Teen Titans 3 (January 2012)

Lobdell’s gay superhero makes his first appearance this issue and… wow… he could not be more flamboyant. Not sure Lobdell’s aware all gay men aren’t Jm J. Bullock. It’s some terrible writing.

But there’s actually a really fun page in the comic. I couldn’t believe Booth had it in him. Kid Flash–let’s not forget, Kid Flash wasn’t ever a sidekick (that detail of the Titans didn’t make it to the new DC universe)–runs around a room and Booth shows the numbered order of little events. It’s fun. It’s more fun than anything in Titans and it’s something out of a kid’s picture book.

Nothing really happens this issue other than the Bunker (the gay kid) introduction. The regular story line doesn’t develop, just little moments, like Red Robin meeting a giant android and Wonder Girl torturing a bad guy.

It’s a fast read, which means its over sooner.

CREDITS

Better to Burn Out… Than to Fade Away; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, Brett Booth; inker, Norm Rapmund; colorist, Andrew Dalhouse; letterer, Dezi Sienty; editors, Katie Kubert and Bobbie Chase; publisher, DC Comics.

Red Hood and the Outlaws 3 (January 2012)

Unbelievable. Lobdell has this all knowing kid god look into the histories of the cast because they’re so “curious.” Nothing like the writer creating characters who tell the reader the lame characters are really, really interesting.

Also interesting is a detail about Starfire’s memory. I thought Lobdell had given interviews she and Jason are just messing with Roy about her being an anterograde amnesiac (or whatever) and she’s not really a brainless nymphomaniac. This issue directly contradicts that explanation. She really is a brainless nymphomaniac.

And how can Green Arrow have a sidekick in his twenties if he’s in his twenties now? The logic editing of the new DC Universe is just dreadful.

Rocafort’s scenery drawing skills come in handy, but he’s bad at giant monsters and humanoid figures.

Lobdell unexpectedly finishes on a sappy note. It’s lame, desperate, and nearly sincere.

Sincere or not, Red Hood is still awful.

CREDITS

Cherish is the Word I Use — to Destroy You!; writer, Scott Lobdell; artist, Kenneth Rocafort; colorist, Blond; letterer, Pat Brosseau; editors, Katie Kubert and Bobbie Chase; publisher, DC Comics.

Superboy 3 (January 2012)

Lobdell, always original, opens with an “homage” to Pulp Fiction. Along with Silva and Lean’s sparse, awkward artwork, it does not suggest this issue of Superboy will be an improvement on the last.

Silva, who I apparently found okay before, is really lousy here. There are a couple panels I can’t believe DC let be published with the Swoosh on the cover. The artwork is stunningly amateurish.

As for the writing, Lobdell is now firmly situated in Superboy’s point of view. He’s using it mostly for exposition–Superboy thinking about how his powers work, for example–and he can’t make it feel contemporary with the action.

Lots happens but almost nothing happens. Superboy goes to the center of the Earth, aids and abets a murderer and fights a Greek or Roman goddess. Lobdell and Silva fail to make any of those events interesting.

Superboy is almost too lousy to mock.

CREDITS

Free at Last, Free at Last; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, R.B. Silva; inker, Rob Lean; colorists, Richard Horie and Tanya Horie; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editor, Chris Conroy; publisher, DC Comics.

Teen Titans 2 (December 2011)

I assume Lobdell had to turn in his terrible script for Teen Titans early (so Booth could draw it poorly), which means his constant references to objectifying women aren’t some breaking the fourth wall reaction to the response to the misogyny in his writing.

Too bad. It might be funny.

Wonder Girl can’t shut up about Robin–sorry, Red Robin–looking at her butt. It’s bad the first time and tiring the next thirty. The funny part, of course, is Red Robin really is looking at her butt and he doesn’t admit it. The lousy narration gives it away.

Other things we learn… black superheroes become cockroaches and Kid Flash doesn’t know the Flash. It’s so hard to figure out the new DC Universe.

The most fun in Titans is when Booth and Rapmund’s expressions work in direct opposite to the writing.

Though Lobdell’s inability to use English amuses too.

CREDITS

Underground and Overwhelmed!; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, Brett Booth; inker, Norm Rapmund; colorist, Andrew Dalhouse; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Katie Kubert and Bobbie Chase; publisher, DC Comics.

Red Hood and the Outlaws 2 (December 2011)

Now, I know Lobdell explained the whole “Starfire is a nymphomaniac” thing as something subversively feminist or whatever, but why are all the other female characters in Red Hood nymphomaniacs too? Maybe even more so than Starfire, who Lobdell here portrays as a dumber, more insipid version of Paris Hilton.

He also seems to really dislike Jason Todd as a character, mocking the resurrection of the character, but also his famous death. Why Jason Todd dying is still part of DC continuity is perplexing. Why not fix things with the new DC Universe instead of perpetuate the silliness?

As for Roy Harper, Lobdell seems to like him even less. He portrays Roy as a constantly unfunny moron (whereas Jason Todd is a rock star).

Rocafort proves he can draw scenery really well. There’s this magical city out of Immortal Iron Fist and Rocafort nails it.

Shame everything else is mediocre.

CREDITS

Shot Through the Heart — and Who’s to Blame?; writer, Scott Lobdell; artist, Kenneth Rocafort; colorist, Blond; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Katie Kubert and Bobbie Chase; publisher, DC Comics.

Superboy 2 (December 2011)

I feel like Lobdell’s approach to Superboy is to fling as much senseless garbage at the reader as possible and how they ignore the lack of story. Or the endless comparisons to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe.

N.O.W.H.E.R.E.?

Really? DC really went to Warner Bros. and sold them on doing a knock-off Ultimate Universe, complete with stand-ins for SHIELD? Did they tell the Warner suits they’d be able to have movies with it too?

Superboy is crap, but it’s not even exciting crap. Oh, there’s Lobdell writing a “strong” female character, but it’s just bad, but amusing. I guess it’s sort of funny how he’s got Superboy thinking in all sorts of twenty-first century colloquialisms and none of it makes sense unless Superboy watched sitcoms… but, again, so what?

It’s crap.

But the art isn’t terrible, even though the content is boring. Silva occasionally even tries some innovative compositions.

CREDITS

Superboys and their Toys; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, R.B. Silva; inker, Rob Lean; colorists, Richard Horie and Tanya Horie; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editor, Chris Conroy; publisher, DC Comics.

Teen Titans 1 (November 2011)

I thought there was supposed to be a flamboyantly gay superhero in Teen Titans. There’s not.

There’s nothing here except some awful Brett Booth art and the writing stylings of Mr. Scott Lobdell. One must admire Lobdell’s consistent incompetence. I mean, one example is his narration from Tim Drake. Lobdell writes it like he’s got a character narrating a movie trailer.

Also of amusement is how Teen Titans basically just rips off Marvel’s Ultimates or, at least, did to when I fell behind in reading it. There’s this secret organization with an acronym who’s going to manage all the superhuman teenagers in the world. So a mix of the Pied Piper and Ultimate Nick Fury. Only Booth’s Nick Fury stand-in looks like a goth hipster.

Lobdell doesn’t even establish why all these teenagers have sidekick names; it’s doesn’t seem like Kid Flash is the Flash’s sidekick.

It’s truly awful.

CREDITS

Teen Spirit; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, Brett Booth; inker, Norm Rapmund; colorist, Andrew Dalhouse; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Katie Kubert and Bobbie Chase; publisher, DC Comics.

Red Hood and the Outlaws 1 (November 2011)

With Red Hood and the Outlaws, I feel like DC is drawing a line in the sand. Female readers need not apply. While Lobdell is an awful writer on every level possible, he also gets to be the one to reveal Starfire is a mentally impaired nymphomaniac. She’s genetically incapable of forming long term memories about humans (all Tamaraneans are) and so she has sex with everyone she can. I’m not sure, but there’s a question of whether she’s able to give consent.

It doesn’t stop Lobdell and artist Kenneth Rocafort from objectifying her, in fact it seems to encourage them.

Lobdell isn’t able to distinguish between his male characters (Jason Todd and Roy Harper) so Rocafort has the job of making them look different enough.

Jokes about Lobdell’s terrible writing aside, there’s something seriously wrong with DC thinking this comic is all right in the way it portrays women.

CREDITS

I Fought the Law and Kicked its Butt!; writer, Scott Lobdell; artist, Kenneth Rocafort; colorist, Blond; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Katie Kubert and Bobbie Chase; publisher, DC Comics.

Superboy 1 (November 2011)

Did Scott Lobdell come up with the new Superboy approach, I wonder… It’s compelling. Superboy’s still a clone, but the comic is going to examine his creation. It’s a mix of Species, Supreme Power and The Incredible Hulk–at least the Robert Downey Jr. cameo.

In other words, it is not original. Not in any way shape or form. It’s just a good regurgitation of other successful media items. In many ways, it’s the best approach to a book straining for personality.

Lobdell can’t give the comic the personality it needs because he’s waiting to reveal Lex Luthor as the big bad guy. Unless he comes up with a retcon, but I doubt it. Superboy wouldn’t have the same effect without the troubled origin.

It’s hard to say what will happen next in terms of story quality. Lobdell seems perfectly happy to mix it all up again.

It’s practically mediocre.

CREDITS

The Clone; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, R.B. Silva; inker, Rob Lean; colorist, Richard Horie and Tanya Horie; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editor, Chris Conroy; publisher, DC Comics.