Titans #5 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 5, January 2024

Very much living up to “DC Comics” pre-publication promise of “The Titans are going green” in this twenty-page-periodical, Tom Taylor’s plot for “Out Of The Shadows” still probably dissatisfied a number of its readers with its super-wordy narrative. Indeed, even the titular super-group’s battle against “the new and improved Demolition Team” is resolved via Beast Boy angrily giving one of the villains a considerable tongue-lashing, as opposed to transforming into one of his famously flamboyant animal forms; “Gar. They’re subdued. The town and the people are safe. It’s done.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean for a second that this book’s “New York Times bestselling author” doesn’t later depict Changeling in a multitude of guises as Logan impressively transmutes into a mass of butterflies, dung beetles and then ladybirds in order “to heal the Borneo rainforest”. But these marvellous, multi-bug makeovers are included simply to show the extent of the former Doom Patrol member’s special powers, as opposed to exciting the audience during the aging sidekicks’ stand-off against numerous criminals “with a construction motif”.

Arguably much more involving, though just as dialogue driven, is Nightwing’s last minute deduction that the Flash’s future murderer is actually Wally West’s alien-possessed wife. This well-penned revelation is already known to any bibliophile familiar with the ongoing series. Yet the shock generated by the investigative journalist nonchalantly attempting to detonate a Qwardian Doomsday Weapon inside the Titan trophy room on Mars is still somewhat palpable, due to the reactions of both Dick Grayson and the Scarlet Speedster as Linda impotently taps the neutralised device’s activation button repeatedly.

Perhaps slightly discombobulated by this comic’s inaction is Nicola Scott, whose sketches of Swamp Thing seemingly make the Avatar of the Green appear disconcertingly thin and utterly unimposing. In fact, the protector of plant life is regrettably difficult to spot in many a panel, due to the peaceful yet supposedly powerful giant’s lack-lustre stature, and some of colourist Annette Kwok’s dark-hued palette choices. Happily however, the Australian artist doesn’t disappoint when it comes to Beast Boy’s aforementioned insect-based transformation sequence, with the depiction of the protagonist willingly losing a tiny part of himself whenever one of his green-hued creepy crawlies dies probably being the highlight of the book.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Artist: Nicola Scott, and Colorist: Annette Kwok