Teen Titans Annual #2

By Scott Lobdell, Barry Kitson, Art Thibert, Jesus Merino, & Scott Hanna

Teen Titans Annual #2 continues the story that began in issue #24. It helps if you have been reading Teen Titans recently, as well as Forever Evil, but doesn’t require it. This issue runs into many of the same problems that plague the main Teen Titans series, but still manages to have a bit a fun along the way.

Writer Scott Lobdell continues the time travel story that began because of Johnny Quick battling the teen heroes in Forever Evil #2. Red Robin, Wonder Girl, and Superboy find themselves in one of several possible futures and must figure out how to find missing team members Kid Flash and Solstice. Lobdell runs into the same problem of overwriting that has plagued the series almost since issue one.

That being said, the story has a few fun moments in it. The beginning of the story in particular was both fun and sad as Red Robin sees the fate of Batman, Alfred, and the Batcave. Some people may be suckers for stories that explore alternate futures and this issue offers a lot of fun for readers who fall into that category.

The art for the book is fairly inconsistent, however. With one artist on layouts and four others providing finishing art, the book doesn’t mesh well in parts. Characters look older or younger from page to page, especially Beast Man. The Superboy fight scene is stiff and confusing as well.

Teen Titans Annual #2 is par for the course for the series. For longtime readers, there is fun to be had but not much has changed. Any new readers who pick the book up will be able to stick with the story but most likely be confused throughout.