Or alternatively: Why Tiny Titans is One of the Best Books on the Market.
Yeah, "Aw yeah awesome!" totally the better title.
So it's been a while, guys. You all must have thought that estrogen had been completely siphoned out on this blog. Well, it's been a rough couple of months for your beloved geekette but hopefully you will be seeing more and more of me. Really, I can't let the guys have all the fun (or all the opinions). But enough about me! On to the main event and that event is Tiny Titans.
You may have seen Tiny Titans on the stands and thought "Cute" and giggled a little bit but ultimately passed it by, right? You may have thought that you really just needed that bajillionth tie-in to Dark Reign and passed it up. You may have thought it not very interesting, having no DARKNESS or DRAMA, and passed it by. Or you may have just not even given it a second glance because it's a book marketed toward kids.
Well my friends, using any of these reasons makes you a silly person.
I will stand behind the opinion that Tiny Titans is one of the best books being published right now and that everyone and their dog should be reading it. Okay maybe not your dog, cause dogs don't read, but certainly you should be reading it.
My high opinion of this book all started when I was bitching to Jon about how I don't have time to write much for the blog. Jon, just trying to help, suggested that I write a review of Tiny Titans #21 which came out this week. Despite the fact that Tiny Titans is one of my favorite books, my initial reaction to this suggestion was one of annoyance. "What? So, you and Josh get to focus on the important stuff while I'm supposed to just do the kids book? That's not what I want to be doing." Then I thought about it a little bit and came to the realization that this book is incredible and here's 5 reasons why.
Reason #1: Never Been a Bad Issue
How many ongoing series can you say this of? Go ahead, think of one. I'm waiting. Even stuff like Geoff John's run on Green Lantern or Ed Brubaker's run on Captain America. Come on, you know there's always been that one issue that was just a little off or just never really did it for you. With such pressure to get your work out there you're going to have a bad one once in a while. Now maybe I'm going to jinx it, but I'm going to say it: there has never been a bad issue of Tiny Titans. Bad issues of Teen Titans? Well, pretty much the entire McKeever run. Titans? Sorry, DC but the series really has been lacking awesome lately (seriously, pick an author!). Tiny Titans however? All awesome, all the time. This series is up to issue #21 and it has never let me down. Every time this book comes out I make myself save it until I'm having a lousy day because the book makes things instantly better! The combination of the charmingly simplistic art, hidden references, and light-hearted humor just does not disappoint.
Reason #2: Appeals to All Ages.
The world of Comics is predominantly a grown-up's world. Working at a comic store, I can tell you that my eyes light up every time a child comes into the store. Why? Because I don't really see it that much! Comics just aren't for kids anymore. I mean, forget the content, but do you really expect a seven year old child to understand the continuity clusterfuck that is big superhero universes? (and yes, I'm looking at you too Marvel!) How do we expect the genre to live on if no one in the next generation gives a rats ass about comics because they didn't grow up with them? Tiny Titans, however, is chock full of superhero goodies and wonderful things that kids can understand and enjoy, and these elements whet their appetite for more complex stories. We need comics that kids can enjoy and Tiny Titans really is the best book for that (it's also the book that draws in the most young girls, a super-plus!).
It's not just for kids though. I don't care how old you are. How smart you are. How cool you are. How mature you are. You are never too much of any of those things to not enjoy a good, old-fashioned laugh and some light-hearted fun. That's what this series is full of! And the jokes are certainly not low-brow comedy. I mean it, there have been no fart jokes. Like all good material produced with the "for kids" label Tiny Titans is full of easter eggs that go past the average child and tickle the grown up funny bone. Tiny Titans is chock full of jokes about stuff going on currently in the DCU that consistently leaves me in stitches.
Reason #3: Not Afraid to Mock the Genre
If there's something BIG and IMPORTANT and UNIVERSE CHANGING in the DCU, I can guarantee you that there is an issue of Tiny Titans making fun of it. Superhero comics have become so obsessed with events. Both companies jump from one world changing event to the next like they were engaged in the longest game of hopscotch on record. It's gotten to the point where you know there's going to be a big summer event from each company, guaranteed. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. Hell, anyone who's read my posts knows I think Blackest Night is one of the best things of the past few years. However, it's true that comics do this all the time and it's ridiculous. Tiny Titans, while the rest of us are making excuses for these events, just openly satirizes them. Like this image here where Acting Principal Darkseid declares a FINALS CRISIS. I giggled about this all day and had to reflect on the concept of how silly a "Final Crisis" is. It's important to be able to laugh at ourselves and the wonderful genre we love so. Much as we love superhero comics sometimes the editorial choices are just laughable, and through Tiny Titans we get to laugh at them too-- a healthy experience all around.
Reason #4: Jump in Anytime
How many times has a book looked really cool (or been reviewed really well) and you go to pick it up and you find there is so much backstory that you have no idea what's going on. Seriously, there are even books where I thought I knew the backstory that leave me feeling like a penguin at the north pole. The beauty of a book geared towards children and adults, you barely have to know anything to really enjoy the heart of the book! Sure, there are inside jokes and occasional references to stuff that has happened in previous issues but nothing that you can't piece together for yourself. If anything, it makes you feel like that little kid who is getting to explore this brand new universe for the first time and nothing rocks my world more than a little bit of childhood wonder. Go ahead, pick up an issue and read some of it. Not hard to follow at all and throughly enjoyable. So, even if Tiny Titans doesn't become one of your regular books you can still pick up when you so desire and be happy reading it. I'll warn you though, it's addictive and you may want to make it one of your regular books. Which is good because of...
Reason #5: Can YOU Beat $2.50?
Comic prices suck and they are constantly on the rise. $3.99 for a 20 page story and then a back-up feature that I only have a 50% chance of reading? Or worse: $3.99 for a book that's not any more material but is just a popular monthly title? Bull. Crap. We put a ton of money on the counter for the book that we read (and I'm assuming you all pay for your books because piracy only hurts your local comic shop and the industry!). We should get our damn money's worth. Tiny Titans delivers a monthly helping of childhood whimsy, clever jokes, subtle satire and tons of smiles for a reasonable $2.50. So many of us pay for books that suck because we can't help ourselves. Be it a tie-in or a series that we just can't give up on (Again, McKeever's run on Teen Titans) it'll ultimately find its way into our lives. Sometimes it just feels like you are throwing money into a bottomless pit, hoping that the mole people down there take money and may throw you up some diamonds. So my advice, edit your list. Get rid of that book that you've always secretly wanted to dump and replace the hole it leaves in your short box with Tiny Titans. You'll end up saving $0.49-$1.49 a month and you'll be a lot happier when you sit down to read the adventures of Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, Terra, Aqualad and a host of others. Plus, there are nearly always Alfred appearances and how can you say no to that.
So in short, Tiny Titans is a well rounded wonderful book that gives us many of the things that have disappeared in superhero comics and are sorely missed. You get straight up humor. You get something that you can give to a child. You get a book that is inexpensive, easy to follow, and proven to be awesome all the time! Win. Win. Win.
Aw yeah awesome! Aw yeah Titans!
