Titans: Old Friends Hardcover – January 20, 2009

"An all-powerful enemy from the team's past has returned with a vengeance, aiming to destroy anyone who's ever been a Titan. With their superhero successors caught in the line of fire, the original Titans must reunite to stop the onslaught before the Titans fall forever..." -- Back CoverThis review many contain slight spoilers, but the intention is not to reveal the story or the storyline just to let you know features of the book.I really enjoyed "Old Friends". I started reading The New Teen Titans when I was 13 years old, and am now 41. I grew up with these characters and cared about them like they were special friends. They helped me get through my own personal journey of puberty, adolescence, and the trials of teenage years. I continued to read the stories as I became an adult, and am glad to see these graphic novels of many of the new storylines that help weave the team that I grew to love back together.Chapter 1: The Fickle Hand - Go East, Young Man Part 1This chapter focuses on the original group of Titans, and how they worked together as a team in the "golden days". The first part features a Golden Age story (that is actually new) that features The Joker and Bizarro. The second part focuses on Cyborg working with Titans East while recruiting the original group to help him. The Art was spectacular!Chapter 2: The Fickle Hand - Today I Settle All Family Business Part 2The original Titans are attacked by a malevolent force from their past. The story line was cohesive and helped provide a stimulus for regrouping. Storyline features appearances from Batman and Titans East.Chapter 3: Family Affair, Part 1 - All Together Now...This was a great written story. It features Argent with cameos from Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. An old enemy returns with a shocking surprise of his own. My only disappointment with this chapter is that the art is of a much lower quality than the first 2 Chapters - however worth the "anorexic" art feeling for the storyline.Chapter 4: Family Affair, Part 2 - Sins of the FatherWhat I really loved about this chapter was the backstory. We see Flash's relationship with his wife and being a parent conflicting with his role as a super hero. We learn that Donna has suppressed her emotions over the death of her husband Terry and her son. Raven and Beast Boy's past is re-explored as well as the famous romance of Nightwing and Starfire. The art was still a bit off, but I enjoyed the story.Chapter 5: Family Affair, Part 3 - Daddy's Little BoysA shocking revelation from the prior chapter returns in Part 3. This is a great story which again touches on the backstory of the Titans with a focus on Raven. Surprise appearance from "Wonder Woman": and the original "Flash". The Art was still strange in this chapter, but slightly better.Chapter 6: I Know Your Heart, Because I Know MineThis is probably my favorite chapter out of the whole book. I have always had a strong attachment to Raven and my interest in her as a teenager eventually led me to study occultism and psychology. The story of the past relationships of the Titans is once again touched upon, and Raven takes center stage. The art is incredible in this Chapter.Chapter 7: Together, Together ForeverThis was an amazing conclusion to the set. Chapter 7 features a great story that pulls the entire group together again. The art was again superb. A surprise ending which features Jericho occurs at the end of the book which leads us to the next book in the series with a rather dramatic cliffhanger.I really enjoyed this book. If you are a past Titan fan or a new one you will seriously enjoy this graphic novel. The story was wonderful and I really enjoyed seeing Dick, Donna, Gar, Victor, Kory, Wally, Roy and Raven aka Rachel together again. It is definitely worth the money.Storm Cestavani

It ain't easy recapturing lightning in a bottle. In the early '80s, Marv Wolfman and George Perez served up THE NEW TEEN TITANS, which out of the blue was catapulted to the top of DC's best-selling list and became one of my favorite comic books ever. Back then I read my NEW TEEN TITANS before my X-MEN (and you guys remember how insanely huge X-MEN was back then, right?). I truly fell in love with the characters, especially Robin, Starfire, and Garth. We all know that Perez was and is the Shiznit, but respect also to Marv Wolfman, who spun some seriously classic stories. Off the top of my head, I recall "Who Is Donna Troy?" (Donna hires Robin to unearth her past), "A Day In The Life" (where the Titans go about their personal lives), "We are Gathered Here Today..." (Donna and Terry's wedding), the epic Trigon story arc, the awesome Judas Contract, and, yep, even that time when the Titans had a "crossover" with the DNAgents. Thru the years I've tried to keep up with the various incarnations of the Teen Titans but, honestly, this title was never quite able to recapture the Wolfman/Perez mojo.Plot SPOILERS now...Very recently, though, the DC bigwigs decided to see if the fanbase still lurks out there for the original New Teen Titans. The revival started with a oneshot issue, TITANS EAST SPECIAL #1, in which Cyborg attempts to mentor yet another fresh batch of Teen Titans. There's really no point in listing these new members as, after a training session gone horribly, horribly effed up, all of them get taken out of commission. Old Vic Stone, Cyborg himself, is blown up real good (which actually later leads to a funny Beast Boy line).TITANS #1 picks up immediately after, as the other members of the original New Teen Titans and the current Teen Titans also find themselves attacked, and by weird, icky-looking, Lovecraftian things. Not too hard to figure out that someone is targeting members of the Teen Titans, past, present, and new. And this is huge enough of a thing that it reunites Nightwing, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, Flash, Raven, Red Arrow, and Donna Troy (I dunno, is she still calling herself Troia?). Red Arrow ventures the theory that the attacks weren't science or meta, but supernatural. Raven concurs, stating ominously that "It's him. I can feel it. He's back." If you're down with the Teen Titans mythos, that could only mean one thing - Trigon's back! But, as it turns out, whoop-de-doo.Because Trigon's not back - not really. Raven visits her father and finds Trigon a dessicated husk of his former self. But she learns that, while Trigon may have been getting his nether cheeks soundly whupped by other presumably demonic forces, Red Four-eyed Dude still means to invade Earth. His opening gambit is to take out all the Teen Titans, the only group of heroes to ever defeat him. And, he warns his daughter, he is not alone. But, again, as things unfold, whoop-de-doo.So I am an old hand, having been avidly around during the Wolfman/Perez run. Which means that I'm gonna be pretty judgmental whenever folks and fools try to resurrect this particular team make-up. TITANS Vol. 1: OLD FRIENDS collects the one-shot TITANS EAST SPECIAL #1 and issues #1-6 of the ongoing TITANS title. I am a broke mofo. So while I've decided to give this series a chance - mostly because of nostalgia and because, after all this time, these cats are still some of my favorite characters - the leash is very tight. Because the issues in this trade don't impress me. If it were a new group with new heroes, I might be more lenient. But these are my Titans and there's no room for bollocksing on this pedestal.Given that these cats aren't teens anymore, it makes sense that their personalities have changed some. I guess, so far, I don't have any problems with how Judd Winick is writing these characters, with concern to their core personas. In fact, one of the funniest moments in this story arc happens at the poolside as Kory unwittingly flashes Animal Man's young kid. After she catches the kid looking, Kory isn't as much rueful as philosophical. What I've always loved about Koriand'r is her open heart, her willingness to embrace people and cultures and that she's so comfortable within herself. In this sequence, Winick perfectly captures Kory's sense of self. And, in reading this sequence, I felt that the series was off to a promising start.Where Winick goes goofy-bananas is, not in the choosing of the Big Bad, but in how the thing plays out. Trigon is a hell of a frightening adversary. But not when he looks like a twiggy, beat-up stretch of bad road. And, it turns out, he's not even the real threat (and the SPOILERS light is still flashing).Seems that Raven isn't Trigon's only progeny. Raven learns that she has half-human brothers whose powers are based on the six of the Seven Deadly Sins (with Raven representing the sin of pride). Three of these -Rage, Envy, Lust - are the main antagonists, and they employ their gifts to get the Titans caught up in infighting, vicious arguments, and, er, sexing it on. Thing is, a dude in cornrows and a hoodie does not a scary baddie make. I just can't take these Sons of Trigon seriously, especially when that chubster Gluttony shows up. I feel that the sense of menace should've been ratcheted up higher. Friggin' Trigon means to conquer Earth! And his sons mean to conquer Earth! The canvas sorely cries out for that epic, apocalyptic feel, but doesn't get it. So, yes, the story could've used more juicing up.More gripes. I know that Donna and Wally were under the influence of Envy, but their heated argument plays unconvincingly (although, okay, maybe that's the point, that Envy really is that subversive). Trigon acting like a proud papa also diminishes his bad guy street cred. When his sons did what they did to him, the Trigon I knew would've vowed infernal vengeance, not go all Father Knows Best. Also a minus is Cyborg in that clunky hoverchair. Even more of a minus is Gar's craptastic costume. Oh, and I've never liked Roy Harper. Ever.The art is pretty okay in my book. In fact, I'd like to personally thank Ian Churchill for his etchings of a nekkid Starfire by the pool. Rrrrrrr! I do like that Nightwing and Kory's relationship is re-explored, and that Raven has more of a personality nowadays (although she's still stand-offish), and that she's even attending high school. I wish Winick would've delved more into Gar and Vic's tight friendship. But I guess what I was looking for and didn't really get are those little personal "A Day in the Life" moments between the characters. Those were what made the original New Teen Titans so golden.The crib notes to all this being: Lightning in a bottle - unrecapturable.

Like the more grown titans cast facing tragon

Fun and exciting read from one book to the next. Was sad to finish the series. Wish I could read more

Teen Titans of old are now the Titans of new!

Book came in great condition, brand new. I've enjoyed it.

this version of the titans was very disappointing. i know you can't match the energy of the new teen titans but this book barely tries.the characters have reverted to being the whiny brats they were during the teen titans original run in the sixties. beast boy is just rude and red arrow really doesn't belong since he never fought trigon(who is just a joke here).trigon could have been replaced with any villian that manipulates emotion.really psycho pirate could have done what trigons brats did. and how many times do we have to go with raven's my father was evil lines?if you can't tell i was sorry i boughtthe book and won't buy any of the titans graphicnovels unless it's the games novel thats been huintde for several years. don't waste your money on this book

A nostalgic romp down memory lane. I loved the old New Teen Titans comics, they may possibly bee the strongest Team up issues to this very day, Better than JLA by far. This takes us back to those days and that team finally getting back together. With the classic villain Trigon making an appearance and the introduction of his sons the seven deadly sins (As featured in DC Universe Online). This book proves that the old team still works together and can provide a funny, gripping and moving storyline.The art is done by three different pencillers depending on the storyline with Joe Benitez being the weakest artist portraying Beast Boy in a rather weird gangly way. Still better than other Artists I could name but definitely the weakest of the three. The book still provides us with some stunning visuals and fight scenes are drawn dramatically and coherent with no mish mash or blurring.An amazing reintroduction for the team and I cant wait to get stuck into the next novel. I would 100% recommend this book. Contains Titans East Special #1 and Titans #1 - #6