Teen Titans #44
DC Comics
Written by: Robbie Thompson
Art by: Javier Fernandez
Colors by: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters by: Rob Leigh
Robin takes his war on crime to a dangerous new level.
Damian has decided that half measures are not good enough in his war against crime. After trying to incarcerate and rehabilitate their worst enemies, the leader of the Teen Titans has decided to embrace the tactics of his grandfather and end his enemies once and for all.
The rest of the team is left reeling from what Damian has already done and they decide to take him down. After losing him during a battle to save KGBeast, the Titans must examine their roles as members of this team and who they are as heroes. They won’t have a lot of time to act because Damian is prepared to escalate his new vision and wants the team on board. Unfortunately, his escalation will prompt a response from an old enemy and the intervention of a familiar face.
Robbie Thompson does a really good job of showcasing Damian’s descent into darkness. A descent that has been teased at since the beginning. With the Titans finally deciding to stand together to stop him, Thompson shows just how dark a tone this series can take. The other thing that works is showing how Damian’s escalation will have consequences as their villains are emboldened and empowered to follow suit. If there is one thing that continues to be a flaw both in this issue and the series is there is no character that is fleshed out enough to connect to. You read the issue like a passive observer and nothing connects or engages the reader.
Javier Fernandez does some great work with the art in the issue. There is a lot of energy in the panels, especially in the action scenes. There is a lot of great atmosphere in the panels and they do a great job of setting the mood and tone of the story.