town, and Red Robin is later called away to Gotham City. And this is where Superboy #14 presumably takes place.

A day later, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl and Bunker are finishing a meal prepared by Solstice. It seems like this is breakfast, as it looks like everyone's wearing their pajamas, but Kid Flash asks Solstice if she's going to bed soon. Anyway, just as Bunker sadly wonders which of them will go missing next after Skitter and Superboy, Kid Flash discovers a freaky little voodoo doll dressed like Red Robin, with a "Gone Fishing" note stabbed to its chest. The doll is tied up and has a large smile painted on its face, meaning only one thing: Red Robin has been kidnapped by the Joker.




I do feel a little bad for Lobdell. After spending a year of teasing us with mysterious hints of everybody's origins, he finally gets around to properly exploring Wonder Girl's backstory. But as soon as he does, he's overshadowed by H'el on Earth and Death of the Family. So our story is feeling a bit disjointed — not that there's anything new with that feeling. Anyway, this version of Kid Flash is starting to get a bit lewd — we'll see if that keeps up. I'll also say I prefer Garza's artwork to Booth's. Sadly he's only a fill-in artist.

Next time, we'll check in our third alternate version of Bart Allen this year — the Impulse from the world of Smallville in its new digital comic.