Titans #9 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 9, May 2024

Considering the total absence of any action whatsoever within this continuation of Tom Taylor’s “Dark-Winged Queen” saga, the comic still arguably contains plenty of intrigue and double-dealing to hold its audience’s attention throughout. True, much of the twenty-page plot revolves around various cast members simply conversing with one another. But even something like a short-lived sequence depicting Peacemaker inadvertently walking in on Amanda Waller’s secret meeting with the demon Trigon provides the Australian author with an opportunity to demonstrate both Christopher Smith’s unswerving patriotic fervour, as well as the head of the Bureau of Sovereignty’s ruthlessness in immediately deciding to have a new recruit’s memory wiped of her diabolical dealings.

Indeed, the script to Issue Nine of “Titans” is simply packed full of character development, ranging from Beast Boy’s increasing descent into a dark depression on account of recently trying to inadvertently take over the world, through to the Quintessence’s unsuccessful attempt to covertly warn the planet Earth of its imminent destruction utilising the fast-paced skills of the Greek god Hermes, and thus “risk a confrontation with Hell.” So crammed a carousel of word-heavy scenes genuinely could have become incredibly tiresome for many a reader to navigate. However, such are the sticky webs being spun by the competing forces of good, evil and the American way of life, that every time someone opens their mouth another twist to an already engrossing tale is added; “That is a decent carrot. But I’m after actual power, not just the appearance of it. Let’s talk about a better deal, devil…”

Of course, the clear highlight of this publication has to be Raven’s subtle ability to manipulate her team-mates for her own satanic ends. No longer Rachel Roth, the Daughter of Darkness does a terrific job of making the Flash look a fool simply by insinuating the speedster forced Garfield Logan to leave the super-group's rescue mission on the Island of Key West prematurely, before the media could film the vilified shape-shifter once again saving people. Furthermore, the fact Starfire asks her to help Beast Boy recover his understandably lost boyish swagger could well add future legitimacy to the spell-caster’s savage cleansing of her boyfriend’s mental guilt, shame, and self-loathing.

As a result it is probably only new series artist Lucas Meyer’s pencils which take a bit of warming up to. Approached by publisher “DC Comics” to be the ongoing illustrator “about halfway through issue four of Titans: Beast World”, the Brazilian does a fantastic job when it comes to sketching the fiery pits of Hell. Yet his portrayal of the Titans and many of the other figures in this book, especially the likes of Cyborg and Wally West, regrettably look a little stiff and wooden.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Artist: Lucas Meyer, and Colorist: Adriano Lucas