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I like the idea of the "next generation" of super-heroes idea. I've liked it for a while. I still believe that it was carried out best in the initial run of The New Warriors (even parts of the questionable ending). When I was younger, I even read a little New Mutants. Of course as I got older I continued on with X-Force, Young Justice, and most recently Young Avengers. I would include Runaways but that title stood a bit more on its own with the idea of them being "reluctant" kids with powers (usually).
I have been with the current run of Teen Titans since the start and I've almost always enjoyed it no matter who was writing or drawing it. Unfortunately issue #75 really left me wanting. In fact I cannot remember the last time I read an issue of anything where I so disliked the issue that I seriously thought about dropping the title right then. That was my initial reaction with that issue.
While the art was great as always, the dialogue actually made my head hurt. I felt like I was reading run-on sentences that I simply couldn't comprehend. Believe me, with what I do in my "real life" I read lots of those and have learned to track through them without much problem. I just couldn't do that with Teen Titans. Plus, on top of that, the flow of the story was incredibly disjointed. It's like I was sitting in a car with someone learning to drive a clutch. There was lots of lurching and wondering what the person was doing, or if they even had a clue of what they were doing.
I do feel kind of bad saying all of this, but I have to be honest. Issue #75 of Teen Titans was one of the worst written issues of a title I've ever had the displeasure of reading (and I read the first issue of Marville). The characters also seemed to be hollow shells or parodies of themselves, to boot. Beast Boy's appearance could have been wonderful but instead I felt as though I was witnessing some kind of battle between multiple personalities that he had developed. Then there is the fact that there is an unknown animal seen by two Titans and nobody does anything. Does anyone remember what happened to Wendy and Marvin? Maybe the Calculator does deserve his revenge if the Teen Titans are that stupid.
Right now I just want the title to catch up with the rest of the DC Universe. Get Superboy and Kid Flash back into the pages and get back on task. I really don't know if I can handle another issue of this kind of writing. Still, I will give it the chance as I believe it's only fair to push through such points. Of course, another title is already reaching the end of my tolerance. That title being the current run of New Mutants.
When I heard they were starting up New Mutants again and that it would include many of the originals, I was pretty excited. I hoped that while it would play up on some of the history of the team, it would be written in a fashion that would welcome new readers. Boy was I wrong. New Mutants has come to define the primary reason I avoid X-titles (other than Astonishing X-Men). From the start there were things that were going on that just left me in the dust. Still, I accepted things as they were given because I knew I had been out of the loop. Then issue #5 came out. Warlock on the cover! Yes! Wait, Warlock is only at the very start and end of the issue. Lame! So, not only do I have to deal with what I saw as a large amount of false advertising, I am also dealing with the team deal with people I don't know and don't care about eating up a lot of space that could be used to fill in some back-story for those of us who aren't in the loop of every X-title currently in print.
Next issue is the possible return of Cypher? I won't hold my breath. I already know the issue is going to tie into the next big event for the X-titles so I'm ready to be lost, confused and disappointed. The nice thing is that with my expectations set so low for the next issue of New Mutants I should be easily impressed.
I have to say that both Marvel and DC area really not using what could be their "next generation" of characters very well. The Young Avengers, the Teen Titans, the New Mutants, even the Runaways and the last questionable incarnation of the New Warriors. There is potential there and instead we're dealing with a pool of wasted youth that could be so much more for each company. Maybe Teen Titans and New Mutants can turn it around, but considering I've dropped just about every team title I read I don't have much faith.
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