Teen Titans #68 Review

Creative Team
Writer: Sean McKeever
Artist: Eddy Barrows
Inker: Ruy Jose
Colorist: Rod Reis

Story - The New Deal part 3: New Day Dawning

Review
Ever since the two-part Doctor Light story we got before the start of Infinite Crisis this title has been in a state of mediocrity with the only notable story we have gotten from this title was the Doom Patrol arc. This state of mediocrity stems from the fact that Teen Titans has been dealing with turnover on the team with at least one Titan leaving at the end of every arc. One of the things that has hurt Teen Titans is that this used to be the flagship title for the next generation of heroes but since One Year Later started that title has gone to the JSA since all the big next generation heroes appear in that title.

Also it does not help that Teen Titans has been stuck in this ongoing recruiting drive since the start of One Year Later and 52. It has almost become a chore to continue to read the same story over and over again. I understand that it is tough having to come up new ideas for stories since most of stories have been done already so almost every story we read, whether in a comic or a book, will be the same. That still does not excuse the fact that writer can do something original as to not make a story feel like a retread of what has been done to death before.

Now the problem with this issue is that it again centers around Red Devil (can I still call him that now that he has lost his powers?) adventures in Hell with Kid Eternity which does nothing to interest me in either character. The problem with Red Devil is that he just continues to be a whining crybaby looking to be accepted when he does not realize that he is already an accepted member of the Teen Titans. Even before he lost his powers Red Devil never did anything of note to help out the team and now that he still does not have his powers I don't see a reason for him to be on the team other than to let the team have at least four members since he hasn't shown to have any useful skill to help out the team in missions. But from the Origins and Omens back-up it looks like he wont be around for much longer if the image of his future is correct.

And speaking of the Origins and Omens back-up I would not make a big deal about the image of Wonder Girl and Blue Beetle kissing on the last page featuring the Titans future. I am guessing that image has something with the crossover between Teen Titans, Titans, and Vigilante starting in April that involves capturing Jericho. My guess is that Jericho probably takes over Wonder Girl's body and in order to escape from Blue Beetle, who is the only one in his way, Jericho (as Wonder Girl) give Blue Beetle the kiss as a distraction to get away from being captured. So I would not make a big deal about the kiss shown other than it will cause some tension between Jamie,Traci 13, and Cassie for at most a issue.

The only real thing that I liked about the issue is Eddy Barrows artwork. As always Barrows turns in some dependable artwork. While it is nothing spectacular it gets the job done. He does a good job drawing all the various evil creatures located in Hell by giving them a menacing look. Also he does a nice job with the various character reactions but his faces are inconsistent in certain panels.

Issue Rating
Story: 4/10 - McKeever continues to disappoints as he has us go through yet another recruitment arc.
Art: 7/10 - Barrows provides some dependable art that can be inconsistent at times.
Overall: 5.5/10 - This issue that mainly focuses on Red Devil did nothing to get me interested in the character. And even though there were some interesting images in the Origins and Omens back-up issue I am not to hyped about the future of this title like I should be due to the state mediocrity Teen Titans has been in for a long time.