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View Full Version : TINY TITANS #2 REVIEW


Phil Filippopoulos
Mar 16, 2008, 02:21 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0308/TITI_Cv2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0308/TITI_Cv2t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Tiny Titans #2"></a>Reviewer: Phil Filippopoulos, astral_revolution@yahoo.com

“Look, Beast Boy, I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last boy on earth!”

“What about Krypton?”

“It's not the same!”

Writers: Art Baltazar and Art Franco
Artist: Art Baltazar
Letterer: Nick J. Napolitano
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Buscema
Editor: Jann Jones
President & Publisher: Paul Levitz
Published By: DC Comics

Tiny Titans is a weird comic.

This fact may not have escaped you. What may have escaped you is how fun a read this is. In a world where the status quo is being stabbed from every angle with serrated knives and beloved characters are mercilessly killed off with barely a batted eyelash, sometimes you need a good laugh. And this is the book for that.

You would be correct in assuming that this book is for the younger set, but it is very tongue-in-cheek, with a lot of references only older fans would get. A younger child would enjoy this a great deal, but as an older Titans fan it's fun to see the conventions and traditions of the comic played with and played on. It's very reminiscent of Rugrats, which was entertaining when I was younger but continued to appeal to me as I got older and understood a lot of the complexity in the stories as well.

Each issue features several short stories. The first introduces Terra, whose interactions with the other female Titans made me laugh out loud, and anyone who is friends with a lot of females will probably relate to it. This issue also features two confrontations with the Fearsome Five, each with their own amusing ending. Beast Boy also attempts to win Terra's affections, and fails horribly. The stories are often childish but clever enough to elicit a laugh (Cyborg as Easy-Bake, hilarious!).

My favorite stories, though, are those involving Kid Devil. He doesn't speak, and he has this goofy inhuman expression that makes him a riot. The best page of this comic involves three panels in which he heats a beverage on his head without moving. Maybe this is my personal sense of humor here, but I find every appearance of him to be absolutely hysterical. I would gladly buy an entire comic of Kid Devil stories like these.

The art is a big draw here. It's simple, clean, and fun but again is a treat for those old enough to get the nuances, such as Gizmo's backpack full of art and craft supplies. The expressions on the characters are priceless, and add to the dichotomy of simplicity and complexity that run through this series.

Reading over what I've written, I think I'm enjoying this way too much. I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but this is quickly becoming one of my favorite comics. Am I childish? Is my sense of humor juvenile and unsophisticated? Have I reached my proverbial rock bottom of taste?

Until that page with Kid Devil heating up the hot chocolate stops making me fall out of my chair, the answer is yes. And frankly, I'm not sure I mind.

OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg

Buy Tiny Titans online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=25925)

Phil Hunn
Mar 16, 2008, 05:18 pm
DC have obviously cottoned on to the fact that the Mini Marvels are teh pwnage, and have launched their own version - nothing wrong with that, of course. I regret not finding the first issue of this, as it sounds rather fun :)

Anthony Devlin
Mar 16, 2008, 05:52 pm
and Kid Devil is sooo CUTE!!! :hug:

Anand Khatri
Mar 16, 2008, 07:25 pm
I love the Mini Marvels and this sounds like something I would really enjoy. I'll have to go pick this up. Great Review Phil. :)

Marty P
Mar 16, 2008, 08:23 pm
DC have obviously cottoned on to the fact that the Mini Marvels are teh pwnage, and have launched their own version - nothing wrong with that, of course. I regret not finding the first issue of this, as it sounds rather fun :)
Agreed with everything you said Phil.

Hope I have more luck finding an issue though....

Phil Filippopoulos
Mar 17, 2008, 12:44 pm
I had a heck of a time finding it...I don't think I saw any of the other Johnny DC titles there, so perhaps a lot of shops aren't stocking them?