New Teen Titans (1984) 5

New Teen Titans (1984) 5

Feb 1985

The Terror of Trigon!

by Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Romeo Tanghal, John Costanza, Adrienne Roy

The Titans attack the recently awakened Trigon. He strikes them down with little effort but they are not dead. They rise from the rubble under which he buried them. Arella did not join them. She is still distraught over Raven’s death. Lilith tries to explain something to Arella but Raven’s mother has had enough. She doesn’t stop and listen to Lilith until she realizes that it is Azar speaking through Lilith.

Lilith and Arella, together, place the rings Azar once gave to Raven back on her fingers. Azar’s energy courses through Raven as she returns to life. She strikes at Trigon, destroying him and then vanishes. The world is restored but Raven is gone and Titans Tower is in ruins.

Thoughts

This issue has the same cover date as Tales of the Teen Titans 50. 

I had my doubts going into this issue but they did it. I am referring to Marv Wolfman and George Perez. They completed this story in such a way that I found to be both emotionally moving and very satisfying.

Jericho is in this issue but he is unconscious. I know that he recovers because he plays a part in some issues of Tales of the Teen Titans that came out not long after this issue. I don’t know if there are any lingering side effects from his trip into Raven’s body and mind but I don't recall any evidence of side effects in the issue of Tales of the Teen Titans that I read. 

This is the final story that George Perez drew for at least a few years. I believe he drew just one more story, another 5-part epic, in 1988-89. I have some of the issues that immediately follow this issue but I have never read them before. I hope to at least give them a try at some point. I know that Raven eventually returned but I’m not sure when that happened. 

Titans Tower

Letters from two readers, one of whom is T. M. Maple, about New Teen Titans (1984) 2, fill most of this letters page. Marv mentions in passing an idea he got from Harlan Ellison for a Wally West mini-series. He doesn’t provide any details. I doubt this story ever made it into print but I’m curious as to what it was. 

Marv makes it clear in his response to one of the letters that Raven is not gone for good. He also mentions briefly the restoration of Titans Tower, a trip to Mount Olympus, and the introduction of a new character. Azrael must be the new character. He appeared in some of the issues of Tales of the Teen Titans which I have already read. 

Meanwhile…

Editor-in-Chief Dick Giordano and Editorial Coordinator Pat Bastienne memorialize artist Don Newton who died Aug 19, 1984. He was best known for his work drawing Batman in the pages of Batman and Detective Comics. He had just started what was hoped to be a long run on Infinity, Inc. That run was cut short by the heart attack that killed him. His tenure on Infinity Inc. lasted just three issues.