I have to say this is one of the best example of the Reed Richards Is Useless trope that I saw. Really, you invented something that could make everyone able to fly, and for what are you using it..?

I had never heard of this before, and I positively love it. Thanks!

Teen Titans #50 (October 1977)



Up until now, I haven't been able to stand the Rich Buckler covers, but the final four really work for me (especially #51). In this case, the '60s Marvel influence is stunningly clear, Beast Boy's pose, in particular, feeling straight out of early Ditko Spidey for me.

And yet, this also reflects the larger problem with Rozakis' work on Titans and Batman Family: on the one hand, he's stuck hopelessly in 1950s, dredging up long-forgotten characters out of a sense of nostalgia while emulating the sloppiness and excessive use of suspension of disbelief that infected that era. And, on the other, he's working tirelessly to make these properties catch up to and emulate the stylistic advances made by Marvel in the 1960's.

But it's 1977, Bob.




"The Coast-to-Coast Calamities!"

Script: Bob Rozakis
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Joe Giella
Colors: Jerry Serpe
Letters: Milton Snapinn

Grade: C+


Ah, the meeting of Titans East and Titans West...except that it isn't. As usual, Rozakis is having issues with pacing, so all we get is a non-sensical villain with unexplained but seemingly limitless powers (pretty much exactly like The Outsider in Rozakis' most recent issue of Batman Family), as well as a series of ridiculous coincidences bringing together pretty much every teen hero in the DCU who wasn't being used elsewhere without leaving enough space for them to actually do anything.

And (as is usual for Rozakis), the coincidences surrounding their meeting each other initially come off as products of sloppy writing, but we are ultimately promised a lame explanation next issue.

So here's our Titans West (though they have neither formed a team nor chosen a name by the close of this issue):




Fortunately, Rozakis gives us a few decent laughs while he takes too long awkwardly pushing this mess of a story forward:




And we've got Mal back in his GUARDIAN costume, kicking butt and taking names:



I suspect it's no coincidence that Mal is back as the Guardian JUST as the title is getting a new editor. After all, it was Schwartz who (for whatever reason) blocked Rozakis' plans for Mal to assume that mantle in the first place. And the letters coming in seem to almost universally prefer Mal as Guardian to Mal as Hornblower.


Beyond this, there really isn't much of an actual story here, leaving me little to discuss beyond the details...


Important Details:

- Return of Batgirl (Betty Kane), Beast Boy, Golden Eagle, Hawk, Dove, and Lilith. I don't believe any of these characters had been in active use by this point, though Betty Kane may have appeared in cameo in Batman Family #11.

- Titans West has not yet formed, though all of its members meet for the first time.


Minor Details:

- Beast Boy now has a starring role in Space Trek 2022 (which will come up again in the New Teen Titans volume)

- Beast Boy still appears to be roughly the same age as the other Teen Titans, whereas he will be significantly younger than them in the next volume:




- Wait. The original Batgirl is still younger than Barbara Gordon?



I mean, I guess that's necessary in order for her to be a TEEN Titans, but I'm not sure how it's possible. Even in comic years, some significant time has passed since Betty became active, Betty retired, and Barbara took her place. So if Betty was 14 then (I can't see her having been younger), could less than six years have passed?


- The most racist moment I have ever seen in this comic. Dick and Duela invite all the white Titans to tour Hudson University, asking them if they'd like to attend. Where are Mal and Karen??



I guess Speedy didn't come either, but Rozakis has done his best to show us that Roy marches to his own tune and takes directions from no one. It's a no-brainer to assume college wouldn't be his thing.

Wally goes on to make a comment about not being able to afford Hudson, which might explain why Mal and Karen aren't there, but it would have been appropriate to at least indicate that they had been invited and chose not to come.


- Wally is back to having a crush on Donna.



Rozakis suggested this in his first issue but never mentioned it again until now.


- Rozakis has been treating Donna's powers inconsistently for several issues now, but they're positively bipolar here:








Not much of an issue, all in all. I feel cheated. Here's hoping the meeting of the two teams will be a little more memorable next issue.

[NERD MODE ON]
1. Peter Parker tried to sell his web fluid. It didn't go well


2. Spear of Destiny. You know. For every question related to DC Golden Age Heroes the answer is "Spear of Destiny"  
[NERD MODE OFF]

It's why I could never understand why there was any need for a space program in either the DC or Marvel Universe. 

 

Um, been there, explored that.

…and it more than earned that F. Apparently, some 1970s comic creators were so out of touch that they thought a fad / common mode of transportation for kids was worthy enough to be the villain's central "power" or an important gimmick in the story, as seen "across the street" at Marvel in this same era--

Captain America and the Falcon #196 (April, 1976). Cover by Jack Kirby, with inks by Frank Giacoia.
The Amazing Spider-Man #183 (July, 1978). Cover by Ross Andru, with inks by Mike Esposito.



Beyond embarrassing. I'm surprised DC and Marvel did not create a villain team using glowing frisbees, as it would have fit right in with this gimmicky mess of a story.



Where was the editor?



Horrible and cheap-looking. Making matters worse is that chest emblem looking like a modified version of--






Well, its not like he has anything ese to do in this title.



Essentially, she's like Batgirl from the 1966-68 Batman TV series, where she has a wealth of extraordinary gadgets and a crime lab in her hidden room built into her apartment...? Eh, but don't ask how she has all of that stuff, right, Bumblebee?



That's probably the motivation for his anger, but yeah, it required an editor's box reference.

Had this issue and liked the idea of Titans West; but, it doesn't really come off. Hawk looks kinda goofy (what up with the mask; looks more like a bad rendition of Gatchaman) and Golden Eagle needed a rethink. i was glad to see Mal back as Guardian, and the suit and exo-skeleton was cool and it gave Mal a boost. I sometimes wonder if that hadn't inspired Wolfman and Perez into the creation of cyborg.