Faster Than A Speeding Bullet?: Reviewing ‘Titans’ #2

At long last, the former sidekicks are taking the spotlight. Too bad it might be deadly for one of them. A new era of Titans continues heroes deal with a timey wimey mystery and possible betrayal of one of their own.

One of the things that has always made the Titans a compelling group of heroes is their relationships. Unlike the Justice League who are friends, but mostly are a team, the Titans are a family. That sort of happens when you essentially grow up together. Sharing a lot of the same insecurities and adventures, while in the shadows of beloved world heroes.

Any new run was going to be judged immediately based on how it handled the characters and their relationships. One thing that can always be said about Tom Taylor is that he knows characters pretty darn well. We saw that over in Nightwing, not only with that character, but all the other heroes, including the Titans, who have appeared in that run.

There are plenty of personal moments here but also big wide moments. Taylor gets them all and even makes some heavy dialogue pages from a classic villain reborn for a new-age flow. That’s also because of the solid work that Wes Abbott always puts in with lettering. Doing all the right little things with the fonts and bubbles to make things smooth and energetic. We don’t just see words on the page. Those words make sure we see, hear, and feel what the characters are in that moment.

What also helps sell these characters is being able to see and feel those relationships, bonds, and moments. That is never a worry with Nicola Scott executing the artwork of a series. All those emotions and energetic waves that we need are more than evident in her work. They are almost tangible, that’s how realistic and weighted they are.

Visually, much of it looks like it could be an image ripped from our world. Yet it’s not a complete photo-realistic approach. There are enough little flairs that keep it just outside our world. It’s playful and never forgets this is a fantastical world full of strange and powerful beings. It’s mixed with very fluid kinetic energy, with every panel feeling like it truly is moving.

This work pairs nicely with the colors that Annette Kwok brings to play. There is plenty of bright superhero vibrancy in many aspects, but it’s never overwhelming. The colors are more grounded and reflective of that reality feeling I mentioned. Lots of shadows and darker elements give everything more depth and weight. It’s very classical meets modern in a sense, hitting all the right beats for hero stories.

The best way to put it might be that it’s big bold superhero stuff, but feels intimate and familiar. It’s not The League bursting around (though they do that in the flashback) needing every story to be so majorly epic in scale it’s bonkers. Which is a good and a bad thing.

Much like I noted in the previous review, the point of this series is that the Titans are now the big dogs on campus. Yet, it doesn’t entirely feel that way. Honestly, I really really like this series. I love the depth and the care of the characters, and the interesting twists that are already being sprinkled in. When Taylor is locked in, he does the slow burn building tension intrigue thing pretty darn well.

I just don’t feel like this is a team that is taking the place of the Justice League. They’re operating on a small scale still in a smaller city, Blüdhaven. Outside of this book I don’t believe we’ve seen any mention of them as the new League of sorts. I hate to say it, but it currently feels like lip service that won’t go anywhere because the League is surely coming back pretty soon. Hopefully, the rest of the arc proves me wrong.

Titans #2 is now available from DC Comics.