Teen Titans: Cold Case #1

Review: Before we start, it's kind of important to know that this is a flashback issue from back when the Teen Titans comic was still a good read! Time-wise, this is right after Infinite Crisis/One Year Later. Okay, with that out of the way, let's begin. This story opens with Tim Drake(Robin)reliving his father's death from Identity Crisis in a nightmare. Tim wakes up with a start, and discovers Ravager in his bed trying to comfort him... Man, she just can't take a hint, can she? Tim throws Ravager out of his bed, and by this time the rest of the Titans(in this case, Wonder Girl, Cyborg and Kid Devil)walk in the room to see what the commotion was all about. WG is upset that her boyfriend(at the time)was laying nearly naked in his bed with a equally unclothed Ravager on his floor and storms away before Tim has a chance to explain. Angry about the whole situation, Tim lashes out at Ravager, Kid Devil AND Cyborg before storming away. Ravager heads outside and discovers a hologram of her father, Deathstroke the Terminator. Deathstroke seems to be aware of Ravager's Tim-troubles, and tells her he has something that would give Robin some closure, as well as get Ravager back in Tim's good graces. This mystery item seems to be locked in a suitcase... Before Ravager can get any further answers, Deathstroke shuts down the hologram, and Ravager heads off to one of Deathstroke's safe-houses. Upon entering, she discovers a mirror that appears to be a portal to... somewhere, and is prepared to hop in, before Kid Devil reveals that he followed Ravager. Kid Devil tells Ravager that he was there to assist her, but warns her that the mirror portal would indicate that Deathstroke was working with Mirror Master, and perhaps the rest of the Flash's Rogues. Ravager, being Ravager, ignores all that nonsense and leaps into the mirror, followed by Kid Devil. The two Titans pop out of the mirror right in the middle of a poker game between Capt. Cold, Mirror Master and Trickster. The fight is relatively even until Ravager notices a suitcase in a display case, along with Capt. Boomerang's costume. This distraction proves costly, as the Rogues manage to defeat Kid Devil, and then capture Ravager as well. Back at Titans Tower, Tim is feeling badly about how he treated Ravager and tries to talk to her, but discovers that both her and Kid Devil were gone. After checking out the security cameras, the Titans learn that Ravager was talking to Deathstroke(actually his hologram)outside, and figure she had kidnapped Kid Devil for her evil father. Since Tim had placed a bug on Ravager, the heroes know that she was in the Flash Museum in Central City, which is naturally where they decide to go. Meanwhile, the Rogues speak to Deathstroke through one of Mirror Master's mirrors, and we find out that Capt. Cold was willing to trade Ravager to Deathstroke, provided Deathstroke told the Rogues the location of Capt. Boomerang(not that fat, old, bald, useless one, but the second one, Owen Mercer). Before the villains can complete their transaction, the Titans manage to discover their whereabouts, via a broken mirror in the Flash Museum. The heroes arrive at the Rogues base, but learn that the trio of villains had reinforced their numbers by calling in pretty much every single Flash villain out there! After an extended battle, Cyborg manages to get his hands on Mirror Master's gun, and after tinkering with it creates a portal for the Titans to escape through, since it was apparent the Titans wouldn't be able to defeat THAT many villains. The Titans escape, with Ravager managing to snag the suitcase before she made good her escape as well. Back home, Ravager gives Tim the suitcase, and he opens it and finds... a gun. Most likely the gun his father used to kill Capt. Boomerang before his own death during the Identity Crisis x-over. Tim takes the gun and contemplates his past, and future, and this issue comes to a close with Deathstroke talking to the mounted head of his old friend Wintergreen, telling him everything had worked out for the best, and that one day Ravager would take her rightful place by his side again.

Thoughts: See, THIS is the Teen Titans the way I want them to be... Tim, WG, Ravager, even Kid Devil. That's the team I enjoyed, before the bottom fell out. This comic was such a welcome read, pretty much containing everything I'd have hoped for... A Tim-heavy story, Deathstroke and Ravager, the Rogues, and a story that tied in nicely with the past, as well as the Titans Tomorrow storyline. I guess if I HAD to state a gripe, I'd say that the ending, with the Rogues stupidly losing the suitcase to Ravager, was a bit disappointing, but other than that, I really can't find anything to complain about... This was the Titans the way I like them.

Score: 9 out of 10.Sheesh, some women just can't take a hint!