Published on April 11th, 2018 | by Keagan Morgan
TITANS #22 REVIEW
Summary: The stakes are high for a fractured Titans team as we see Donna Troy take center stage.
3.9
Brain’s The Game!
As we see the Justice League Watchtower silhouetting against the Sun in the first panel, we are quickly made aware of the catastrophic events happening down below on Earth’s surface. Enter Donna Troy, who has been relegated to helpless bystander watching the big leaguers play. Batman relays the game plan to the Justice League as coolly and confidently as he can given the circumstances, but it seems Donna knows there is something bigger at play. Unfortunately, in her attempts to help, she is treated as a child in timeout as Batman tells her to go back to her room.
Following directly from the events in Titans #21, Dan Abnett and team carry Roy Harper’s (Arsenal) story arc along seamlessly with Donna Troy’s as The Brain, Mallah, and the Brotherhood of Evil continue their sinister plot of complete world control. We are treated to some interesting character moments between The Brain and Mallah that showcase a long storied and perhaps one-sided emotional relationship that could be on the verge of breaking. Meanwhile, back at the Watchtower, we see the situation become even more dire as Donna makes her escape while The Brain uses the Watchtower against Batman. We finally see Batman deduce the situation they are facing, leaving us wondering of not only the Watchtower’s fate, but also Batman’s.
Wrapping up the story, we are sent over to Roy’s latest situation as Cheshire stands over him and her cronies beating him incessantly. As Cheshire makes her final move on Roy, we see Donna spring into action. After resolving Roy’s conflict with Cheshire and coming to terms with what they are up against, Donna and Roy decide to take further steps in determining what is causing these global events they tried to warn the Justice League about. They find a challenge they are both ready to take on, but we are left to discover what ultimate fate is beset.
While Abnett continues to steer multiple arcs in a simple, yet satisfying way, it is the solidly contrasting colors and art on display that make this issue grab at you. We are treated to the designs and inks of Paul Pelletier and Andrew Hennessy, respectively. However, Adriano Lucas’s colors are gratifying by the way the colors boldly pop from the page. The vibrant greens and reds pair well with the overall blue and gray hued backdrop we are treated to, which made this all much more fun to read through.
This issue succinctly continues the ongoing arcs and puts Donna Troy on a pedestal, but perhaps not as large of one that you would expect considering she does take a backseat for much of the issue. With that being said, there is still time for her to be given an appropriate and deserving spotlight in the next issue. We can probably anticipate the rest of the Titans circling back as well to assist finishing the task at hand. Abnett is crafting a solid story and the art helps sell the atmosphere that fits this wonderfully.
COMIC DETAILS
CREATIVE TEAM: Dan Abnett, Andrew Hennessy and Paul Pelletier
PUBLISHER: DC
PUBLICATION DATE: April 11, 2018
REVIEWER: Keagan C