Beware - Time Travel Changes Your Hair Colour
All ye, rejoice! Bunker's back. Sort of. As a result of Johnny Quick twanging on Kid Flash's vibrational frequency and the Titans' getting pulled into an interdimensional wormhole, the team's been getting flung between times and places non-stop. It's a wonder they haven't thrown up yet.
Positive
- This issue was fun. There's no other word for it. From Bunker and Red Robin's interaction at the start to the rest of the Titans' getting bounced all over history, this issue was an enjoyable one, and it was handled very well. The short periods of time the Titans' spend in each place is a great representation of just how fast-paced their foray through time has been, and the images of various universes shown in screens is just brilliant.
- The appearance of various different versions of the Teen Titans from alternate dimensions were great. More cosplay, sure, but great initiative.
- We also get Etrigan vs Raven, albeit briefly.
- Another Superboy and Red Robin team-up mid book, which I'm sure will appeal to fans of their pre-52 friendship and partnership.
- There were several pages that were absolutely fantastic. The art is phenomenal in this issue.
- That being said, both of the covers available for this issue are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Negative
- The only things that detract from this issue are Lobdell's traditional clunky dialogue...
- ...and his callbacks to part events that should no longer be relevant. Somehow he manages to make direct reference to Wondergirl's mother being an archaeologist, Wondergirl not wanting to be a Titan or indeed Wondergirl, Superboy being a clone, Harvest, Forever Evil, Superboy vs Kid Flash, N.O.W.H.E.R.E., the Teen Titans vs Trigon... and only two of those were relevant. We haven't forgotten what's happened, so the removal of the callbacks would be mightily appreciated.
????
- Uh, Bart was blond. With blue eyes. Apparently. Time travel is a marvel. Nice shirt, by the way.
Verdict
A fun, fast-paced issue that is a definite look up from some more recent installments in this series. It's a definite improvement over some of Lobdell's other work, and hopefully future issues will be kept to this standard. I'll give it a 4/5 for "recommended reading".
