Teen Titans #18

So the last issue was kind of a tale of two comics. There was the really good comic that occupied the first several pages of that issue, and then there was the ending... Which I already picked apart in the last post, so I'll refrain from saying anything more about it. Honestly, I kind of expect this issue to follow the path laid out with the end of the last issue, which would NOT be a good thing...

Teen Titans #18:

Summary: Superboy warns the Teen Titans that their older counterparts were evil and whatnot, which leads them to attempt an escape. Meanwhile, Deathstroke gets free from the older Titans with the old, “Look under my eyepatch...” rouse... Why would anybody fall for that?! Slade runs into the younger Titans just long enough to allow the older ones to arrive on the scene, which allows Slade to make good his escape, with some help from Not-Kid Flash, who turned on the older Titans.

Bart and Ravager?  That's an... odd couple right there...

The Teen Titans decide to go to the Flash museum in Keystone, but older Dark Raven interrupts the teleport, causing Robin(and ONLY Robin) to be left behind. Batman(who is literally the only Titan outside of Dark Raven who has a name) takes his younger self to the Batcave and the Arkham Asylum cemetery to show how sucky the world had become, and tries to justify his, and the older Titans actions. Tim decides to fight, but loses to his older self.

What the hell kind of a fight is going on here?!

Back in Keystone, Bart tries to find the cosmic treadmill so the Teen Titans could return to their proper place in the time stream, but finds it isn't there. They set off an alarm and run into the Titans East, which is Cyborg's good(but terrible looking) team.

Thoughts: Ugh, I knew this issue would suck...

Shouldn't Bart have come up with an excuse for his whereabouts before arriving?

I just knew it due to the way the last one ended... On the plus side, this comic had a nice, fast pace to it, so it didn't really drag in any one place. On the negative side... Well, how much time do I have? I mean, we can start with the fact that Johns doesn't bother to actually NAME any of the older Titans outside of Batman and Dark Raven. Beast Boy randomly calls his older self Animal Man, but we are never privy of Beast Boy learning why his older self has that name. As for the rest, I can only assume they are Wonder Woman and Random Telepath Lady. Continuing on, Dark Raven interrupts Raven's teleportation, which leads to Robin getting knocked free of his teammates... How does THAT work? I guess the only answer is that the hammer of convenience struck again, leaving the Titans leader with his younger self. Arkham is a graveyard, where Bruce Wayne is buried(?!?), along with all of his enemies... Why the flaming hell would Tim bury Bruce THERE?! With the goddamn Joker!! Finally, Cyborg's team looks like the lamest gathering of losers I have ever seen!

It's Cyborg and the Ladies!

How the hell did the older Titans not sweep those scrubs up ages ago!? Yeah, this wasn't the best comic I've ever read...