***Contains Spoilers***
The New Titans #115-130 was a whirlwind of change, filled with dramatic departures, a reshuffled roster, and a finale that sought to wrap up dangling threads with varying degrees of success. The end of Wolfman’s storied run primarily focused on the team’s disintegration, new recruits, and a chaotic battle against an evil version of Raven. It concluded with a bittersweet attempt to restore normalcy, as Gar (Changeling) was healed, Raven was freed, and Starfire found purpose in rebuilding her homeworld, Tameran.
The sheer ambition of this stretch of Wolfman’s run deserves some credit. The integration of new team members—Damage, Mirage, Terra 2, and Impulse—was a breath of fresh air, even if their integration felt rushed. Kyle Rayner’s appearance as Green Lantern, alongside Darkstar Donna Troy, added star power to a struggling team dynamic. Raven’s descent into darkness was genuinely chilling, especially with her manipulation of Changeling via Trigon’s influence. It was unsettling, but it added some much-needed tension to the narrative. The finale’s resolution, while convoluted, did provide moments of emotional closure: Gar regaining his humanity, Starfire rebuilding Tameran, and Raven’s soul being freed offered a glimmer of hope after a dark and scattered arc.
Unfortunately, this run was plagued by inconsistency. The exodus of most of the original Titans early on (all but Arsenal and Changeling) felt abrupt and poorly handled, leaving the narrative with a fractured core. The new team dynamic lacked chemistry, with characters like Damage and Impulse feeling underdeveloped and out of place. The plot itself was overloaded with ideas—an evil Raven, Trigon’s influence, the destruction of Tameran, and Deathstroke’s daughter Rose joining the mix—leading to a bloated, chaotic storyline. Supergirl and Minion were thrown in with little explanation, making their involvement feel like an afterthought. The finale, while emotionally resonant in parts, couldn’t save the uneven pacing and convoluted plot threads leading up to it. The handling of Changeling as “Monster Gar” was more grotesque than tragic, which undercut his eventual redemption.
The New Titans #115-130 was a bold, messy conclusion that aimed high but stumbled in execution. While it had moments of emotional depth and spectacle, it was weighed down by uneven storytelling and an overcrowded cast. I’m glad I read it to complete Wolfman’s historic run and for the resolution of some key character arcs, but it’s not a run I would revisit. 2 stars.
Feature Image The New Titans #117 cover art by Dan Panosian and Stephen Jones
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