Teen Titans packed a lot into a single issue, which seemed a bit too packed, with a bit too much going on and felt more like an expository dump, though that's not a missive on writer Will Pfeiffer, who has a lot to cram into a single issue.

However, that being said, the comic is a fun read, and quite a gift from Kickstarter. Once Tim comes back to life in the middle of his autopsy, it gets to be quite interesting, and the flashbacks to pieces of his backstory piqued my interest. there's enough mystery and intrigue (and, again, fun, dynamic artwork) on display to keep me going on with the series. Here's hoping they add another dimension here, though.

Look, with this issue focusing on Ben and what he had been doing in the intervening years, it was intriguing. It makes sense for the focus to be on what he'd been up to because, well, what the hell WAS he up to for twenty years? But shoehorning child Luke in felt like committing the same crimes the prequels are guilty of: showing what didn't need to be shown, and, in doing so, diminishing the allure of the characters and making that expansive universe a bit more closed up, neat, and tidy.

The story is light and moves quickly, climaxing at a hurricane that may or may not harbor something sinister. And, thankfully, the comic is fun: Koris imagining the literal meaning to idioms (such as three big ones, in reference to $3,000, which she imagines as meaning three elephants) pop up often, and her overt sexuality is retconned as being an innocent naivete towards human social norms. A lot is set up for future issues, and while I am not the primary target for this title, it is a fresh, fun read, and theres a lot for new readers to like.

It wasnt too difficult to dive in and get an idea of what was going on, plot-wise, for this noob. And, thankfully, the actually theme and morality of the issue seemed to take import over the general conclusion, so whether I followed or not, there was a lot to take away from it.

It's a fun book, and just profane enough, making the characters much more real without being depressingly gritty for the sake of being so.

For any collector " and fans of this obscure, troubled character " this annual is highly recommended.

Although the final page (a big splash layout) resembles something out of The Venture Brothers, that is no way an insult: the comic looks and reads great. This is a fun, exciting read, and it is worth delving into the world of Deep State.

Itll be great to see where this storys going, and whether these characters are going to intersect and throw a few more shades of black into this already dark series.

With New Suicide Squad, Ryan works a lot to set a measured tone and wry sense of humor, as DC's badass office boss Amanda Waller rebuilds the Suicide Squad, and it is amusing to see what has become of both Black Manta and Harley Quinn.