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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 9:30:22 GMT -5
Teen Titans #34 is one of my all-time favorite issues of this series. Excellent review! I was hoping to see you 'round these parts again. What's a 1970's Teen Titans discussion without a Mr. Jupiter? 34-43 are among my absolute favorite issues, despite their flaws. During this time, I often wondered why Donna was often out of costume (she mysteriously changes from her costume to the red mini dress (still quite snappy!) between issues 35-36 (another favorite story). Also, there are situations where she or Kid Flash could have easily gotten the gang out of the predicaments the team find themselves in. Perhaps since Haney had a larger cast than he started, he didn't quite pay attention to detail? Anyway, to me, these stories are pure gold, haha! Looking forward to your reviews for issues 40-43! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 11:03:44 GMT -5
shaxper -- What is your opinion of this Character called -- Gnarrk? ... I'm kind of curious about your own opinion of him?  I don't know much about him -- and I also do welcome other opinions as well too ...
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Post by shaxper on Aug 6, 2018 11:10:34 GMT -5
shaxper -- What is your opinion of this Character called -- Gnarrk? ... I'm kind of curious about your own opinion of him? So far, Gnarrk! has only appeared in Teen Titans #33. I believe he only has one more appearance in the initial run (before the three year hiatus). I wasn't a fan, but I was more opposed to the concept than the character himself. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Aug 6, 2018 11:13:45 GMT -5
...and here's where I came in. This was very early in my comics-buying, my first issue of Teen Titans, which I remembered from their few short Saturday morning cartoon installments. Whoah! Really! I didn't know that! A few more thoughts - I have no nostalgic interest in these books... My dad owned them but I didn't like the look of them so didn't read them as a kid. But I quite enjoy this run now. It's so.... different from what you generally find in superhero comics. Although I'd much rather Kanigher had stayed on the book and the costume-less direction had continued. The horror + (Other element) can result in long running titles: Weird War Tales lasted 124 issues! And the first 1970s Ghost Rider series went 60 or 70. Horror did (occasionally) have longevity. But super-imposing horror onto one of the youngest-skewing and brightest DC superhero books is just a strange, strange choice. I've never read the con-current Challengers of the Unknown issues, but the title was always rooted in horror (especially if THEM or Godzilla counts as horror, so I can see horror + Challengers working. But Horror + Titans is just so peanut butter and artichoke hearts. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Aug 6, 2018 11:15:25 GMT -5
shaxper -- What is your opinion of this Character called -- Gnarrk? ... I'm kind of curious about your own opinion of him? So far, Gnarrk! has only appeared in Teen Titans #33. I believe he only has one more appearance in the initial run (before the three year hiatus). I wasn't a fan, but I was more opposed to the concept than the character himself. We look for very different things from comics.  "Hey, here's a caveman! Why? Because why not!" perfectly sums up everything I want in superhero comics. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 11:28:47 GMT -5
I liked Gnarrk and how Lilith felt the need to protect him. If I had been a writer on Teen Titans, I'd have had Garn the Caveboy from issue #2 appear and befriend Gnarkk. Very jarring to see the very articulate Gnarrk and how his personality is very different later in the Titans West issues. On a totally random Gnarrk note, years ago and on a new defunct site, I suggested Paul Telfer to play Gnarrk (in a "your dream Titans cast").
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Post by shaxper on Aug 6, 2018 11:38:27 GMT -5
I liked Gnarrk and how Lilith felt the need to protect him. If I had been a writer on Teen Titans, I'd have had Garn the Caveboy from issue #2 appear and befriend Gnarkk. I really liked Garn too and would have preferred his return to getting a SECOND caveteen 😂 |
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 6, 2018 11:58:08 GMT -5
First issue I ever saw. My cousin had it with him when we met up at our grandparents, for Christmas. It would be a while (and a hospital visit) before I got my first TT issue, of my very own.
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Post by shaxper on Aug 6, 2018 13:07:42 GMT -5
First issue I ever saw. My cousin had it with him when we met up at our grandparents, for Christmas. It would be a while (and a hospital visit) before I got my first TT issue, of my very own. Yet a third CCFer who first took note of the series right after the switch to horror. Coincidence? |
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Post by Farrar on Aug 6, 2018 13:45:03 GMT -5
Heh, I was also wondering if you'd stop by, Mr. J!  Also, there are situations where she or Kid Flash could have easily gotten the gang out of the predicaments the team find themselves in. Perhaps since Haney had a larger cast than he started, he didn't quite pay attention to detail? Anyway, to me, these stories are pure gold, haha! Looking forward to your reviews for issues 40-43! That was my main gripe with these issues too--as I mentioned earlier, I thought it was really silly that Donna and Wally didn't use their powers at times (that "vow" seemed to come and go  ). Despite that, I still really enjoyed the issues I managed to find on the stands back in the day, #25-6, #33-5, and #37 (i've since read the other issues courtesy of the Showcase collections). |
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 6, 2018 23:45:14 GMT -5
First issue I ever saw. My cousin had it with him when we met up at our grandparents, for Christmas. It would be a while (and a hospital visit) before I got my first TT issue, of my very own. Yet a third CCFer who first took note of the series right after the switch to horror. Coincidence? Well, in my case it was it was the first time I ever saw the comic series. I grew up in a farm town, wit no newsstand at the local store (a small grocery store and butcher shop). I don't recall our regular grocery store (Eisner's, in Decatur) having comics on display and we didn't have a shopping mall until I was in junior high. I didn't get a regular allowance for much of my childhood; so, comics were a rare treat. for a long time, I read more through friends and relatives. It was the later 70s before I was earning money and buying Whitman bags and biking 5 miles to the enxt town, where they had a newsstand, with comics. |
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Post by tarkintino on Aug 7, 2018 0:20:37 GMT -5
Teen Titans #35 (October 1971) "Intruders of the Forbidden Crypt" The Titans' second outing into this new genre is more gothic than outright horror, Lilith seemingly possessed by the spirit of Shakespeare's Juliet and forced to relive a somewhat confused version of her tragedy (I attribute this more to a confused Bob Haney than a confused spirit). But gone are those creepy, atmospheric panels, Cardy's moody inks, and Haney's colorful narrations. This is an issue that's clearly trying to play it a little more middle-of-the-road traditional, and the return of Mr. Jupiter would appear to be evidence of that. Well, someone wss confused there, as another daily episode of Dark Titans...or Teen Shadows continued... This could be explained by the editor making it clear that Robin--despite how he was occupying his time elsewhere in the DC universe--was still the star of the title (and as a reslt the team leader), much as we would be in the 70's and 80s revivals. I see your point, but considering the era Mal was created in, and the people behind him, you would need to assume their "racial outreach" / maturing of the title(s) was executed from a somewhat naïve, social-worker type point of view, where the idea of a black character would be relevant if he made his mark with some then-stereotypical skill or occupation that could be used to either shape, comment on his personality or status (to a degree). This was not simply a DC problem, as Sam (Falcon) Wilson's origin was shaped in a somewhat similar fashion. Black characters using sports as a way out or as part of their identity was a well-work trope in the media of the period, especially 1960s TV, and could be seen in episodes of Ironside, The Twilight Zone, and The Mod Squad, just to scratch the surface. DC would later make a more significant statement with social/superheroic relevance in John Stewart, but in Mal's case, it was as if he was the "very special episode" of the title, despite some interesting moments. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 7, 2018 0:40:48 GMT -5
Yet a third CCFer who first took note of the series right after the switch to horror. Coincidence? Well, in my case it was it was the first time I ever saw the comic series. Right. In your case, it's less the question of whether the new horror approach caught your eye, and more a question of whether it caught your cousin's. For what it's worth, kids like you came up in the letters page for one of the issues I just reviewed (can't recall which). Boltinoff was discussing how DC had discontinued its subscription service because it had been deemed financially impractical, but that they were piloting ways to get it up and running again since kids in more rural areas had no access to the spinner racks. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 7, 2018 1:19:02 GMT -5
I see your point, but considering the era Mal was created in, and the people behind him, you would need to assume their "racial outreach" / maturing of the title(s) was executed from a somewhat naïve, social-worker type point of view, where the idea of a black character would be relevant if he made his mark with some then-stereotypical skill or occupation that could be used to either shape, comment on his personality or status (to a degree). This was not simply a DC problem, as Sam (Falcon) Wilson's origin was shaped in a somewhat similar fashion. Black characters using sports as a way out or as part of their identity was a well-work trope in the media of the period, especially 1960s TV, and could be seen in episodes of Ironside, The Twilight Zone, and The Mod Squad, just to scratch the surface. DC would later make a more significant statement with social/superheroic relevance in John Stewart, but in Mal's case, it was as if he was the "very special episode" of the title, despite some interesting moments. I guess I'm not following you here. What stereotypical skill or trope is defining Mal? As far as I'm concerned, he's the most well developed Titan we've yet seen, and his striving to be the first man to reach Jupiter in his very first appearance didn't feel particularly cookie-cutter to me. It seems clear that limitations were placed on what could be done with Mal from day one -- he couldn't have a costume or code name, nor appear on the covers. Boltinoff promised to look into giving Mal a costume last issue in response to numerous fan letters, but Haney's script here seems to indicate to me that someone from up above gave a resounding "no" in response; Mal is going to stay exactly where he is. Kanigher treated Mal well, Skeates treated Mal well, and Haney seems unsure what to do with him. I don't see anyone writing him as some kind of stereotype. But maybe I'm misunderstanding your point? |
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 7, 2018 9:02:44 GMT -5
First issue I ever saw. My cousin had it with him when we met up at our grandparents, for Christmas. It would be a while (and a hospital visit) before I got my first TT issue, of my very own. Yet a third CCFer who first took note of the series right after the switch to horror. Coincidence? In my case, anyway, pretty much. I only had this issue because it was left at my house by one of my older brother's friends. Up to that point, I'd avoided the book like the plague, as even back then I hated kid sidekicks.
Cei-U! I summon the burst bubble!
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