Jul 30, 20203 min read

Indie Comic Review: Titan #2

“Care to step outside or do you want me to beat you like a rented mule where you stand?”

Previously…

A long time ago, in a state far away I did a review of Advent comics Titan the Ultraman # 1. The story was written by world builder Tony Kittrel and featured everyman Marcus Cameron, firefighter turned superpowered dynamo after a laboratory accident. Titan is the flagship hero of the Advent universe with a fairly old school feel that I dig so when issue 2 came out I was damn sure gonna get a copy.

Situation

Our story begins with Titan helping move the debris from the ruined lab where he got his powers. After assisting with clean up and stopping a terrorist organization called ‘The Corporate Raiders’ he runs into a superhero named Giant who can alter his size ala Giant-man while stopping another superpowered nuisance calling himself Atom Smasher . after Giant gives Titan the third degree about inspiring so many but then falling so short in recent times he gets his head blown off his shoulders. The culprit is Mauler a supervillain mercenary with a penchant for calling black men “Bucks”. Titan chases Mauler who teleports away, leaving our hero to lament at the death of the young hero who admired him. Later that day a beautiful young woman, calling her self Supernova, meets Titan at his home, explains how she knows who he is, and gifts him with a new costume just as Mauler takes the mayor hostage. After tangling with the bigoted villain, he is attacked his the killer’s team of mercenaries ending this issue off on a cliff hanger.

Story

Kittrell has to be the hardest-working writer in the indie comics scene, the sheer volume of good work he puts out is a testament to that, which is why it’s so apt that Titan is his avatar of a sort. The entire second issue is an example of not only how powerful Titan is, but how hard he works to protect his city. From the first page to the last we are given a glimpse of a man who tirelessly toils for his city and holds the weight of not only his actions but the actions of those who he inspires as a heavy burden. There is something relatable about a hero who carries all his burdens on his shoulders, it’s a different kind of relatability than say that of Wildfire the last hero I reviewed, it’s the relatability of man who has led and continues to lead despite all of his, pain and shortcomings. It’s the reliability of a man who is aware that his deeds inspire greatness and instead of abusing that fact he tries to live up to the expectations of those who look to him for guidance and an example of what a true hero should be. There is a quality that the best heroes have. Icon, Superman, Captain America they all attempt to be a shining example of what a hero should be first and foremost. With all that being said I would have liked to see more of Titan’s personal life on display, in the beginning we know he is going through family court proceedings and We get an idea that he and Supernova or the mysterious Porcelain Doll may become an item, but we only get a little taste of Marcus Cameron outside of his mask and I hope that the following issues give us a little more of the man behind the everyman superhero.

Pictures

The linework and colors of Pow Rodrix and Brian Valeza is a vast improvement from the art of the first issue. All of the characters are drawn with a more modern bent and the colors have a style that doesn’t lean too heavily on glossiness. Rodrix also draws some great iconic shots, the very first page of Titan lifting rubble from the Advanced Technologies Laboratories belongs on a poster, the low angle shot of Titan and Giant looks like a Marvel-Team up or Brave and Bold cover if I’ve ever seen one and Supernova’s transformation would make Monica Rambeau jealous. All of the art in this book gives it the air of a modern-day classic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years Titan is look at as Icon once was.