Titans Vol. 2: Made in Manhattan (Rebirth)

by Dan Abnett

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 Stars.

I received a copy of Titans Vol. 2 from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Titans is a superhero team that consists of Wally West (the/a Flash) Donna Troy (AKA Wonder Girl), Arsenal (Roy Harper), Garth (Aqualad), Lilith Clay (Omen), and Nightwing (Richard Grayson). While they still don’t remember all of their past adventures together, they still consider themselves to be friends first, teammates second.


This volume is a little bit of a mishmash of stories. It contains issues seven through ten of the main story, as well as Titans Annual (number one) and a story from the DC Rebirth Holiday Special. Oh, did I mention that there’s Superman cameo too? A lot going on, to say the least!
The Titans are up against old and new enemies in this volume. It’s worth noting that the focus is no longer on Wally West (which I knew was going to happen, yet I still find myself a bit disappointed by that fact). Instead Mal (ex-Titan) and Bumblebee (Mal’s wife) get brought into the mix, as it turns out they’ve unwittingly put themselves in harm’s way. A company called Meta Solutions claims to be capable of removing super powers from heroes, as well as being able to help them control said powers. In truth it’s actually some sort of grand scheme being run by The Fearsome Five.
I’ve always been a fan of team dynamics, and that’s no exception when it comes to the Titans. I love seeing how they interact with each other – especially this team. They’re just so supportive of each other, but physically and emotionally. It’s a nice change if I’m being honest. Adding Mal and Bumblebee to the mix was nice too – I hope they become more permanent members of the team.
The Annual story brings members of the Titans team together with members of the Justice team, which is actually pretty cool. Wally, Donna, Dick, and Garth all find themselves trapped in a building (at the time they’re not sure what type of building) with the Flash (Barry Allen), Wonder Woman, Batman, and Aquaman. You’ll notice that it’s essentially the younger and older generations combined. This leads to some tension and interesting revelations. It was pretty solid for a one-shot, and totally worth reading.
Lastly are the holiday stories. It’s a short, feel good sort of story. While cute and funny, it really isn’t anything to write home about. Though as always, I appreciate the added character interaction between the Titans (has anybody jumped on the Donna/Roy ship yet?).
I’ll admit I didn’t like this volume as much as the first one. For one thing the art was a bit on the choppier side, not as fluid and crisp as the previous volume (which I loved the artwork in – so I may be a bit biased here). For another the pacing just felt off. Between the multiple storylines floating around and everything else, it just ends up getting a bit jumbled. Despite all of this, I truly can’t wait until volume three releases. I have faith that things will be picking up for the Titans (I loved the first volume so much, there’s no way I can picture this series going downhill). Here’s hoping it isn’t too long of a wait!


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