Teen Titans #7

I always knew I'd get the Gotham Academy Robin War tie in and I figured why not get this too? I might not enjoy the actual event but one tie in was already superior despite it only being a small part of the story.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I have to say Beast Boys' news anchor bit is one of the better recap pages I've seen as it actually works with the characters' personality and doesn't feel like it's coming out of no where. Reiser from Doomed is hanging out with Cassie at the pool happy that he at least has people willing to help him. Which is a nice nod to Tims' original intent for the series (although I think Reiser is supposed to be older than them) and shows them being more helpful than Clark. Though I suppose Clark doesn't have the time to look after him.

Meanwhile Jason and Tim are fleeing with the We Are Robin characters sometime around Robin Son of Batman #7. I don't know who the guy that was talking is supposed to be. Tim tells Jason that it's just like he said, that these kids aren't ready to fight on the streets. More of this conversation below. Their stopped by the challenge of a lone police officer...which is somehow a problem? The rookies try to take him on and get hurt.

The rest of the Titans follow Raven to the evil she senses in the Class of Rock Musical. They find the "dolls" Professor Pyg created. They want to help but their soon overwhelmed by the victims fighting to protect Pyg. They wake up with Pyg preparing to make them "perfect" and he escapes. They discover he's taken their blood. Brother Blood happens to be working with Pyg and somehow knew Raven would sense Pyg? The Robins go to Gotham Academy and while RSOB makes it look like they just walked in the place is guarded here.


Overall: I don't know who should be blamed for the lack of consistency between titles. Tim had no problem with Maps when he thought she was one of these Robins in Gotham Academy #11. He shrugs off her presence and even revealed a story from Dick's Robin days. While he has voiced some uncertainty with these kids in RW he didn't object to Dukes' team when they split from the rest. I really don't get Jasons' response to this. Yes he was for them helping the WAR members and he's right that their in too deep at the moment. But suggesting that they (Tim and himself) aren't better because of their training? Not only is that wrong but Jason said in the actual event book (Grayson I believe) and his own title that they had the advantage because Batman was their teacher. The only training these guys have is the tiny bit the real deals gave them.

Now Jason turns this around to say that these kids have just as much right as they do to put on masks? Why? Even so he hasn't really argued this point before. Most of the debates have been private at the right time and basically boiled down to "we need to help these kids" while still pointing out that their out of their league. Another major point talked about but usually forgotten is the fact the WAR people aren't skilled enough and have no Batman to watch over them. If this is during RSOB not only is Tim forgetting they asked the kids to take them to the passage underneath Gotham Academy, which is the main reason their there, they have a debate that's entirely unneeded. One that the WAR members have to stop to mention the obvious to the professionals.

This doesn't flow nearly as well as RHA did. Now tie ins sometimes get left out of the loop. It makes no sense but it happens and TT/RHA both fall under a different section of DC not the bat offices. ...Except even the bat books--which all are main parts of the event--can't keep track of the story. I wonder how much is due to poor editing and how much is confusion due to direction. Much like the main story it's mentioned how bad an idea the WAR movement is but only the bad guys and Damian really seem to focus on it for long. The bad guys because their building these new characters up and don't want to call attention to the flaws by having the older heroes object too much. Damian who's basically being an entitled brat which is given a pass since it's supposed to be more humorous (well some is.) This makes people like Gordon have weak reasons for being okay with it and others like Jason forget things they previously pointed out.

Here Tim is proven right (well his characterzation here is as he feels differently elsewhere) as two rookie Robins gets grazed when they attack the cop. They did think he'd be a pushover because the officer was shaking but it reflects bad on all of them. Tim gets them to calm down then talks about how their tie up the cop before he can alert others. Uhh...he already reported that he found half a dozen Robins and was about to say who the other two were. The police are already informed and even if they don't have all the information they should have an idea where a fellow officer is.

Then Tim asks if Jason still thinks they don't need training. Except all the real Robins WERE training them previously and Jason was the one that agreed to keep training them in the main event! You'd think Lobdell of all people wouldn't fall into the clichés other bat writers have with Jason. I mean Jasons' previous statement about training in this issue makes no sense regardless of the main event as he had months of training before he was Robin. Plus I read it partly as Jason telling Tim that regardless on their background everyone deserved a chance to be a hero but maybe I was reading into it a little too much. Likewise I don't like Jason asking Tim if they should take the direct approach. It feels very in line with the other bat writers way of writing. Tim is smart while Jason is more reckless. Unless Jason was offering to be a decoy the direct way risks the kids that already proved they can't handle people with guns. It's all pointless anyway since RSOB already has them inside the passage and this claims we'll see them inside in Robin War #2.

I preferred the stuff with the other Titans even if they got taken out a little too easily. Given who Pyg teamed up with it can have some leeway. This was an entirely passable issue. I had hoped to enjoy it as much as the RHA tie in since it has the same writer. It suffers some of the same problems as most of Robin War. While Jason isn't as bad as most the RW stuff his sudden shift makes no sense. Nothing important happens here where else the RHA tie in at least advanced the Jason and Tim bond. The Titan section was decent enough. I do wonder if Lobdell was trying to keep the mess of the Robins characterizations in RW similar to the way they are in RW. Otherwise I have no idea why they act the way they do.



Did You Notice?: Tim has no wings/cape.

Say What?: They said the police are arresting all costumed teens regardless of them having powers or not. This wasn't what was stated under the Robin Laws although it might explain why Tim and Jason were captured. The cop also starts to refer to them as people with the Robins. Regardless I'm not giving any of the main event writers credit for something that is mentioned in a tie in especially since they have trouble keeping their story straight book to book.

Pyg implies Red Robin was the only Titan he didn't get blood from. Wonder Girl wasn't there nor was Superboy. Reiser might not be a member though.

Tim's behavior is also odd since he's been keeping track of the We Are Robin movement while you get the impression the others are only just hearing about it. Why didn't he do anything before if he's really that concerned?