Titans #16 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 16, December 2024

Set during the aftermath of DC Comics’ “Absolute Power” major storyline in which “Amanda Waller seized power and launched a worldwide crackdown on superheroes”, John Layman’s script for “Stitches In Time” doesn’t waste much sheet space in bringing any readers ignorant of the four-issue mini-series up to speed with its consequences. Indeed, for those within this nineteen-page periodical’s audience who never even encountered one of the 2024 event’s numerous tie-in titles, the sheer sense of disorientation with the super-team’s sudden roster changes must have been incredibly disconcerting at best; “You’re okay with this, Donna? Me coming back onboard the Titans?”

Foremost of these ‘swaps’ is debatably Arsenal’s unexpected decision to re-join the group, and then immediately begin to become upset when he realises that the Flash isn’t staying on, or that Nightwing will be leading him. Whether intentional or not, this discontent, coupled with Roy Harper’s arrogantly brazen attitude towards an extra-terrestrial incident aboard the Justice League’s Watchtower marks his character out as being particularly disagreeable, and simply doesn’t bode well for those bibliophiles who buy this book for its ‘family feeling’.

Furthermore, the American author doesn’t portray poor Garfield Logan in much of a good light either, with the hapless shape-shifter being depicted as a bit of a well-meaning buffoon who inadvertently puts his team-mates in jeopardy when he enrages a massively-fanged Tamaranean Carcaline. Admittedly, this mix-up is perhaps penned for laughs by the former editor for “Wildstorm” – or at least to inject a predominantly dialogue-driven comic with a bit of action. But any sense of humour is soon dispelled by the Question’s seething response to Beast Boy’s behaviour, and her all-too quick retort that its not the first “sloppy mistake that could easily have ended in disaster” that he’s made recently.

Disappointingly, even Pete Woods’ pencils and colours arguably don’t help sell the word-heavy narrative either, with the Harvey Award-nominee’s clean lined figures appearing a little stiff-looking during some of the action sequences. Having said that though, the artist’s use of blurred figures to emphasize a sense of depth to his panels is absolutely first-rate, with the Clock King kicking Arsenal unconscious being one of the visual highlights of this entire publication.

The regular cover art of "TITANS" #16 by Pete Woods