REVIEW: Titans United: Bloodpact #2

Titans United: Bloodpact #2 “Inquisition” has hit the stands and seemlessly continues the story from issue #1. The world has undergone a Flashpoint style transformation creating an alternate history. Along with Tim Drake, we the reader are desperately trying to understand this new deadly world order and put right what went wrong.

Eddy Barrows and Marcelo Maiola instantly let us know things aren’t quite right with their cover art. A giant idol of Raven being worshipped by cloaked figures while Robin and Jinx observe the spectacle. The colors and lighting really add a sense of something ominous about what we’re seeing and you can almost feel the heat from the lit alter. It’s a piece that really grabs your attention and pairs well with the context of the story inside.

Derrick Chew has quickly become one of my favorite modern comic cover artists and this depiction of Starfire is easy proof as to why. The energy of her starbolts mixing with her flame trails has a great sense of realism. The photogenic nature of Starfire also feels like a portrait of someone who really exists. It’s fascinating to look at something based in fantasy and believe it to be real.

Ed Benes and Dinei Ribeiro’s variant has a movie poster sensibility about it. A collage of the Titans from action poses to enlarged headshots encapsulates a cinematic tone that warrants the possibilities of an animated feature. So far, I believe I would be interested in watching an animated movie of this series. 

Rahzzah has the pleasure of doing the Black Adam promo variant. Showcasing Teth Adam’s power of SHAZAM! against the visage of Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman while the sun sets is absolutely stunning. I honestly can’t tell if this is photo work, hand drawn, or a bit of both. Obviously Black Adam doesn’t appear in this issue, but DC doing a company wide variant promo for the film releasing this month is great marketing. 

Artist Lucas Meyer, with colors by Tony Avina, take on the interior art with dynamic panel layouts and eye-popping action sequences. Taking place solely at night the colors still manage to be vibrant without detracting from the tone. The pages flow effortlessly from one panel to the next with nonstop motion. Being someone who’s main exposure to the Titans is through television and other media, I found it very easy to follow who each character was without the obligatory nameplates. Meyer and Avina do an amazing job detailing familiar characters against a world backdrop all their own.

Cavan Scott, lettered by Carlos M. Mangual, continues to explore the strange new world created by last issues events. Through the main perspective of Tim Drake, who’s somehow the only one who knows the world has gone awry, we learn much of these new surroundings. Tim is deadset on getting the team back together in hopes of getting things back on track but no one remembers who he is. Armed with a tenacious spirit Tim finds himself an audience with a Batman that has no reason to trust anything he has to say. It’s not until a rescue attempt is made to free Psimon from the clutches of the Church of Raven that gives Robin the evidence he needs to prove his tale. Without missing a beat, things go from bad to worse as Batman and Robin encounter their next obstacle on the last page. 

Although there’s only a brief mention of Conner within the context of this issue, Titans United: Bloodpact #2 was incredibly entertaining to read. A familiar trope within the realm of comics and science fiction stories, Cavan Scott delivers a fresh take on the “alternate history” event and I find myself intrigued about how this will all play out.