Teen Titans #71 Review

This issue is was titled “Homecoming,” although I’m not wholly sure why.  The team does return after their trip to New York City in the multi-part “Deathtrap” crossover.  Most of the issue revolves around Ravager, Rose Wilson, and her future with the team.  She’s never exactlybeen the friendly sort, and there is no exception here, as she verbally spars with most of the team.

She and Wonder Girl clash quite a bit, Wonder Girl taking pains to tell her that she never asked her to leave, Rose did that on her own.  Titans Tower is still heavily damaged after Static unleashed his powers to their upper levels to stop the Jericho-possessed Cyborg from killing most of the team during the above mentioned cross over.  We also learn that the team has been approaching by Kid Eternity one at a time and asking for reunions with departed loved ones. Wonder Girl is shocked to hear this, and refuses the chance.  Then we learn that Kid Eternity’s powers have more limits than previously announced, and that the closer together he does a summoning of one of the dead, the shorter time they can stay, and that cumulatively the process exhausts him.

During the climactic scene, Rose has maneuvered Static and Blue Beetle into not going on a prisoner transport as security, leaving Rose and Bombshell alone with the captured Regulator.  As an aside, I have no idea who this villain is and don’t recall hearing of or seeing him before. Anyway, Ravager and Bombshell have taken turns vying for the titles of least pleasant to team mates and member of most dubious morals for a while now, so we knew both of them weren’t going to stay. Bombshell taunts Ravager about her family’s history with eyes (her
father Deathstroke has lost an eye, likewise Ravager, and at the end of Deathtrap, her brother Jericho had both his eyes put out by Vigilante). In return, Ravager responds “Batgirl says hi” and draws her hand across her throat, a reference to when Batgirl, under the influence of Deathstroke, cut Bombshell’s throat, seemingly killing her. Bombshell leaps to the attack, and Ravager manages to use Bombshell’s blasts to disable Regulator’s power restraint.  Regulator’s powers kick in, depowering Bombshell. Ravager promptly beats Bombshell silly, but we learn she does this to make sure Bombshell understands that the Titans are a family, and that Bombshell is not going to betray them again. I guess this falls under “enhanced interrogation techniques.”

Wonder Girl realizes what Rose is up to when she sees both Static and Blue Beetle at breakfast in the Tower, and scrambles the team to pursue them. Wonder Girl rips into the transport, tries to subdue Ravager by breaking her swords, and gets cut as she shatters one, thus proving that Regulator’s power works even on “the daughter of a god.”

Bombshell speaks up for Rose both on the transport and in a later meeting, saying Rose was just trying to look out for the team. Wonder Girl dismissed this, saying Rose endangered the mission for her own selfish goals. You mean like tearing apart a super human transport vehicle without knowing what was going on inside, Cassie?  There’s a touching scene on the roof of the Tower, where Rose tells Eddie she’s leaving, and rather out of character asks him to come with
her.  Inside, the team meets about Ravager’s future, with Bombshell saying if she’s being given a second chance, Rose should be as well. Eddie walks in from his scene on the roof and tells them its a moot point.  The final page is Rose leaving, in her c clothes, on a motorcycle, musing that she tried to open up to the team, and it backfired. She leaves, alone again, in a set up for the ongoing “co feature” starting in the book next month. Many DC titles are going to start running short stories behind the main one, and Teen Titans will feature Ravager.

So, my overall thoughts on the issue: almost the entire thing was Rose and seemed rather soap opera like. Since it was revealed a while ago that Ravager was to be the Teen Titans’ co feature, there was no real suspense over the outcome of the main plot. Kid Eternity being used to call up dead friends or loved ones for his team was a bit of a surprise, and Cassie refusing to do it
was a nice touch, since I, along with many I am sure, expected her to ask to see Conner Kent, Superboy.  I’m not sure how well that would have worked since he’s been revived in the future, but his body is “in stasis” now.  I suppose her not asking spared the writer that particular conundrum. Aside from Wonder Girl, Ravager, and Eddie, most of the team were reduced to a few panels or even just one line of dialogue. It’s hard to balance a group, and this one was mostly
about Rose, so I suppose it makes sense, but its still sad to see Static, a big surprise addition to the team and arguably their biggest star right now, mostly just as a face in the crowd. Aquagirl fared even worse, with one line during training, expressing her doubts about Rose, even though Rose saved both Aquagirl and Static from the Dark Side Club during the recent Terror Titans
mini. At the end of the issue, we are allegedly left with the team’s new line up, but I see trouble ahead.

The next big event DC is publicizing and foreshadowing and generally hyping up is  “Darkest Night,” where in the dead come back. Especially in recent years, I don’t think there’s been a team with a higher body count than the various Titans branches. I am wondering how many of these zombies will end up being “restored” somehow and stay around.  Just off the top of my head, ones that have died and actually stayed dead (an increasing rarity in DC these days)
include Pantha, Baby Wildebeest, Bushido, Aquagirl III, Dove I, Kole, Omen/Lilith, Terra I and II, Joker’s Daughter, Osiris, and Molecule. I’m sure I’m forgetting some, sadly.

Over all, I’d give it a solid 6 out of 10. Next month is billed as the start of Ravager’s co feature, and the return of the Fearsome Five. Since many of them have died over the years as well, some more than once, it will be interesting to see exactly who shows up.