Fanholes Comic Books Mutha@#$%! Do You Read 'Em?!? #140: Titans Hunt 35th Anniversary (Part 4 of 4)!
It's the 35th Anniversary of Titans Hunt! Join the Fanholes for a 4 part podcast that covers one of the most epic storyline in the history of the Titans!
Shit, we're sticking with the syllabus to start? I know Justin at least will be reaching back, but I'm going to do my own thing in advance of the recap of #82 by picking up from #79.
This is a tricky month for me, because it lives in the space between our move from Texas to Colorado, plus I was supplementing with newsstand comics from both locations because of specialty shop accessibility gaps. For instance, I got Batman #467 and X-Men Classic #63 at a 7-11, Legends of the Dark Knight #21 and War of the Gods #1 at B. Dalton, and I was still getting my X-books at the flea market booth. I know that I had to backfill at least one issue each of Hulk and Sandman in Colorado because my Advance Comics order hadn't kicked in for those after sampling, but I think I scored New Titans #79 before the move. Probably a mall bookstore, then. Obviously the issue was lumpy as hell with all the disparate fill-in artists and subplots. I'm not sure where I was at on back issues, but it's a safe bet that I was on my own Titans hunt already, maybe starting with #71 or "Titans Plague." I think I knew that only one of these artists was a regular, and with the help of Al Vey's embellishment, the changes were palatable (Cullins more than Swan, obviously.) I have positive associations with that cover (characters mulling over a picture on a desk is tight,) was intrigued by the mysterious new players, and benefited from the recitation of exposition. I'm happy here.
I'm pretty confident about New Titans Annual #7 coming from Waldenbooks. I was hotly anticipating the exploration of the future Titans, and I was buying random Armageddon 2001 annuals through random avenues (but mostly not comic shops.) I grew up on Neal Adams, so I can't be as anti-Tom Grindberg as Dereck, even as I'm aware of the disparities. You know what else? Mike's Amazing World indicates this was my first trip with Waverider. Another Titans-to-DC bridge built. Speaking of bridges, I know that I bought X-Men #1A at El Capitan, and X-Men #1E at Tornado Comics in a Denver suburb. I later learned that there was a Mile High satellite store sort-of within walking distance, but this shop was right by our house. I was constantly dropping in there on the way back from school to dig through their quarter bins. There was a slight delay though, because I bought Alpha Flight Special #4 at a convenience store out of desperation, because I already had the other "new books" out of the direct market. I suspect that I might have started "Breakdowns" that way too. Despite the dated art style and future Nightwing's ugly Cap riff, I thought the book was rad as hell. I liked the 2001 Titans okay overall, but committed early to Nightrider, because vampire. Dagon and the art were giving me Legion of Monsters nostalgia.
Nabbing Kerry Gammill for the "Teens of Tomorrow" in New Titans #80 was another big win, especially because the pages inked by Al Vey strongly invoke Tom Grummett. I never made the connection before, but can now plainly see that one was an influence on the other. I always go straight to Byrne with Grummett, but Gammill was very similar, with a bit more Continuity Studios flavor. It's true that "Titans Hunt" more or less is completely halted for this issue, but it also set up what came next very well, spelled out the intersection between these New Teen Titans and the old New Titans, and offered Grummett the breather he needed to return strong (or to devote more of his energies to Superman, probably. I still think that this was a Texas buy, but if so, it would be among my last ones. Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey.
I bet this comment is already too long for one post?
Yes it was, by a whole issue/paragraph. Glad I stopped actively listening to the podcast right away so I don't struggle to find my place.
New Titans #81 was definitely a Colorado book. There was a strong "War of the Gods is still happening?" vibe. The Curt Swan of it all really hurt, as did the Pariah appearance and jamming all that event stuff into a book where the natural connection to Wonder Woman was already M.I.A. I was almost certainly well into the Titans Hunt back issues now, and was probably overloaded by the wheel spinning, because I recall my commitment wavering at this point. I was already bitterly disappointed by much of "Mutant Genesis," which was making me restless overall.
"The Jericho Gambit Part One" was just what I needed. The story's moving again, and the art is back to delightful. Pantha chilled out. Full explanations provided. Donna means the new Teen Titans are back soon. The Wildbeestmobile with the mohawk should be parked beside the Thanoscopter. Further, I'm now reading Byrne/Lee X-Men and half a year into X-Force, and they are not delivering. I was so freakin' excited by the closing issues of New Mutants, and nothing Rob Liefeld is pitching is hitting. Uncanny still has Whilce Portacio & Bishop, plus I'm enjoying PAD & Stroman on X-Factor, but the cracks are emerging. I can't mooch off my brother's Wolverine anymore, and I temporarily drop it after #50 undid much of "Weapon X." I've sampled and dismissed Deathstroke, so Titans is a nice single book follow that I'm digging more than most anything else right now. Nice save. I double down on it. More revelations and actual nudity (you aren't fooling anyone, Raven.) This encounter has fatal consequences and is clearly resolving the story. It's the opposite of all my non-Peter David Marvel titles, which is all sizzle but no steak. I got bored with "Breakdowns" and skipped some later chapters, but returned for the end. I'm DC curious now, but mainly Titans-centered.
New Titans #84 is a tad short of a triumphant finish. Jericho being confirmed as dead-dead felt pretty final in the closing splash. There's a lot of full and partial splashes to pad-out a partial resolution. I don't hate Danny Chase enough to get off on his slow-roasted demise. I wish Nightwing was more than impotent, but this appears to be the nadir of the established Titans (it's not,) so I have hopes for a redemption arc (not here.) But on the other hand, it looks great and is never boring. I've never enjoyed looking at Starfire as much as this run, and even full demon Raven in a cloth diaper is unusually hot. We get to keep Phantasm, and the horned fetus is intriguing. I'm not so sure that this is the "best" Deathstroke story, but I've never enjoyed anyone drawing him more than Grummett/Vey (which puts "Titans Plague" in contention.) It's going to hurt when Slade leaves, but I'm definitely enthused about the new team(s,) and firmly on board for years to come.
...Hopefully the Titans don't idle for nearly half a year and an unrelated set of three extremely drawn out annuals before launching into a messy nine part crossover involving a gimmick book with five variants (that I refuse to fully support) which ends with the books losing their creative true north before a not-"funny" oversized special and another four issues of idling (doubled if you're buying a Team Titans spin-off that's lost its creative team) before a very divisive quasi-crossover that effectively ends the series for many readers (yet it drags on nearly three more years.)
As threatened, live manifesto in progress:
ReplyDeleteShit, we're sticking with the syllabus to start? I know Justin at least will be reaching back, but I'm going to do my own thing in advance of the recap of #82 by picking up from #79.
This is a tricky month for me, because it lives in the space between our move from Texas to Colorado, plus I was supplementing with newsstand comics from both locations because of specialty shop accessibility gaps. For instance, I got Batman #467 and X-Men Classic #63 at a 7-11, Legends of the Dark Knight #21 and War of the Gods #1 at B. Dalton, and I was still getting my X-books at the flea market booth. I know that I had to backfill at least one issue each of Hulk and Sandman in Colorado because my Advance Comics order hadn't kicked in for those after sampling, but I think I scored New Titans #79 before the move. Probably a mall bookstore, then. Obviously the issue was lumpy as hell with all the disparate fill-in artists and subplots. I'm not sure where I was at on back issues, but it's a safe bet that I was on my own Titans hunt already, maybe starting with #71 or "Titans Plague." I think I knew that only one of these artists was a regular, and with the help of Al Vey's embellishment, the changes were palatable (Cullins more than Swan, obviously.) I have positive associations with that cover (characters mulling over a picture on a desk is tight,) was intrigued by the mysterious new players, and benefited from the recitation of exposition. I'm happy here.
I'm pretty confident about New Titans Annual #7 coming from Waldenbooks. I was hotly anticipating the exploration of the future Titans, and I was buying random Armageddon 2001 annuals through random avenues (but mostly not comic shops.) I grew up on Neal Adams, so I can't be as anti-Tom Grindberg as Dereck, even as I'm aware of the disparities. You know what else? Mike's Amazing World indicates this was my first trip with Waverider. Another Titans-to-DC bridge built. Speaking of bridges, I know that I bought X-Men #1A at El Capitan, and X-Men #1E at Tornado Comics in a Denver suburb. I later learned that there was a Mile High satellite store sort-of within walking distance, but this shop was right by our house. I was constantly dropping in there on the way back from school to dig through their quarter bins. There was a slight delay though, because I bought Alpha Flight Special #4 at a convenience store out of desperation, because I already had the other "new books" out of the direct market. I suspect that I might have started "Breakdowns" that way too. Despite the dated art style and future Nightwing's ugly Cap riff, I thought the book was rad as hell. I liked the 2001 Titans okay overall, but committed early to Nightrider, because vampire. Dagon and the art were giving me Legion of Monsters nostalgia.
Nabbing Kerry Gammill for the "Teens of Tomorrow" in New Titans #80 was another big win, especially because the pages inked by Al Vey strongly invoke Tom Grummett. I never made the connection before, but can now plainly see that one was an influence on the other. I always go straight to Byrne with Grummett, but Gammill was very similar, with a bit more Continuity Studios flavor. It's true that "Titans Hunt" more or less is completely halted for this issue, but it also set up what came next very well, spelled out the intersection between these New Teen Titans and the old New Titans, and offered Grummett the breather he needed to return strong (or to devote more of his energies to Superman, probably. I still think that this was a Texas buy, but if so, it would be among my last ones. Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey.
I bet this comment is already too long for one post?
Yes it was, by a whole issue/paragraph. Glad I stopped actively listening to the podcast right away so I don't struggle to find my place.
ReplyDeleteNew Titans #81 was definitely a Colorado book. There was a strong "War of the Gods is still happening?" vibe. The Curt Swan of it all really hurt, as did the Pariah appearance and jamming all that event stuff into a book where the natural connection to Wonder Woman was already M.I.A. I was almost certainly well into the Titans Hunt back issues now, and was probably overloaded by the wheel spinning, because I recall my commitment wavering at this point. I was already bitterly disappointed by much of "Mutant Genesis," which was making me restless overall.
"The Jericho Gambit Part One" was just what I needed. The story's moving again, and the art is back to delightful. Pantha chilled out. Full explanations provided. Donna means the new Teen Titans are back soon. The Wildbeestmobile with the mohawk should be parked beside the Thanoscopter. Further, I'm now reading Byrne/Lee X-Men and half a year into X-Force, and they are not delivering. I was so freakin' excited by the closing issues of New Mutants, and nothing Rob Liefeld is pitching is hitting. Uncanny still has Whilce Portacio & Bishop, plus I'm enjoying PAD & Stroman on X-Factor, but the cracks are emerging. I can't mooch off my brother's Wolverine anymore, and I temporarily drop it after #50 undid much of "Weapon X." I've sampled and dismissed Deathstroke, so Titans is a nice single book follow that I'm digging more than most anything else right now. Nice save. I double down on it. More revelations and actual nudity (you aren't fooling anyone, Raven.) This encounter has fatal consequences and is clearly resolving the story. It's the opposite of all my non-Peter David Marvel titles, which is all sizzle but no steak. I got bored with "Breakdowns" and skipped some later chapters, but returned for the end. I'm DC curious now, but mainly Titans-centered.
New Titans #84 is a tad short of a triumphant finish. Jericho being confirmed as dead-dead felt pretty final in the closing splash. There's a lot of full and partial splashes to pad-out a partial resolution. I don't hate Danny Chase enough to get off on his slow-roasted demise. I wish Nightwing was more than impotent, but this appears to be the nadir of the established Titans (it's not,) so I have hopes for a redemption arc (not here.) But on the other hand, it looks great and is never boring. I've never enjoyed looking at Starfire as much as this run, and even full demon Raven in a cloth diaper is unusually hot. We get to keep Phantasm, and the horned fetus is intriguing. I'm not so sure that this is the "best" Deathstroke story, but I've never enjoyed anyone drawing him more than Grummett/Vey (which puts "Titans Plague" in contention.) It's going to hurt when Slade leaves, but I'm definitely enthused about the new team(s,) and firmly on board for years to come.
...Hopefully the Titans don't idle for nearly half a year and an unrelated set of three extremely drawn out annuals before launching into a messy nine part crossover involving a gimmick book with five variants (that I refuse to fully support) which ends with the books losing their creative true north before a not-"funny" oversized special and another four issues of idling (doubled if you're buying a Team Titans spin-off that's lost its creative team) before a very divisive quasi-crossover that effectively ends the series for many readers (yet it drags on nearly three more years.)