Teen Titans – Page 3 – COMICS BLEND

Origins of DC’s Biggest Heroes

AQM_Cv0_ds — Aquaman #0 courtesy DC Comics

DC Comics The New 52 one year anniversary of zero issues are stand-alone stories promising to reveal the origins of the greatest heroes in this new continunity.

DC is revealing the origins of its biggest icons in this week’s zero issues.

Geoff Johns made orange and green badass again! In Aquaman #0 we see Arthur Curry’s first meeting with the Atlanteans and how this moment propels his future. Aquaman and Justice League will soon crossover in the upcoming Throne of Atlantis epic.

In Batman: The Dark Knight #0 Gregg Hurwitz goes back to the detective case that started it all – Joe Chill and the murder of the Bruce Wayne’s parents.

Flash #0 reveals the origin of the Scarlet Speedster. How Barry Allen’s tragedy put him on the path to becoming the fastest hero alive.

In Superman #0 new creative team Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort (Red Hood and the Outlaws) take over the series and take us back to Krypton when Jor-El learned his home world was doomed

TT_Cv0_ds — Teen Titans #0 courtesy DC Comics

The young generation of DC heroes gets the zero treatment too and one of them has a big change to their origin in the New 52.

Teen Titans #0 Lobdell reveals on the origin of its leader. See how young computer genius Tim Drake became Batman’s sidekick and Red Robin – leader of the teen heroes. Plus the origins of new characters Skitter and Bunker.

By Editor

Superboy & Bunker Battle Together

SB_Cv11 — Superboy #11 courtesy DC Comics

DC Comics is promising a team up of the revamped Superboy and new creation Bunker against the menace of Detritis in Superboy #11. Scott Lobdell writes both books.

Superboy may have escaped N.O.W.H.E.R.E. but faces a big problem now that he’s free. Bunker is the Mexican, open and flamboyantly gay teen sensation that made mainstream media headlines when he was introduced in Teen Titans.

The two young men must team up against a metal monster in this cover by Scott Clark and Dave Beaty. This issue comes out in July.

DC, Where’s Raven?

One of the big topics at last week’s comic book discussion at my local shop was a love of the Teen Titans and the “growing up” of DC sidekicks.

Dick Grayson became Nightwing and even Batman for a time. Cyborg is on the new Justice League. Tim Drake (Red Robin) is the new leader of the DC New 52 Teen Titans. Starfire has hooked up – literally – with Jason Todd and Roy Harper in Red Hood and the Outlaws.

So where is Raven? The beautiful half demon heroine created by the legendary Marv Wolfman and George Perez needs a role in the New 52. As we lovingly reflected on the Titans (then and now) and suddenly I realized no one mentioned the dark lady of the New Teen Titans.

What popped into my brain and out of my mouth was “she’d be great in Justice League Dark!” Some of my fellow Titans agreed so this is my plea to DC – what a great fit for a beloved Titan who graduate to join John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Shade and Zatana?

And with our beloved Raven comes her father, Trigon, and maybe a new romantic start with Beast Boy?

By Editor

DC’s Next Teenage Dream: First Look at The Ravagers

Ravagers_1_as90d8f7asdjhl — The Ravagers #1 courtesy DC Comics

The Ravagers rocket out of stories currently in Teen Titans and Superboy. The DC Comics New 52 Second Wave title is by Howard Mackie and Ian Churchill. Today The Source gave fans a first look at the teen team.

“This is the story about a group of powerful Metahuman teens who have escaped from an underground hell they know only as The Colony– where they have been tortured, experimented on, tortured again and forced to fight for survival in a nefarious program designed to produce the ultimate killing machines. They band together in search of anything that might pass as “real life” for each of them, and knowing that the dark forces behind N.O.W.H.E.R.E. will never let them achieve it,” Howard Mackie explains.

Here’s The Source link with all the info on The Ravagers and more from Mackie.

GLAAD DC Character to Watch

DC Comics earned GLAAD Media Awards Best Comic Book Nominations for Secret Six and Batwoman. Kate Kane is the most high profile lesbian character that defies labels and stars in her own critically acclaimed Batwoman series. Scandal Savage and her girlfriend Knockout are the anti-heroines of Secret Six by superstar writer Gail Simone.

Teen Titans #3 from DC Comics. Art by Brett Booth.

There’s a new out kid in town to watch out for who wears his signature purple and attitude proudly. Miguel Jose Barragan code name Bunker is a Mexican teen wielding purple force field bricks. He debuted in the New 52 Teen Titans.

“If the comic book industry doesn’t create another white, straight male superhero, that will be ok,” Titans writer Scott Lobdell says in the latest Out magazine.

Bunker joins established young heroes Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, a revamped Solstice and Skitter, a new creation. The Titans are currently fighting Superboy.

“It never entered my head that people would object to the color scheme of his outfit based on whether or not he was homosexual,” says Lobdell of Bunker’s signature color and criticism of his flamboyance. Miguel does refer to his own ‘cute butt’ when he first appeared.

When asked about Bunker’s possible love interests? “He has love in his past and in his future,” Lobdell says, “and will have a healthy relationship life as all the other characters in the book.”

If you’re reading this great title you know that there’s no time for romance as the kids are trying to survive a twisted version of Superboy and the mysterious organization N.O.W.H.E.R.E. that’s hunting down metahuman teens across the DC Universe.

Scott Lobdell has a history of creating compelling adventures with diverse young characters and groundbreaking stories. He had an epic Uncanny X-Men run in the 90’s and created Generation X – including Monet St. Croix who now stars in GLAAD nominated title X-Factor. M is not a lesbian. M is a diva.

Lobdell wrote the breakthrough Alpha Flight issue in 1992 when Northstar came out after years of being in the comic book closet due to editorial policy. The Canadian mutant is rejoining the X-Men later this year.

For more of the Out interview click here.

For my take on the latest issue of Teen Titans click here.

Teen Titans Superboy Showdown

Teen Titans is a blast. Engaging story. Dynamic Art. Action. Humor. FUN. I love deep dark mysteries and books that twist my mind and make me think. The new Teen Titans is a pure joy to read and it’s a fun, fast paced escape.

Scott Lobdell’s been building up to this showdown between the teens and Superboy and issue #5 delivers a kinetic, character building battle. There’s a moment between Tim Drake and Superboy demonstrating what heroism is all about. The new character Bunker and revamped Solstice are great elements in the team’s chemistry. The action builds to a conclusion that has me eager for the next issue of Superboy and Teen Titans.

Bunker Was Born This Way!

A new gay superhero debuts this week at comic book stores. Bunker joins the Teen Titans with issue number three out this Wednesday. DC’s New 52 relaunch is an effort to create a more modern comics universe. When the new character was introduced online creators said Bunker would be openly gay and flamboyant. The teaser sparked scorn, praise and controversy. This week you can grab the new issue and decide for yourself.

Bunker is a Mexican teen named Miguel Barragan with the power to build brick like force fields and he likes to wear purple. Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth created this new character to join established DC teen heroes like Red Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash.

Scott Lobdell knows how to write young heroes. He co-created the teen mutants of Marvel’s Generation X. Lobdell wrote storylines with a mix of action, teen angst and captured the awkwardness all teens feel trying to fit in and find themselves. Scott Lobdell is noted for writing the issue when Canadian super hero and future X-Man Northstar came out in Alpha Flight # 106 in 1992. Comic Book Resources has a more detailed interview with Lobdell about the creation of Bunker.

Bunker’s creation has sparked a lot of debate of the state of gay characters in comics. I’m working a post for later this week on some of most memorable LGBT characters. I’d like to know what you think of Bunker – I still don’t get the name.

Top 5 Comic Picks Week of 11/23/11

Wolverine and X Men 2 cover — Wolverine and the X-Men #2 Cover courtesy Marvel.com

Top 5 Comic Picks Week of 11/23/11

Wolverine and the X-Men #2

Logan rebuilt the X-School in Westchester but will it be destroyed the first day of class? The new Hellfire Club leaves a nasty surprise underneath the academy. Issue 1 was full of surprises with a heavy dose of humor and fun. It looks like the action kicks in this issue as the smarmy Black King of the Hellfire Club unleashes a monster that looks an awfully lot like Krakoa, the mutant living island from Giant Size X-Men #1. Krakoa’s capture of the original team was responsible for the formation of the “new” X-men including Wolverine.

Fantastic Four #600

The 50^th Anniversary of Marvel’s First Family. Fans have seen big changes to the book and team during Jonathan Hickman’s run. With the Human Torch lost, Spider Man joined the team. Reed renamed the team the Future Foundation. No one stays dead in comics so could this celebration story arc lead to the return of Johnny Storm? There’s another way to celebrate the milestone with the recently released Fantastic Four Omnibus showcasing the legendary run of writer/artist John Byrne. Current writer Jonathan Hickman and Byrne both were masters at capturing the sense of adventure. Both writers were not afraid to shake up the team dynamic.

Batman Dark Knight #3

Fear takes over Gotham City after a toxin boosts the powers of its most notorious villains. Batman’s brawl with a supersized Two-Face last issue was brutal. This issue a hero becomes infected and the trail leads to the sexy White Rabbit. Is this new temptress behind the plot that’s making Batman’s Rogues Gallery more powerful and dangerous than ever?

Astonishing X-Men 4

Storm sporting her former Mohawk and locking lips with Cyclops – it was the teaser cover that got fans buzzing about Greg Pak taking over the title. Pak is known for his epic Planet Hulk and X-Men: Phoenix: Endsong epics. With Storm in her late 1980’s look, I’m suspecting this will be another cross-time adventure with X-Men from different timelines. It’s been done. But Pak knows how to tell action packed stories with a science fiction edge so I’m in!

Teen Titans #3

A new gay superhero debuts this week. Bunker joins the Teen Titans with issue number three. When the new character was introduced online creators said Bunker would be openly gay and flamboyant. The teaser sparked scorn, praise and controversy. This week you can grab the new issue and decide for yourself.

COMICS BLEND

Escape. Engage. Enjoy.

Tag: Teen Titans