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Teen Titans #20 Preview: A rebirth for Red Robin and an appearance of Trigon’s sons in the New 52
From Newsarama, the arc with Trigon and introducing Raven to the Teen Titans continues. The light and dark has had some “Terror of Trigon” moments and references so far, and the preview has appearance of his sons and the realm Trigon is from can’t be a good sign for Red Robin and the other Teen Titans. With at least 2 more issues of the story for Trigon, this issue will definitely continue to build on the origins of Trigon and Raven and definitely will have some more surprises.
TEEN TITANS #20
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
1:25 B&W Variant cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
On sale MAY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
“Light and Dark” continues as the fallout of last issue’s attack threatens to drag the team into darkness!
Joker’s Daughter To Debut in CATWOMAN #23
Comic Book Resources reports: DC Comics’ “Catwoman” has faced Arkham, her own Justice League of America teammates and the Joker. But under the hands of writer Ann Nocenti the sometime hero/often criminal Selina Kyle will be facing a series of new challenges.
The Joker’s Daughter and Dr. Phosphorus wait for Catwoman in August’s issue #23:
As soon as the Penguin story wraps, you have Selina locking claws with the new Dr. Phosphorus and the Joker’s daughter — what’s it like introducing new versions of these characters to the New 52, and what can you say about them?
There is a hint at the end of “Catwoman” #19 that there is something lurking underneath Gotham. Catwoman falls into a hub of endless tunnels and spiraling stairs to nowhere. I was thinking of M.C. Escher and Möbius strips. Tunnels so twisty complex it gives you vertigo just to be there. Rafa Sandoval drew this beautifully, with such intrigue and mystery and a few Easter egg hints of whats to come. In my neighborhood in NYC, they’re digging deep trenches down to ancient rusted pipes that tangle and twist, and not even the city workers I spoke with seemed to know what it was all for, which lines were still live or dead. Gotham is built on top of its own history. What’s down there?
So Catwoman is intrigued by the Hub. She heard a rumor from Black Mask when she was locked up in Arkham Asylum that there are things of value down under.
Catwoman begins exploring the Underground, and meets Dr. Phosphorus. I see him as a man who has burned for too long. He burns for eternity, and his endless pain gives him a sadistic streak that is unquenchable. What I like to do when “re-inventing” an existing character is to first think about them just based on the visual. What kind of feeling do I get from this character as drawn? Phosphorus, to me, looks like he’s in agony and wants to share that agony with others. A terrifying character. A burning man.
Joker’s Daughter, to me, looked like a funhouse inversion of beauty. But she’s smiling. Is that the Joker’s false smile, or does she enjoy her strange beauty? I started thinking about girls that have anorexia, of the fashion perfect templates of Twiggy, Kate Moss, where unhealthy skinny is seen as beautiful. The design of Joker’s daughter is so sassy, so ornery, you just know that even though you might see her as ugly, she doesn’t care a whit how you see her. She likes what she sees in the mirror. She seems to be reveling in a feeling that ugly is beautiful. I think she’s got terrific sass. Twisted, yes, but sassy. And just what is that cane for? I decided it had to be for something very, very special.
So, after finding the core attitude of a these villains just by how they look, then I look at the pre-52 stories to find the essential DNA of the characters — and try to weave together something new, fun, and yet respectful of the past.
The Bloody Wilson Family Reunion
WARNING: Spoilers for Deathstroke #20 ahead!
Just a few weeks ago, I recapped the first-ever Wilson family gathering from Deathstroke #19. There were many changes in the DCnU versions of the familiar characters…. as Rose was revealed as Addie Kane’s daughter and Jericho’s possession powers got an upgrade. And oh yeah… Joseph Wilson was a power-mad crazy-pants. His plan? To harness the might of the super-powered Majestic for his own nefarious purposes.
This week, Deatshstroke #20 continued this story in the series’ final issue. It was quite a bloody end, with a few casualties and surprises.
First up: Addie dies as a result of Jericho’s Majestic-powered rampage.
Next, a completely new reveal concerning Rose’s powers. Instead of an adrenaline-fueled precognitive power that allowed her to “see” her opponent’s next move…. Rose can “dampen the invulnerability of these unstoppable types.” Which is…. an odd power choice.
And, here’s how the story ends:
So…. Grant Wilson is dead, again.
Jericho is dead, again.
And Slade Wilson is once again a tortured merc who is partly responsible for the deaths of Adeline, Grant and Joey.
And just like that, I think a lot of New 52 story opportunities were inexplicably squandered.
New 52 Cheshire
DC Comics has revealed the New 52 Cheshire:
“Last week, we showed you the design for Bronze Tiger and teased that he’ll be somehow tied to the unraveling of Jason Todd’s memories. Today, take a look at another person from Jason’s past who’ll be appearing in the pages of RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS soon to shed a little bit more light on Jason’s origin. But can Jason trust Cheshire? And what’s her connection to Bronze Tiger?”
Superboy’s New 52 Origin
Newsarama shed some light on Superboy’s new origin: “In Superboy #19, readers finally got some details about the origin of Superboy — especially the “third source” of DNA for his creation.
In a story that involved time travel and the villain Harvest, Superboy #19 by writer Scott Lobdell revealed that Superboy is a clone created from the DNA of Superman, Lois Lane and their son, Jon Kent (from an alternate future).
While the inclusion of DNA from Superman and Lois Lane was revealed on the gatefold cover for the Superboy #19, the “third” source wasn’t. So it was a bit of a surprise to see that Harvest is actually from the future, and he had kidnapped a young Jon Kent, the son of Lois and Clark. (And to be clear, the kidnapping succeeded because Lois and Clark already thought Jon was dead.)
Harvest trained Jon Kent in the future to become evil, but the boy had unstable DNA. The villain hoped the new Superboy would provide a cure. And at the end of issue #19, it was revealed that Jon Kent is apparently alive in the present day of the DCU, although in some type of stasis.”
Got that?
Here’s a recap:
Newsarama sat down with Lobdell to clarify the details:
Newsarama: Scott, there’s a lot of talk about this origin story for Superboy, and how it’s linked to time travel. Just to clarify, is Superboy a clone, like H’El and Supergirl thought he was? Or is he something else?
Scott Lobdell: As we saw in Superboy #19, he is very much a clone. Harvest needed to take Jon Lane Kent back to a time where Harvest could get the original genetic material of Lois Lane and Clark Kent. He then used that DNA strand of Superman, the DNA strand of Lois Lane and the DNA strand of Jon Lane Kent to create Superboy.
He did this because he felt he could use Superman and Lois’ separate DNA to support and counter the effects of the Jon’s trans-alien DNA. His results have been successful, for now, which is how we got the clone named Superboy.
Nrama: Does this explain the “third” source of the DNA that makes up Superboy?
Lobdell: Yes, the third source is Jon Lane Kent.
Nrama: Why did Harvest use that third source?
Lobdell: He used it specifically because his entire goal was to find a cure for the genetic disorder that was afflicted his surrogate son, Jon.
[...]
Nrama: And just to clarify, is Lois Lane and Clark Kent’s “birth son” Jon still alive in the present day, and available for future stories, as long as his DNA becomes stabilized, as you hinted?
Lobdell: Hmm… that last page with Harvest looking at Jon Lane Kent in that stasis tube? If he were dead it would seem very creepy to me that Harvest would be leaving Jon’s body to float in a canister. This is Harvest, not the Governor. So, without spoiling anything, I’m going to guess that he will some day be available for future stories.
You can read the full interview here.
The Wilson Family in the DCnU
Deathstroke #19 featured an intriguing Wilson Family reunion – with Slade, Addie, Grant, Joseph and Rose appearing together for the first time ever.
As expected, the DCnU put some new spins in the mix. First up, Rose’s mother is Adeline Kane, not Lillian Worth:
Which also means Rose is no longer half Cambodian.
More shocking are the changes to Joseph Wilson. The once-gentle hero is now quite villainous, using his possession powers to brutally execute a group of soldiers. His plan? To harness the might of the super-powered Majestic for his own nefarious purposes.
Also, the nature of his powers are quite different. He no longer body-hops or needs eye contact to possess people.
I think I much preferred the original recipe of all the characters. They were much more nuanced and complex.
Joker’s Daughter set to debut in The New 52
On Thursday, the DC blog’s “What’s New in the New 52″ 2nd installment. The new character revealed was the Joker’s Daughter. Her face looks like the face from Joker that was cut off in Detective Comics #1 in the New 52 and was seen recently on Joker in the Death of the Family Batman Crossover. Newsarama has confirmed that the art is from Brett Booth who is the current artist of Nightwing, so could the Joker’s Daughter’s first appearance in the New 52 be like Duela Dent’s first appearance in the past with a Dick Grayson story. It remains to be seen if this Joker’s Daughter is Duela Dent, Harper Row, or someone new.
For more about the “original” Duela Dent: http://www.titanstower.com/jokers-daughter/
Solicits – Titans in July ’13
Please see the order form for more information.
turn Manhattan into a staging ground for a demonic takeover of the planet.
Steel continue to track down what they believe are H.I.V.E. psi operatives,
with the help of Lois Lane—who Superboy feels a bond to that Psycho isn’t revealing.
And Kon’s double may complicate things even more!
faces off against Essence to try and tip the scales—but in which direction?
finds a surprising ally!
Please see the order form for more information.
serious buyers’ remorse when the Commodore’s battle armor causes him tons of trouble!
And not even a trillionaire can afford the trouble that the Commodore’s new
hired muscle, Deathstroke, brings with him!
a connection between Blue Beetle and Apokolips sparks a riot! And don’t miss
the start of a new backup tale spotlighting Star Hawkins!
WOODS and others • Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT
Wilson and The Ravagers set their sights on the Legionnaires in the event known
as The Culling! Plus,
the Legionnaires must face Metamerican and his Metamarines!
PATTON, ERIK LARSEN, TOM MANDRAKE and others • Cover by GIL KANE
ACTION COMICS WEEKLY #613-618 and 627-634, Nightwing teams up with his old friend
Speedy as they hunt the villain Cheshire and Roy’s daughter, but Speedy has a
secret Nightwing doesn’t suspect.
Lobdell On Teen Titans, Superboy & Action Comics
CBR News spoke with Scott Lobdell about his current work in the New 52 including reintroducing Trigon and Raven in the pages of “Teen Titans,” what’s next for the teenage superheroes, crafting the origin story in “Superboy” #19 and the fact that his tenure on “Action Comics” will last beyond a single issue.
CBR News: Scott, starting off with the revelation from “Teen Titans” #19 of reintroducing Trigon to the DCU, what’s the challenge of re-integrating that character into the New 52 continuity?
Hmmm. I don’t really see it as a challenge as much as I see it as an opportunity. While I think Trigon has certainly left his imprint on the DC Universe on more than one occasion since his original debut — I confess to remaining a little curious about his master plan. I get that he wants to rule over Earth, but was never sure what was preventing him from doing so over the centuries (if not longer).
So, issue #20 really focuses on Trigon, who he is, what he wants and how he plans on getting it — exactly why is Raven so important to his plans and why he has apparently been involving himself in the lives of the Teen Titans at all.
We’re going to see a very long lived Trigon who is playing the “long game.” Everything he does he does for a very specific reason: he is a planner, a builder. Sometimes he uses seduction (like with Raven’s mom and Psimon) and other times he uses the sheer horror of the promise of Eternal Damnation. The guy has range.
WTF, Wilson Family?
Artist Juan Jose Ryp has revealed the full “WTF month” wrap-around cover for DEATHSTROKE #19. Wilson Family fans take note!
Hey, this will be the first time Joey, Grant and Rose all interact! This should also be the “official” confirmation that Rose is Deatshtroke’s daughter in the reconfigured DCnU.
When John Trumbull Outed Dan Didio’s Wife as a Donna Troy Fan
Every week, the Comics Should Be Good blog at CBR runs a feature, “The Line It Is Drawn.” Each week, a group of artists (including myself) chooses a piece based on Twitter feed suggestions around a theme. For Cover Homage week, one fan suggested “Uncanny X-Men #141 as a DCNu parody: various poster characters listed as Rebooted, Never Existed…”
Artist John Trumbull did a fantastic job in a hilarious piece that features fan-favorites Wally West and Donna Troy:
John offered up this clever piece of art as a print at the Ashbury Park Comic-Con on March 30th.
Trumbull first posted on Facebook: “…and Dan Didio just stopped by my table. A long silent stare at my New 52 piece before he moved on. :)”
Followed by, “Back home from the Asbury Park Comic Con. Lots of fun bits to the day, but the definite highlight has to be this: Dan Didio and his wife came back around to my table and bought a copy of my New 52 piece. It will apparently be displayed at a place of honor somewhere in the Didio household.”
Even funnier: Trumbull shared that Didio’s wife is a Donna Troy fan, and it’s part of the reason Dan bought the print. To which Trumbull quipped, “Oh so you have a mixed marriage.”
Brilliant!
Trumbull signed the print for them. It reads, “To (Dan’s wife’s name): Tell Dan it’s nothing personal.”
I think she has grounds for annulment. ; )
Here’s a photo from the show:
You can find more of John’s work on his Deviant Art Page, and more from “The Line It Is Drawn” here!
Bette Kane is Hawkfire
“When the other villains at Arkham ask you who brought you down, you tell them you got burned by Hawkfire!”
So says Bette Kane in the pages of BATWOMAN #17, wherein she debuts her new costumed identity as Hawkfire! The once-Flamebird (and once Bat-Girl, for that matter) makes her triumphant return with some snazzy new flame-gadgets.
Check out this beautiful double page spread where she puts her abilities to work:
And here’s where she meets up with Batwoman:
So what do we think of Bette as Hawkfire, Titanic ones?
Tula’s New 52 Debut
Huh. So the once-Aquagirl gets a New 52 debut before Garth, Kaldur or even Lorena? In this week’s AQUAMAN #18, Tula makes her first appearance in DC’s revised continuity, courtesy of Geoff Johns and Paul Pelletier.
A bit of a departure from her original back-story… here, Tula is the half-sister of the villainous would-be Ocean Master, Orm. Aqua-fans may recall, Orm is also Aquaman’s half-brother.
So, Orm and Tula share the same father and Aquaman and Orm share the same mother, but Tula and Aquaman are not blood relations. You could sort of call them step-siblings I guess?
Here’s the rest of the scene:
What do we think, oh Titanic ones? Happy that Tula’s back? Pleased with her new familial ties?
Titans in June 2013
FERREIRA
Please see the order form for more information. Something is very wrong with
Red Robin…and he’s about to prove it! Can the rest of the Titans stop this
tragedy? Or is it already too late?
Please see the order form for more information.
Barry must contend with The Teen Titans!
Plus, The Flash meets Kid Flash for the first time!
of Dr. Psycho and the new, mysterious H.I.V.E that has infested Metropolis.
Jason can’t remember what he did to cause it.
turns to The Prankster for help, unaware that they are both targets of The Mask
Killer!
must face a deadly adversary as he learns of his connection to the mysterious
Court of Owls. But even if he can stop an undead assassin, he’ll still have to deal
with an anti-Gotham City army—and the mysterious Paragon.
and others Cover by NICK CARDY
$75.00 US
collecting TEEN TITANS #6-20 and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #83, as the Titans take
on The Mad Mod, Captain Rumble and The Scorcher!
orders are canceled.
own in stunning detail and ready for action with this statue based on his
design from the best-selling, critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham City video
game!
May Occur
Guardians vol.1: The Ring Bearer TP
Teen Titans #18 Preview: Tim Drake Mourns Damian Wayne and more
It sounds like a triple threat of trouble in this issue of Teen Titans. First, Requiem continues thru most of the Batman Family titles with the death of Damian Wayne in Batman Incorporated #8. Appears Tim takes the death fairly rough which could come into play with the events of last issue. Next what more will we find out about Raven, the children of Trigon, and Trigon. Finally the original solicit talked about the new Dr. Light vs Solstice and guest staring the Suicide Squad.
• Unknown to the Teen Titans, Red Robin’s condition is worsening after the events of “DEATH OF THE FAMILY.” And now Red Robin must face an even greater tragedy!
• The new Dr. Light is coming for Solstice!
• Guest-starring the Suicide Squad!
Written by: Scott Lobdell
Art by: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira
Cover by: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira
Variant Cover by: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira
How will Tim Drake’s coping of Damian’s death change the way he is around the Teen Titans? Will Damian’s death play into last issue’s ending? How will the Teen Titans help Tim and at the same time battle him?
Source: Crave Online