Random Retrospective #11 – Teen Titans #7

Continuing Geoff Johns’ run on TEEN TITANS after their first adventure/origin story, finds the members all dealing with their downtime away from Titans Tower, working out what they’re doing and where they’re going. Cyborg and Beast Boy (or is it Changeling now? I can never remember) are still at the Tower looking into the disappearance of Raven and Jericho – from memory, I think Jericho had gone bad at this point and used his body-hopping powers to make Deathstroke kill his long-time aide-de-camp Wintergreen.

Kid Flash – who recently read the entire contents of a library so that people would stop thinking he’s stupid – is coming to realise that knowing everything isn’t the same as being intelligent. Still doesn’t stop him taking out the Trickster, though.

Wonder Girl has her own issues, though getting into school is helped by Arrowette (and Secret) striking a deal with the principal.

And Superboy gets a visit from Superman who gifts him Krypto to help him focus and get to grips with pretending to be a regular boy in Smallville during the weeks. Has to be said, Superboy’s not really that interested at first.

The other members of the team get a spotlight, too, but topping and tailing the issue is Deathstroke at the grave of Wintergreen, planning his vengeance against the Titans, and enlisting his daughter Rose who will become the new Ravager.

I have fond memories of the Johns run on TEEN TITANS as it pulled together some of the members of the revered Wolfman/Perez line-up along with newer characters and it seemed to work. Johns always seemed to be able to give the sometimes sprawling cast enough room to move and enough of a voice for each of them.

Mash-Up #149 Teen Titans and Super Squad

This is a pairing I’d like to have seen – the Teen Titans and the Super Squad of Earth-2; Robin and Ravager butting heads; Star-Spangled Kid confused at Wonder Girl being in charge; and Changeling slobbering over Power Girl.

Mash-Up #95

Three times a week I randomly generate two dates, hunt down covers from those dates and then mash them together and force the results on you lovely people, while giving a hat-tip to the wonderful Super-Team Family blog which has been doing this for years (and a lot better) on an almost daily basis.

Ah, Wolfman/Perez era Titans – you gotta love them.