REVIEW: Titans United: Bloodpact #4
Just when things started to feel a little predictable, the cliffhanger in Titans United: Bloodpact #4 suggests a few twists are still in store as we head into the last two issues.
Titans United: Bloodpact #4, “The Abomination” is out and finally brings Conner into the story. It also picks up Donna Troy, Aqualad, and Beast Boy, but the main story falls on Superboy and Donna. More on them later after we look at the covers.
Eddy Barrows and Marcelo Maiolo continue their run on the standard cover. Cover titled “Ravaged by the Hounds of Blood”, Donna Troy and Aqualad square off to do battle with a pack of these beasts. Barrows and Maiolo really work well together to give this cover a sense of depth. Giving us the point of view from the hound’s perspective allows us to feel a part of the action that’s about to happen.
Derrick Chew’s variant showcases Donna Troy in his signature anime stylized art. With a fresh cut on her face, her lasso anchored on her arm, and sticking the classic three-point Superhero landing pose, Donna looks especially hardcore. Chew brings out the Amazon warrior side of her character in a dynamic and majestic way.
The variant by Dextor Soy and Adriano Lucas is another great team shot of the Titans. There’s a subtle giant “T” in the bright, nebulas background as the Titan team explodes from the cover. Oddly enough, Robin is missing from the action, but the cover is still pretty fun regardless.
The company wide Holiday Variant is by Matt Haley. A playful exchange between Supergirl and Batgirl high above a snowy cityscape as they give each other their respective Holiday gifts. The art style could easily pass as an animation still and definitely feels very festive.
Artist Lucas Myer and colorist Tony Avina handle the interior artwork. There’s nice little details within the alternate timeline they’ve created, like Luthor’s power suit brandishing a Cadmus emblem instead of the traditional “LL”. This series hasn’t lacked in action sequences and this issue is no different. Every page effortlessly flows from panel to panel in a storyboard manner. I know I say it often, but it wouldn’t take much for this book to get the animation treatment.
Cavan Scott, lettered by Carlos M. Mangual, continues their surprisingly compelling stand-alone story in Titans United: Bloodpact #4. Rewinding the story a few days to show us what Conner has been doing since Raven’s spell took hold. In just a few pages we learn how different this reality’s Lex Luthor is as well as the fate of Superman. Conner and Lex’s relationship is also a different dynamic which makes for a heartbreaking scene before we catch up to the present.
The rest of the Titans track down Donna Troy who appears to be running her own resistance cell alongside Garth of Atlantis. Earning her initial trust by assisting her against a Mother Mayhem attack, Donna agrees to join the Titans in rescuing Conner. Their rescue attempt barely gets on its way when Conner cries out a warning revealing his memories are also intact. Just when things started to feel a little predictable, the cliffhanger ending suggests a few twists are still in store as we head into the last two issues.
