Teen Titans #8 Review

This review contains minor spoilers.

DC isn’t messing around with “The Lazarus Contact,” pulling out all the stops to ensure it’s a worthy follow-up to “The Judas Contract.” We’ve already been treated to a fantastic start in Titans #11; now, it’s time for the two teams to collide in Teen Titans #8. It’s a superhero party for the ages, and the Justice League isn’t invited.

So, what happens this time around? Well, when the Teen Titans realize that Wally West (Kid Flash) is missing, they head off to the older Titans for answers. El douche himself, Damian Wayne (Robin), demands an explanation from his former partner Dick Grayson (Nightwing), who finally admits to making a deal with Deathstroke years ago. What’s this deal, you may ask? Your guess is as good as mine right now, since the contents of their pact are never revealed here. Dick does say that he did it to save everyone, though, so take from that what you will. Together, the two groups of heroes combine their efforts and search for the two Wallys, but they might already be too late from stopping Deathstroke from tapping into the Speed Force. Does this mean he’s Speedstroke now? Hopefully it’s only temporary, because we don’t need any more speedster villains in the DC universe.

Benjamin Percy handles the scripting duties for this issue, and he brings his A game. If you’ve been reading his Teen Titans run so far, you’ll know exactly what to expect here. He stays true to the Marv Wolfman version of the characters, keeping excitement and humor as his core ingredients. Mind you, there’s also a sweet hint of Young Justice chucked into the pot – something which I don’t think will upset anyone, either.

What I appreciate most about Percy’s narrative is, you don’t need to have read “The Judas Contract” to pick up the main plot of this story. Yes, it is a follow-up to a classic, but this arc can be easily read and understood by newer fans, too. By choosing not to overcomplicate matters, Percy ensures that this remains a highly accessible book to just about every comic fan. It’s evident that his experience as a novelist is working wonders in this series and Green Arrow as well.

On the art side of things, Khoi Pham’s penciling and Wade von Grawbadger’s inking can’t hold a candle to the work done by Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund in Titans #11. When you compare the two books, it’s like night and day – and it brings down the quality of this storyline ever so slightly. That said, credit must go to colorist Jim Charalampidis for the bright and vibrant job here, which is simply eye catching and does supreme justice to these characters.

All in all, part two of “The Lazarus Contract” doesn’t disappoint. There’s an unmistakable Teen Titans feel to this tale, and that’s all you could ask for as a fan. Seeing the old school meet the new breed has definitely been worth the wait and it’s only a taste of things to come. Hands up if you’re excited to see Damian and Dick teaming up again.