Terror Titans (DC) | Under The Radar

Terror Titans

DC

Written by Sean McKeever, Penciled by Joe Bennett

Aug 31, 2009 Web Exclusive By Jeremy Nisen

Super-teens are being snatched up and brainwashed into serving as gladiators in an underground fight club. But the main focus in Terror Titans is on those doing the snatching.

Reprinting the six-issue miniseries written by Sean McKeever and penciled by Joe Bennett, Terror Titans is an offshoot of DC's Teen Titans title, and its fans probably have the best chance of enjoying Terror Titans. McKeever does a fine job fleshing out most of the lead characters and giving the background characters some shining moments. With a cast of super-characters as numerous as a "Crisis Event," this is no small feat. But when melodrama meets the morally corrupt, as in the case of Dreadbolt, Persuader, Disrupter, and Copperhead, it's hard to give a damn. Rose "Ravager" Wilson, an ex-Teen Titan and intriguing character, could have grabbed the audience, but her motivations and decisions seem weak. The "big bad" Clock King is barely more menacing than his name is silly.

Terror Titans draws heavily on DC continuity, which, on balance, does more to muddle than excite, particularly the dangling Final Crisis/New Gods threads. Also, the role of a certain Teen Titan in the finale would have seemed less a deus ex machina had that character been alluded to in a significant way during the buildup.

But Terror Titans is more than the sum of its murky parts. It's like that old Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Bloodsport, where the story is just an excuse to see come cool martial arts. Terror Titans has some fun punch-ups, and the return of Milestone Comics' Static—his first appearance in the DC universe proper—is a definite "heck yeah" moment. Enough to make it a must-read? Nah. But if action and dynamic art are top priorities, Terror Titans may fit the bill. (www.dccomics.com)

Author rating: 5/10

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Average reader rating: 8/10