www.ComicBookPage.com

IF you want someone to appreciate comics or the Wolverine character, do not recommend this book to them. Deny it exists. Have your Local Comic Store remove it from their shelves. Do a Fahrenheit 451 on it and any copies you find.

ouch...sometimes you just have to serve as a warning to others

Birds of Prey (Vol 1) #8 (DC Comics) < Read 6 Dec 2013>
Cover Date : Aug 1999
Issue Title ''On Wings"
Editor : Jordan B. Gorfinkel
Writer : Chuck Dixon
Artist : Greg Land
Inker : Drew Geraci
Letter : Albert T. De Guzman
Colorist : Gloria Vasquez

Cover Price : 1.99 (9 cts per page) (2 cts per Panel )
Story Pages : 22
Panels : 95
Dialog Total : 1343
Caption Total : 0
Panels <= 10 Words : 40
Panels per Page : 4.3
Words per Panel : 14.1
Words per Page : 61
Median Words per Page: 56

Story Time Span: Hours

Scenes : 3

Was read in Digital Form in full page mode in the Comixology app on a 9.7" iPad.

Ah, the joy of Digital Comics. I didn't original buy this book when it first came out. My Birds of Prey collection is complete, in paper, otherwise. Never could rationalize paying the asking price for a copy of it years later. Thanks to the magic of digital, I paid the cover price and read the one story that wasn't available as a reprint elsewhere.

The counts. This is actually a fairly brief story word count wise coming in at the low end for a twenty two page book. The low number is more significant when you realize this was a one and done story and two pages were devoted to a quick retelling of how Dick and Barbara wound up where they are at this point in time. Plus an additional two pages are full page splashes.

However the story doesn't necessarily feel light. The words/dialog are spread out fairly well over the 95 panels with less than half containing 10 words or less. Also, every page has some dialog supporting the action. And the short time span the story covers probably helps it feel more dense than it actually is.

I think it's fair to say that the writer is taking short cuts assuming that everyone knows the back story of Dick & Barbara. Especially Barbara as even though the events of her being put into a wheel chair are talked around and shown, lots of the specifics are missing. In fairness though, someone reading this book would probably know the details.

While the story reads light most the way through, Barb's dialog of what she misses the most makes the book very memorable and one a fan will go back to reread. Tugs at the heart strings.

Greg Land's art here is pre photo reference though I think I saw a few panels that were probably aided by using reference material. The art is pretty good actually. I probably would not search him out as a artist on a book but wouldn't be unhappy if he was a regular artist on a book I was reading. One thing that was very nicely done was his keeping the eye level and perspective correct where Barbara was in the wheel chair. I have to believe he took care with this as far too many comic book artists will miss this subtle aspect when drawing her character.

Lettering and coloring neither enhanced nor detracted from the story.

My ROI on this book is a 7 out of 10. It is a story a comic book fan, myself, will read time and again simply for Barbara's monologue on being on 'the Wind' and feeling that small pain of knowing a love that can never be fully explored and of something that's been lost and can never be regained. (Until the New 52 came along. sigh.)

great review, just another reason why i love digital comics, the ease, convenience and price for those long lost missing issues, think i need to read this one it sounds pretty good

Red Sonja (Vol 2) #1 (Dynamite Entertainment) < Read 14 Dec 2013>
Cover Date : Jul 2013
Issue Title ''"
Editor : Joseph Rybandt
Writer : Gail Simone
Artist : Walter Geovani
Inker :
Letter : Simon Bowland
Colorist : Adriano Lucas

Cover Price : 3.99 (18 cts per page) (4 cts per Panel )
Story Pages : 22
Panels : 100
Dialog Total : 1638
Caption Total : 28
Panels <= 10 Words : 32
Panels per Page : 4.5
Words per Panel : 16.6
Words per Page : 75.7
Median Words per Page: 81

Story Time Span: Some number of Days as well as an opening sequence 3 years prior to current story

Scenes : 5

Was read in Digital Form in full page mode in the Comixology app on a 9.7" iPad.

Many thanks to Comixology for offering up this comic for free in it's 12 days of Comics promotion. And please remember, any opinions are expressed should be taken with several grains of salt as I'm nothing more than a reader and the folks involved in the production of these books are paid professionals.

The counts. For a 3.99 book and first issue, the numbers felt a bit lite. With only 1666 words spread out over five scenes, not much was explored. Thankfully, the words were spread fairly evenly across the panels so it didn't feel lite while reading it. Wording in captions was used to set time or place only which works well. I wouldn't have minded seeing more use of captions to provide a bit more world building. Perhaps as a reader I'm presumed to know something of the world/character (otherwise, why would I be reading it) or there really is nothing more to know than red headed buxom female, sword, hack, kill, repeat. One thing I do enjoy and the area that Gail Simone always delivers on is the humorous dialog between some of the characters. Hard not chuckle at some point in any of her stories.

The Art. The story telling technique was fine however the art itself needs more seasoning. Occasionally the artist would lose perspective in the panels and some of the poses of the characters weren't … suitable to what was taking place elsewhere in the panel. Additionally, there wasn't a great deal of detail in the character renderings and action scenes and this type of book begs for it. There's a single page dedicated to Sonja fighting and dispatching a couple of bad guys which felt … somewhat barren. I don't necessarily need blood spatter and gore flying everywhere but I never got the impression, from the art, that Sonja was the bad (bleep) that she's made out to be in the dialog. Looking at comicbookdb, Mr. Geovani has done other books in this genre so I'm assuming my opinion is a minority opinion.

Lettering and coloring. The letter was fine other than the use of font and colors for the voice over in some panels. If I hadn't been reading this in digital form with the ability to enlarge those panels, I might not have been able to read them. Otherwise, it neither added nor detracted from the story. The coloring stood out in a good way in some places. It took what I consider pedestrian art and gave some of the scenes added substance.


My ROI: 3 out of 10. As things go this wasn't a bad story, it just wasn't MUCH of a story. I would think for a first issue, the world, the character, particularly the feature character, would be set up a lot better. I'm not familiar with the origins & beginnings of the Red Sonja character and what I got in the book was easily summed up in about 20 words. Given the lack of depth/background in this book, it's read once and has nothing that will need to be revisited later. As always/usual, Simone tells a good story with sharp dialog when used and snarky in an enjoyable way so the read isn't a complete waste or money.

All New X-men #3 (Marvel Comics) < Read 21 Dec 2013>
Cover Date : February 2013
Issue Title ''"
Editor : Nick Lowe
Writer : Brian Michael Bendis
Artist : Stuart Immonen
Inker : Wade Von Grawbadger
Letter : Cory Petit
Colorist : Marte Gracia

Cover Price : 3.99 (20 cts per page) (3.5 cts per Panel )
Story Pages : 20
Panels : 114
Dialog Total : 1292
Caption Total : 11 (203 Words are used in the opening recap page and not counted as part of the totals)
Panels <= 10 Words : 67
Panels per Page : 5.7
Words per Panel : 11.4
Words per Page : 65
Median Words per Page: 67

Story Time Span: 10 days as indicated by captions placed throughout the story

Scenes : 5

Was read in Digital Form in guided panel mode in the Comixology app on a 9.7" iPad.

Again, thanks to Comixology. This issue was part of a sale they are running on a number of Marvel comics (99c each) until 1/2/14. And please remember, any opinions are expressed should be taken with several grains of salt as I'm nothing more than a reader and the folks involved in the production of these books are paid professionals.

The counts. Mr. Bendis is considered one of the masters of the decompressed storyline and the numbers appear to bear this out. At only 1292 words of dialog and a few captions to set the time/date, the issue is at the very low end of what a typical comic book contains. And the words are widely spread across the book as more than half the panels are less than 10 words. This is not what I would think of as money well spent. However, I enjoyed the story. Wish it had been more of a story about the original X-men who star in the book though. Instead it was primarily used to educate the audience on where Cyclops, Magneto, and Emma Frost are at this point in time in the Marvel Universe. And then on the last page bring the stars of the book into the pages. One splash. I'm assuming the story being told in this comic is/has been played out in another X book somewhere so I don't know if it was necessary to tell it here. But since I'm not reading any other X books currently, it was good back story for me.

The Art. Excellent ! Love Immonen's clean art. Really pop's off the page. He was given lots of room to draw with the minimal dialog and used it to good advantage to fill the story in where the words were lacking. Using the Guided mode in the comixology app really shows off an artist's ability to tell stories. In short, just damn good art and story telling technique.

Lettering and coloring. Didn't notice the lettering while I was reading which is generally a positive. The story being told wasn't going to benefit any additional flourishes the letterer might have brought. The colorist did excellent work within the book. The colors were crisp making Immonen's art that much better. The colorist also added mood lighting in a couple of places that made the scenes take on the tone the story was telling. Nice.

My ROI: 4 out of 10. Obviously very much a middle chapter of a much larger story being told. If the rest of the story plays out as what was told in this short segment, the ROI will go up a lot. But standing alone, it might be unnecessary to the well read reader or disappointing to the reader expecting the stars of the title to actually be in the book. I have the next two issues that make up the trade so I'm hoping for a positive outcome. My recommendation for anyone potentially thinking of buying this issue is to make sure you have the surrounding two issues on each side in order to get a complete story (i.e. buy the trade). I will give props to the writer for making me want to find out more about what led to Cyclops & Co. current status quo.

Blink #1 (Marvel Comics) < Read 27 Dec 2013>
Cover Date : March 2001
Issue Title ''Blink"
Editor : Mark Powers
Writer : Scott Lobdell
Artist : Trevor McCarthy
Inker : Tyson Mcadoo
Letter : Richard Starkings & Comic Craft
Colorist : Those Guys at Liquid

Cover Price : 2.99 (12.5 cts per page) (4.1 cts per Panel )
Story Pages : 24
Panels : 72
Dialog Total : 1277
Caption Total : 879 (Primarily Narrative)
Panels <= 10 Words : 24
Panels per Page : 3
Words per Panel : 30
Words per Page : 90
Median Words per Page: 104

Story Time Span: 1 Week

Scenes : 5

Was read in Digital Form in guided panel mode in the Comixology app on a 9.7" iPad.

Thanks to Marvel. This issue was one of the 700 they gave away as part of the South by Southwest festival promotion. And please remember, any opinions are expressed should be taken with several grains of salt as I'm nothing more than a reader and the folks involved in the production of these books are paid professionals.

The counts. A nice round total of 2156 words. Right at the average number of words I look for in an issue. The author uses a large number of the words in the narrative/voiceover. Interestingly, the voiceover was NOT being spoken by a character in the story but by the writer. This technique really isn't used in comics any more (?) but it really is something that worked for me. These narratives tend to give more depth to a character which can be done through dialog or art but when done via art/dialog usually takes much longer to develop. While the story felt like it was 'all over the place,' it did give me lots of things to ponder. I'm only vaguely aware of the Apocalypse storyline so everything was new material to me even though the story is old and still referenced today. Looks like I have lots to look forward to.

The Art. Much like to story, kinda all over the place. Though I think it fit so well with the story I can't really criticize it. It's got a little manga flavor (a little too exaggerated) to it as well as strong line work which favors the standard american superhero comic. Could have had for a few more panels, but still a good ride.

Lettering and coloring. Not much to say here. All good from what I could see. Nothing to distract from the story.

My ROI: 5 out of 10. It could adjust up or down but it's got me going down the path of reading more of this epic and on the surface, this feels like a story I might pick up again to reread as a refresher. Within the story itself I did not find anything to revisit simply for the single issue.

Recommending: Not something I would hand to a casual reader of comics, a first time reader of comics, or even a casual reader of X-men. Only someone like myself, a long time reader who happened to miss this particular story.

Lazarus #1 (Image Comics) < Read 03 Jan 2014>
Cover Date : June 2013
Issue Title ''Family"
Editor : None listed
Writer : Greg Rucka
Artist : Michael Lark
Inker : None listed (assume Lark)
Letter : Michael Lark
Colorist : Santi Arcas

Cover Price : 2.99 (13.5 cts per page) (2.8 cts per Panel )
Story Pages : 22
Panels : 107
Dialog Total : 1207
Caption Total : 21 (Location Description) (Additional 92 words on prologue page setting up the world)
Panels <= 10 Words : 57
Panels per Page : 4.8
Words per Panel : 11.5
Words per Page : 55.8
Median Words per Page: 68

Story Time Span: Approx. 24 Hrs

Scenes : 3

Was read in Digital Form in full page mode in the Comixology app on a 9.7" iPad.

And please remember, any opinions expressed should be taken with several grains of salt as I'm nothing more than a reader and the folks involved in the production of these books are paid professionals.

The counts. What I would consider extremely lite for a first book. Just plain lite for a book anywhere in an arc. The dialog weighed in a thousand words lite of the totals I look for in a 22 page comic. However, the dialog that was provided was ALL meaningful unlike a typical DC/Marvel where 'banter' will occasionally padded those totals. With the small amount of dialog provided, we're introduced to the story's protagonist, her standing, get two problems introduced, meet two characters which should play a major part in at least this story arc, and a fair number of plot points which should play out as time goes on. There's almost, again almost, enough story to provide a solid start to a story which would bring you back for the next issue. Unfortunately, for me, I did not feel I got enough information to empathize with the character to make me want to go on this journey with her. I think an inner dialog from the main character would have provided a much stronger connection to her. Instead, the author was using other characters dialog and relying on the artist to provide a deeper insight into her. Also, the story felt a bit too familiar and some of what are probable future plot points were too telegraphed. Perhaps if I read the first arc I might be surprised.

The Art. Good art. Real good art for the most part. The author left it up to the artist to convey a lot of the characters persona through her actions, attitudes and expressions. Lark's art shines in this kind of story, think Gotham Central or DareDevil if you've read those. His character's expressions easily capture, I think, what the character is probably thinking or feeling. One part of Lark's art that didn't work for me was the three page action sequence of the main character dispatching three intruders. After looking at it for a while, I realized I was missing the kinetic feeling of an action taking place. The panels looked like a scene where a flash bulb goes off in a dark room and you catch a 'frozen' instance in time. Believe I'm missing speed lines or something that is dictating motion or impact. I assume this is my short-coming from too many years of reading super-hero comics. Other than that three page sequence, the art was spot on for the story.

Lettering and coloring. Nothing good or bad to say about the lettering. Served it's purpose and didn't get in the way of the story. The coloring was a definite plus. The use of the blue, green & yellow(?) washes on the three scenes sett them distinctly apart and also imparted a very specific mood to the action/story taking place at that time. I thought I had picked up on the use of a red wash being used when the protagonist killed the intruders, but that wash was only used on the first two kills and not the third. Though the final panel of that scene did use it. Anyway, really good use of coloring to further enhance the art as well as add to the story itself.

My ROI: 3 out of 10. Can't go higher and the art got it to 3. Everything was well done with this particular comic with the one small, yet meaningful exception, of dragging me in to read the entire arc. I wasn't sure of this until I realized I could buy the complete story arc on google play for 3.99 and then didn't. I'll pretty much give anything a fair chance at that price but after having read the first 22 pages (of the 106 in the trade) I didn't bite. This might be attributed to the fact I had just bought 6 other trades a few hours before.

Recommending: Really can't recommend this comic to other readers simply because the story is too short to invest in. However, if art was foremost on the buyer's mind, then I might if they were also looking for this type of story to go with the art.

jonah wrote:After looking at it for a while, I realized I was missing the kinetic feeling of an action taking place. The panels looked like a scene where a flash bulb goes off in a dark room and you catch a 'frozen' instance in time. Believe I'm missing speed lines or something that is dictating motion or impact. I assume this is my short-coming from too many years of reading super-hero comics.

I didn't feel that way about this issue but I know exactly what you are talking about. I've read some comics that has great but lifeless art. There is a really fine line between art that gives the sense of the movement just before/after the image and art that has that frozen snapshot aspect.

JohnMayo wrote:

jonah wrote:After looking at it for a while, I realized I was missing the kinetic feeling of an action taking place. The panels looked like a scene where a flash bulb goes off in a dark room and you catch a 'frozen' instance in time. Believe I'm missing speed lines or something that is dictating motion or impact. I assume this is my short-coming from too many years of reading super-hero comics.

I didn't feel that way about this issue but I know exactly what you are talking about. I've read some comics that has great but lifeless art. There is a really fine line between art that gives the sense of the movement just before/after the image and art that has that frozen snapshot aspect.

Wasn't the whole issue I felt that way about. Just parts of that action sequence across the three pages. I believe each on of those points in time as capture would exist if played out in a motion picture. However, I think slightly different frames would have imparted more movement or action. I would never shy away from Lark's art and in fact it is a check in the 'plus' column if I'm looking to purchase a book.

My analogy to what I think I'm seeing is where you freeze/pause your DVR/DVD and you catch a look/action that isn't the 'cool' it should be because of the expression or position of an actor. Two or three more frames into it and you find that 'ow wow' you were looking for.

Quantum & Woody #2 (Valiant Comics) < Read 10 Jan 2014>
Cover Date : Auguest 2013
Issue Title ''World's Worst Part 2"
Editor : Judy LeHeup
Writer : James Asmus
Artist : Tom Fowler
Inker : None listed (assume Fowler)
Letter : Dave Lanphear
Colorist : Jordie Bellaire

Cover Price : 3.99 (16.6 cts per page) (3 cts per Panel )
Story Pages : 24
Panels : 133
Dialog Total : 2350
Caption Total : 23 (Location Description & a few bits of text shown against black when opening a new scene. The words make sense to you as the scene plays out) (Additional 243 words on prologue page recapping the action as well as pumping the book in a humorous manner)
Panels <= 10 Words : 45
Panels per Page : 5.5
Words per Panel : 17.8
Words per Page : 99
Median Words per Page: 93

Story Time Span: Approx. 24 Hrs

Scenes : 5

Was read in Digital Form in full page mode in the Comixology app on a 9.7" iPad.

And please remember, any opinions expressed should be taken with several grains of salt as I'm nothing more than a reader and the folks involved in the production of these books are paid professionals.

The counts. Nicely filled out word count for this book. And for this type of book, the words are critical. There is a lot of banter between the characters which provides much of the humor and it's well balanced with the art. If you've watched and enjoyed shows like Psych or a movie like the rundown, you'll be enjoying this book. There are several small chuckles to be had as well as a couple of out loud laughs. If I had anything to complain about in the writing/humor if would be the use of various pop culture references used for some of the punch lines. If you've lived & watched shows like the Dukes of Hazard or Xena the Warrior princess, you're probably getting more of the gags than someone who hasn't. There aren't too many of those types of references but they are there. Being of an age where I Spy references aren't lost on me, this did not detract from my personal enjoyment of the book.

The Art. Very appropriate for the story being told. Not too cartoony or too real. Had the right amount of detail to provide the visual gags and moments needed to make the dialog work every time. Because this is a humor book, a number of expressions as well as body language are used to set mood, tone and sell certain situations. Hats off to the artist as he does it well.

Lettering and coloring. And in both of these area's the practitioners do a great job. The lettering is classic old school with various words bolded to set them off in the balloons. The dialog is placed on the page as not to get in the way of what's happening in the panels. The coloring isn't over done and doesn't need to be as the artist is providing the lines for depth/dimension in the characters and backgrounds. There are little touches here and there of color tones but they are used sparingly and enhance without stealing from the art.

My ROI: 8 out of 10. Haven't read the next few issues yet but if they continue in the same manner and give this story arc good closure, the ROI will go higher.

Recommending: Yes ! To anyone who enjoys buddy films/shows and/or anyone who enjoys a humorous take on the superhero genre.

jonah wrote:My analogy to what I think I'm seeing is where you freeze/pause your DVR/DVD and you catch a look/action that isn't the 'cool' it should be because of the expression or position of an actor. Two or three more frames into it and you find that 'ow wow' you were looking for.

Great analogy. I get exactly what you are saying.

And please forgive me for blanking on your name in Weekly Comics Spotlight #334 (which goes up on Monday) when Drew and I discussed this thread. I close down my browsers when recording so I didn't have the forum open in front of me when we were discussing the great analysis you are doing here.

The X-men #14 (Marvel Comics) < Read 17 Jan 2014>
Cover Date : November 1965
Issue Title ''Among Us Stalk The Sentinels"
Editor : ---
Writer : Stan Lee
Artist : Jack Gavin a.k.a. Werner Roth (Layouts by Jack Kirby)
Inker : Vince Colletta
Letter : Artie Simek
Colorist : --

Cover Price : .12 (00.6 cts per page) (00.1 cts per Panel )
Story Pages : 20
Panels : 109
Dialog Total : 4149
Caption Total : 651
Panels <= 10 Words : 2
Panels per Page : 5.5
Words per Panel : 44
Words per Page : 240
Median Words per Page: 225

Story Time Span: Approx. 48 Hrs

Scenes : 13

Was read in Digital Form in using the GoodReader App on my iPad. The comic itself is taken from the 44 years of X-men Comics DVD produced by GIT corp. These are scanned images of pages in double page layout. Complete with ads and letter pages. The double page layout makes the reading a little bit more difficult as each double page spread is a single PDF page.

And please remember, any opinions expressed should be taken with several grains of salt as I'm nothing more than a reader and the folks involved in the production of these books are paid professionals.

The counts. Lots and lots of words in this book. At two hundred forty words per page, it nearly equals a novel (approx 250 app) in word count per page. Captions are used freely to describe character emotions as well as actions. And my favorite use of captions, reference other issues as applicable. There was only a single page which did not include captions of some kind and no page had less than 140 words on it. This makes for a good meaty read.

Like most books created during this period, a least one page is dedicated to the origin/background of each character and one page is used to show off their powers. After I had read the first six pages, I had been told what had happened in the previous story, shown what each character's powers were, watched each of them change into a civilian identity and how they hid their individual powers, a page with the various team members establishing their roles with each other, and a page introducing the threat/villain for the issue. Six pages. That's probably the equivalent of two to three issues in modern comics. If not more.

This is pure early marvel story telling. Lots of Foom! Krakkk! Zitt!! Zat!! throughout. We have cyclops yelling out to execute "Operation Duo-Smash!" Angel using sentences like "Well Wiggle Me Wings!" and calling out to Marvel Girl "Right Pretty Girl!"

It may be that I read this as a kid a loved it but I still have no problem reading material of this era and enjoying it for what it is. I wanted to jump back and read up on the first Sentinel story because like so many of Marvel's villains that were created during this time, they are still very relevant today.

The Art. Obviously isn't of today's standards but still holds up well. You don't get much for backgrounds or foregrounds for that matter. It typically only includes the props necessary for what's occurring. This is probably a good thing given the amount of words in each panel/page. If the art was too detailed, the page would probably be too busy to follow. Roth/Gavin was the artist for many of the X-men books of this era and it never wowed me then but never left me wanting. I like the older comics in that you generally got 1 splash page, the opening, and the rest of the book was panels and story telling. And the first page splash is nice in this book. Not wow, but nice. And please note, only two panels have less than 10 words in them unlike today's books where anywhere from 1/3 to over half the panels have 10 or less words in them.

Lettering and coloring. I'm constantly amazed by the letterers of this era. All done by hand and normally 2 to 3 times as many words as letterers type these days. And this wasn't the only book he was lettering at the time. And on a monthly book.

My ROI: 10 out of 10. May seem way to high but I read this issue over and over as a kid. Now as an adult(?), I still find a lot of joy in reading the original sentinel's story and seeing how they've changed and been used over the years. Also, just seeing how the characters (X-men) have evolved or changed over the years is fun. For the most part, you can still see the current version in the early versions. Hank's using a vocabulary well above his years, Scott is the uptight leader, Bobby is young and carefree, and Warren is the playboy. Jean, as most female characters of this era, is the only one who doesn't have a define personality/role yet. She's basically there for the guy's in the group to pine for or protect.

And for an average cost of less than a penny a page, it's simply awesome!

Recommending: Yes ! But only to people who are interested in the history of the characters and firmly established readers. A new reader, I think regardless of age, would find this book childish and/or dated. Probably both.

wow- blast from the past, great stuff

Teen Titans #15 (DC Comics) < Read 24 Jan 2014>
Cover Date : February 2013
Issue Title ''Teen Scream"
Editor : Eddie Berganza
Writer : Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza
Artist : Brett Booth
Inker : Norm Rapmund
Letter : Travis Lanham
Colorist : Andrew Dalhouse

Cover Price : 2.99 (15 cts per page) (3.9 cts per Panel )
Story Pages : 20
Panels : 78
Dialog Total : 1853
Caption Total : 2
Panels <= 10 Words : 29
Panels per Page : 3.9
Words per Panel : 24
Words per Page : 93
Median Words per Page: 95

Story Time Span: Approx. Perhaps an Hour

Scenes : 4

Was read in Trade Paper Back form as part of Teen Titans Volume 3. Looking at ComicBookDB.com it appears this comic has already be reprinted in two other trades as well, The Joker:Death of the Family and Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol 3. DC is definitely getting their mileage out of these twenty pages.

And please remember, any opinions expressed should be taken with several grains of salt as I'm nothing more than a reader and the folks involved in the production of these books are paid professionals.

The counts. Words were at the low end of what I feel a typical modern comic weighs in at these days. However, with fewer panels on the page than usual, the lesser number of words isn't noticeable. In fact, with the short story time, 1 hour, you get an awful lot happening on the pages. Only four scenes in the book, which again isn't surprising given the short running time, and a fair amount of the 'dialog' is actually Red Robin's internal monologue running throughout the various panels in the first scene. I was at one point reading this comic as a monthly and eventually dropped it to start waiting for the trades. I had forgotten that one of the parts I didn't care for in the book was how Red Robin was portrayed. This book continued to drive that feeling home as the internal monologue was certain the titans and all of Gotham wouldn't make it unless he was there to guide them. Really? I guess it's part of the personality DC has decided to give the character but fewer words about how good he is would go a long way. One other gripe to bring up in the story and the DC universe as a whole is trying to figure out what is or isn't canon these days. As part of the monologue, the mentioned of the Joker as the villain of the piece is suppose to instill fear in the titans due to all the crimes he's committed in the past. However, the titans have hardly been a team for any length of time and most of the characters haven't worn spandex that long. Yet the Joker is supposed to be well known and instill fear at the very mention of his name. I was very much on board with the DC relaunch when it first came out thinking I'd be able to watch a universe/world being built from the ground up again. Unfortunately, editorial didn't go in that direction and a lot of the books still use story points for the old universe and drop in characters as familiar or not when it's convenient. This became a big turn off real quick. Enough griping about that. The dialog between the characters and the story were very middle of the road and really were just filling time as the story itself was being played out over in the Batman book. Another case of a cross over hijacking a book and not really doing the book any favors.

As of the last DC solicits, I see this book is being cancelled which is too bad. While I wasn't fond of how Red Robin & Wonder Girl were written, I'd grown to like Bunker & Solstice. Bart is very hit of miss depending on the circumstances. I did enjoy his Pre-New52 book at times.

Side observation. I've been reading a fair amount of older X-men books that LobDell wrote for Marvel. This book, the dialog and story pacing, felt very much like those books. So if you enjoyed his writing on those books, this make work for you as well.

The Art. Okay, I like Brett Booth's art. It's got nice sharp lines and the characters look and move like you'd like to think young heroes would. Normally I'd think the 'meager' 78 panels in the book were a cheat by the artist but a no time does he 'cheat' with what he's putting on the page. There are three splash pages in the book but each one has purpose, is full of detail, and has a fair amount of dialog to keep pushing the story along. Of the 29 panels with 10 or fewer words, 12 of them appear on one page and serve the purpose of story telling.

Lettering and coloring. Both work well in the book, particularly the coloring. Doesn't hide Booth's art but still adds to what is happening on the page. Only thing I don't care for in the lettering, and this is done in lots of books in various companies, is the use of color as background on text to identify who is providing the dialog. My eye sight is not what it used to be and straining to read dialog in a book I'm already iffy on isn't a plus. This is when I miss digital format and be able to enlarge the panel to clearly make out the text.

My ROI: 3 out of 10. And the 3 is solely based on the art. I could have skipped this story and missed nothing in the Death in the Family story and missed nothing in the Titans ongoing story. If DCs point was to introduce the Titans to the Batman readers, they should have had a stronger story based around the Titans. When the story was done, I was more interested in what was going on in the Batman book with the Joker.

Recommending: No. Unless it's the only sample of Brett Booth art you have to give someone.

jonah wrote:Teen Titans #15 (DC Comics)
Recommending: No. Unless it's the only sample of Brett Booth art you have to give someone.

There are probably better samples of Brett Booth's art than that issue.

As a Teen Titans fans for many decades, it pains to me say that I agree wit hthe decision to end the title. Hopefully we'll see some of these characters elsewhere and we'll get a new Teen Titans title that is better before too long.