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Underground > Comic Books >

Haney. Allred. Titans.

23:31 / 15.10.07

As seen here.

"Don't miss the TEEN TITANS LOST ANNUAL, featuring the original Teen Titans: Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Speedy and Aqualad! Classic Teen Titans writer Bob Haney sends the Titans into space to rescue President John F. Kennedy in this story illustrated by Jay Stephens (The Land of Nod) & Mike Allred (Madman, X-Statix)! Meet new alien races, witness a startling betrayal, and more! It's a secret space adventure that couldn't be told…'til now!"

Contrary to recent reports, it seems that DC has decided not to let this unpublished gem languish in oblivion. With a script by Titans legend Bob Haney and artwork by someone who may be the greatest cartoonist active in comics today (just check out Madman Atomic Comics #3 if you doubt me), this has the potential to be the best thing to come out in 2008.

At the very least, it should be tremendously fun.

18:11 / 16.10.07

glad to see this is finally coming to the shelves.

Papers, anyone, anywhere?
(prev. Papers @ 21C !)

18:06 / 10.01.08

Now, this came out just yesterday -- did any other Lithmonkeys pick it up? It's fun and bizarre and incredibly contrived. Aqualad is, of course, sidelined again ("Even though the Justice League and Doom Patrol are always available for any major disasters, let's leave Aqualad back on Earth in case any really freaky shit happens while we're gone!"). Titans accuse Robin of making things up, they all call each other by horrible nicknames, Robin stays in the Lincoln bedroom (!), and the amazing secret truth of the Kennedy assassination is revealed...

But, you know. For an Amazon, Wonder Girl sure seems susceptible to her hormones...

00:19 / 12.01.08

This just totally ruled. Is the Titans showcase volume as good as this?

It's just the craziest pile-up of obvious B-movie scifi tropes, alien wars, shapeshifting presidential dopplegangers, can't-help-falling-in-love girls, and an ending that's almost beyond belief. Love love love this comic.

05:06 / 17.01.08

Madness + fun, in finest Haney style. I'd but a poster of the last splash. The Wonder Girl thing was a bit off, but that's Haney; he doesn't waste time.

Haven't read the Titans showcase (yet) but bein' Haney and all I'd guess it to be at least as madfantanstic as this, if not more so; for more Haney finery I'd also recommend the time showcase presented Metamorpho.

Papers, anyone, anywhere?
(prev. Papers @ 21C !)

18:32 / 22.01.08

The Lost Annual is even more compelling when paired up with that other Silver Age Titans experiment, that Year 1 miniseries that started the week before. Haney manages to compress a whole wild adventure into a single book with almost non-stop craziness while Amy Wolfram (scriptwriter for the cartoon -- and didn't someone once mention she was a nom de plume of Marv Wolfman? Or Am I making shit up again?) gives us...Robin IMing his buddies, Kid Flash being bored, Wonder Girl wandering around Man's World in some short-shorts and drooling over a boy.

They're really delving deep into that "Boy-Crazy Drusilla" characterization from the TV show, aren't they?

But other than some extreme bad-dad Bat-Dickery, not much happened. It wasn't even particularly strong set-up. Aqualad was scared of fish and Aquaman scowled. Kid Flash could have been Bart. There was no zany (other than fish telepathy being morse code), there was no Haney.

04:17 / 25.01.08

Picked this up yesterday and damn, is it awesome. It's a perfect Silver Age experience distilled into a single issue, with a ton of crazy concepts, really pop art, and a surprisingly emotional finale. I don't think it would be that crazy to have a celebrity cameo, like the Kennedy one here, in a comic today, but what makes it work is not so much the absurdity of 'Leader Kennedy,' it's the deep affection Haney has for the man, and the way he turns this absurd tale into a heartfelt meditation on what JFK meant for America.

Really great stuff, and considering it's only one issue, there's no reason to wait for the trade.