Review: Titans Vol. 2- Made in Manhattan

Quick Summary

Pros: Many of this volume’s stories provide endearing looks at the relationships within the Titans team. A few stories focus on well-written moments of development for individual characters or the team as a whole. The artwork is positive.

Cons: The volume’s largest story arc is pretty generic and makes for a lackluster read.

Overall: This volume has several great chapters and several that are just alright. The highlights here come from  fantastic interactions within the team, some solid artwork, and a general sense of development for the Titans and its members. The lowpoints mostly come from a larger story arc that is just alright rather than being good. Readers who enjoyed the previous volume, especially the concept of the Titans getting back together, will likely still enjoy this one.

Story

Titans Vol. 2: Made in Manhattan, by Dan Abnett, collects stories that range from highly entertaining to just plain average. About half of the volume consists of good stories, which provide endearing moments from the members of the team. In some places, this plays out through emotional scenes where significant character development happens; in others it plays out through moments of fun and brevity. Unfortunately, the other half of the volume consists of a single, lackluster story arc. This arc isn’t terrible and even has a few redeeming moments, but mostly ends up being so generic that it fails to grab interest. In the end, this volume is a worthwhile step in the redevelopment of this team but is not a shining example of their best exploits.

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The opening chapter from Made in Manhattan is a wonderfully wholesome moment of decompression for the Titans. It explores some of their individual trials and troubles while also having them start to address these problems. By the end of the chapter, the group feels like it is heading toward a brighter future, one that will allow both the team and its members to be better. Plus, the return of the Titan’s distinctive headquarters serves as the icing on the cake.

The story arc following this opening chapter is a bit more lackluster. It primarily focuses on Bumblebee’s origin as a hero and the takedown of the Fearsome Five. Though this arc has a few solid moments from all of its characters, it ends up feeling very generic and predictable, with few surprises deviating from what one would expect from the start. It isn’t downright bad but does end up being very forgettable.

Luckily, Made in Manhattan closes with a significant upswing in quality. The annual chapter has a few Titans clash with their Justice League counterparts in a wonderfully tense mystery. This allows for several emotional moments to play out, including a significant development for Donna Troy. Then, a quick holiday special gives the team another chance to highlight their friendship and the potential future they are building.

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Art

The quality of the artwork in Made in Manhattan is high and remains this way throughout the volume. The opening chapter, from Lee Weeks, is simply gorgeous and is easily the best looking chapter in the book. It provides a beautiful take on the Titans themselves and closes with a stunning final page. From here, Brett Booth takes over and provides the majority of this collection’s artwork. Booth’s work is dynamic and engaging in a way that matches the high-energy level seen from the Titans themselves. Booth’s work also does well with drawing individual characters, allowing the emotions of this volume to be present when necessary. The downside is that there are a few places where the colors and the pencils don’t exactly work well together. Overall though, this is a good looking book that provides an enjoyable reading experience.

Continuity

Titans Vol. 2: Made in Manhattan continues the story from Titans Vol. 1: The Return of Wally West (Review).

The story here continues in Titans Vol. 3: A Judas Among Us.

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• Many elements from the Titans Hunt storyline are referenced and continued here.
• Wally’s return in DC Universe: Rebirth (Review) is mentioned several times.
• The pre-Flashpoint Superman’s travel to the post-Flashpoint world is detailed in Superman: Lois and Clark (Review).
• The Fearsome Five’s recent battle against the Justice League (Reading Order) is brought up. This battle took placed in Justice League Vol. 3 #11, collected in Justice League Vol. 2: Outbreak (Review).
• Nightwing’s role in the “What a Year for a New Year” story, from DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1, is continued in the “I Don’t Wanna Be Late” story from that same issue, collected in A Very DC Rebirth Holiday.