COMIC: Top of the Stack - Teen Titans #5 (Review)

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Brett Booth & Norm Rapmund
Cover: Brett Booth & Norm Rapmund

Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99

It looks like it only took a month of being back to reviewing comics on a weekly basis for a company to put together successive weeks of wowing me with a book that would keep them at the top of my reading stack and this week it was DC tightening its hold on top with the release of TEEN TITANS #5.

And I seemed to be in a team book haze this week as I also enjoyed DC's other legendary team book, JUSTICE LEAGUE #6. And while that issue with the adult team mixing it up with Darkseid was almost my choice, it was the intrigue in TEEN TITANS #5 that is Superboy as an unknown factor in the battle against the teen heroes that was just too great to pass up.

Writer Scott Lobdell has been at the helm of the series since the relaunch of TEEN TITANS in the New 52 DC initiative, and at the same time is pulling double duty by being the writer on SUPERBOY as well and readers of both are seeing the two series intertwine as N.O.W.H.E.R.E throws Superboy at the Titans.

The great thing about this issue's battle is how several of the characters get a moment to shine as they take on Superboy before the eventuality of Superboy gaining the upper hand takes place. For someone like me who is not too familiar with several of these new Titans - not including oldies like Red Robin, Kid Flash and Wondergirl who have new twists to their character in the DC 52 to learn about as well - it is great to get a feel for what Bunker and Solstice can do.

And the underlying theme so far in the series of that destruction seems to follow the teen heroes stays true in this issue as the battle with Superboy is really wrecking things around them and even Solstice's save of Kid Flash involved damaging a battleship in the harbor.

A perfect match for the story is the art in this book. The individuality of each character's abilities really come out on the pages, whether it be Superboy's tactile telekinesis or Bunker's psionic bricks, Kid Flash's speed, the action just looks fantastic.

I have always been a fan of team books, and especially that of the Teen Titans. It has been ages though since I've enjoyed the title and now with the fresh start of the DC 52 I think the series has a chance to do something special like the Titans books of decades ago and I can confidently say this is a great beginning so far.

Look to buy the TEEN TITANS #5 digital comic on Comixology for $1.99

COMIC: Top of the Stack - Booster Gold #45 (Review)

Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artist: Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund
Cover: Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund

Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99

The second week of June brought several contenders for the top of my weekly comic stack. DC continued its Flashpoint presence and had a few intriguing titles like several Green Lantern movie prequel books and FLASHPOINT: FRANKENSTEIN CREATURES OF UNKNOWN #1, which gave off heavy Hellboy vibes.

I am not a fan of Marvel's direction with Ultimate Spider-Man but the newest issue of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY, #624 continued to deliver superb story and art. And from the smaller companies, I thought MEGA MAN #2 from Archie Comics was another solid issue.

But in the end it was the presence of Flashpoint that seduced me and led to BOOSTER GOLD #45 being the book that finished on the top of my stack. The great Dan Jurgens has been the main creative force behind the book for now his second issue after being away from the title for awhile.

As Booster Gold learns more about the new world he has found himself in, he has unfortunately been labeled as an Atlantean by the military and continues to be attacked by the controlled monster Booster remembers by another name, Doomsday.

What I enjoyed about the issue was the detective work Booster did and the conclusions he was able to come to on his own about Professor Zoom and the time stream being why the world is like it is. And to end on the situation created when Booster got help from his Greek lady friend, who unknowingly disabled the military's control of Doomsday, leaving Booster to face a monster unleashed in the next issue.

Jurgens has been connected to Booster Gold for a long time so seeing his art on the book and character again feel like this is how the character is meant to look and read. The action scenes looked great and there was a constant variation in the use of angles to present how the story was unfolding for Booster and the rest.

I have been encouraged by how this title has embraced Booster's role as the unsung hero, and I am looking forward to finding out how he looks to solve the problem of Flashpoint or at least play a part in how it wraps up. A solid issue.