Retro Review - A Swingin' Christmas w/The Titans!
First Impressions:
Teen Titans 13, It's Swingin' Christmas Carol, is a story written by Teen Titans writer Bob Haney. Bob did a lot of youth culture comics for DC in the 1960s and I think he might have had an off day! Great art by the incomparable Nick Cardy makes the comic somewhat palatable.
The Teen Titans are sitting around reading DC comics and marveling on how "groovy" they are. Robin though is reading Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which Wondergirl proclaims is "uncool" and "all that jazz." (Did people talk like that in the late 60s?)
Anyway, we meet some people who seem to emulate the Dickens' story: an Ebenezer Scrounge and his clerk, Bob Rachett.
It seems Ebenezer has a deal with some people who dump junk in his yard and pay him for it. When Ebenezer is gone, they take a special ray that turns junk into valuable items and fence them.
Ebenezer and Rachett find out about this but Ebe warns Rachett that he better not tell the cops. After all, despite the gang's activities, Ebe is still getting rent money. I mean come on now, really. :)
The Teen Titans find out about this and there are a few fists thrown here and there. Later the Teens get an idea: "...we can take a page from Mr. Charles Dickens and get Scrounge to change his miserable ways!"
It's a strange Titans story for sure. These crooks with their fancy electronics could have made it big selling these great inventions rather than harass a bunch of super-powered teenagers and an old miser.
And the dialogue is not the greatest, even though Bob Haney was a pretty darn good writer back in the day. But I digress!
Bottom Line:
At the end, DC Comics promises a Titanic new year for 1968! And it was, too!
Overstreet Price Guide for this issue in Near Mint condition: $100.00!