Review- TEEN TITANS VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY

TEEN TITANS VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY (DC, Second Printing, 2014; Softcover)

Collects Teen Titans #0, 15-17, Red Hood And The Outlaws #16, and Batman #17 (cover dates November, 2012- April, 2013)

Writers: Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, and Scott Snyder

Artists: Brett Booth, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Tyler Kirkham, Batt, Norm Rapmund, Jon Sibal, Timothy Green II, Wayne Faucher, Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira

Colorists: Andrew Dalhouse Blond, FCO Plascencia, and Alex Sinclair

My son checked this out of our local library and asked me to read it with him. While I am glad that I did so that I could censor out the cursewords (regular readers of my blog know of my disdain for superheroes swearing), it was a chore to read. Only my love for my son could have made me endure this nonsensical hot mess of a story.

While I loathe decompression-style writing in comics, the overwriting by '90s holdouts Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza is far, far worse. Reading their dialogue is like chewing chalk. This is some stupid story about The Teen Titans teaming up with Red Hood And The Outlaws to save all twenty Robins from The Joker, or something like that. It was so difficult to read that I zoned out a few times while rattling off the story to my son, who seemed to enjoy it.

My 9 year old son's take: He liked that two different Robins were fighting each other. He also liked the fact that there is not a lot of swearing in it because it is more enjoyable for all ages. He said that it was a pretty good storyline too. He disliked the way that The Joker looked in it. He disliked the tricks that The Joker played on them, like when he had tricked them into thinking that he had removed their faces.

The writing was stiff and clunky while the artwork suffered from a '90s Image influence. My apologies to those who consider bombastic, hyper-stylized '90s comic book art to be in good taste. The coloring was overdone and lifeless. I am just grateful that this was free from the library. I can't imagine how awful I would have felt if I spent my money on it or if my son spent his allowance money on it. Avoid this turkey at all costs.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 0.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone

Paper stock: Good weight glossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover. 

Reviews- FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2013 offerings Part the Fourth

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2013 offerings Part the Fourth

Note: Free Comic Book Day will be referred to as FCBD from here on out in these reviews.

The Walking Dead: FCBD 2013 Special (Image, cover date May, 2013)

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artist: Charlie Adlard

Colorist: Cliff Rathburn...if you consider gray tones to be a color, that is.

Ah yes, The Walking Dead...the savior of and modern day benchmark for Horror comics. I really wish that I had heard of this title before everyone and their brother hyped it up as the second coming, because by the time I was given the first deluxe hardcover as a X-Mas gift a few years ago I already had a chip on my shoulder toward this title. Instead of Hey, let me check this out, it was more like Fine, I'll read the goddamn thing to see why everyone won't shut up about it. I honestly don't see what all the hoopla is about it.

This FCBD issue is pretty good, more of a character story than a full on zombie story. I gave the first 11 issues of this title a chance but it wasn't my cup of tea. I am happy that everyone loves it, and I'm happy for all of the recognition that it has brought back to comic books. We have boatloads of Horror comic books to choose from these days, more than at any point in the past 40 years, so thank you for that, Robert Kirkman. I just don't see what makes this title mean so much to so many people. I realize that the problem must lay with me since everyone and their brother loves this book. Hey, at least folks are reading comic books again.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3 out of 5. 

Valiant Comics FCBD 2013 Special No. 1 (Valiant, cover date May, 2013)

Writer: Various

Artist: Various

Colorist: Various

This is a sampler of various Valiant titles as well as a sneak preview of their Harbinger Wars crossover. X-O Manowar, Archer & Armstrong, and Quantum & Woody are all interesting concepts and are decent reads. My plate is too full and my wallet is stretched too thin to check all of this stuff out, though. It's all well done and highly readable.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3 out of 5. 

Hulk And The Agents Of S.M.A.S.H. a/k/a FCBD 2013 Avengers/ Hulk No. 1(Marvel, cover date May, 2013)

Writers: Joe Caramagna, Paul Dini, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and others.

Artist: Clips from the forthcoming animated series formatted as comic book panels

Well this is interesting. Marvel/Disney use stills from the forthcoming animated series Hulk And The Agents Of S.M.A.S.H. and Avengers Assemble cartoons and issues them as a FCBD sampler. It would be nice if they used the visibility of the animated series to remind folks that comic books still exist. The general population is unaware that these things are still published month in and month out.

This is all ages reading, but the Hulk series doesn't even come close to resembling the comic book version. The Avengers is closer to the movie versions of those characters. I honestly didn't care for this comic but my six year old son loved it. Given the target audience for cartoons I'd say that this is a success. I'm happy that he is interested in superheroes. Now if only they could figure out how to make the comics appeal to adults and children again...

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2 out of 5. 

DC Nation FCBD 2013 Super Sampler (DC, cover date July, 2013)

Writers: Mitch Watson, Scott Beatty, and J. Norres

Artists: Luciano Vecchio and Todd Nauck and Lary Stuker

Colorist: Heroic Age

...and in answer to Marvel's all-ages animated series FCBD sampler, we have DC's Cartoon Network shows, the new Teen Titans Go! and the forthcoming Beware The Batman. Unlike the Marvel animated comic, this one collects two stories from DC's all ages comics. The Batman story was originally presented in DC Nation Super Spectacular No. 2 and the Teen Titans Go! story is from Teen Titans Go! No. 12.

My son loves these cartoons, and I watch some of them with him. I'm more inclined to pay attention to Batman than I will Teen Titans, which is offensive to me due to the horrid art style. Again, I understand that these are directed toward children, and since my son loves it, mission accomplished.

I have read these stories to him a few times and enjoyed the Batman one a lot. I found Anarky's costume to be a complete and total ripoff of Moon Knight, which is ironic because Moon Knight is a complete and total ripoff of Batman. Doug Moench created Moon Knight and would go on to write Batman during the 1980s.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2 out of 5. 

Banshee Origins (IDW, cover date December, 2012)

Writer: Jonathan Tropper

Artist: Mike henderson

Colorist: Jeremy Colwell

Many stores put out all of their freebies and preview books on FCBD. I snagged this since I went to seven stores that day and I was running out of things to grab. I guess that this is a prequel to the Cinemax series.

I've got level with you: I absolutely hate it when creators use comic books as a funnel system or test market for their “IP”, and as a comic fan I find it insulting to be treated as a test market or “brand buzz builder” for Hollywood. Make a comic book or make a movie. If it is good then expand into either/or. I dislike calculated marketing like this. Worse still, I remember nothing about this title. I know that I read it on the plane on my flight home from our vacation, but when I flipped through it just now to refresh my memory I have a big fat blank. Nothing stuck in my mind and everything about this leaves me cold. That's worse than sucking, because at least that is an emotional response to a piece of work. This is just nothing.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 0 out of 5.