Basement X

Sorry for the delay all, but I'm back in action after a week long road trip and week one of school hitting back to back! So let's continue our Blackest Night coverage with the Titans mini series, and like the others, I'll update this thread with each new issue to hit!

Ok, so we open with a lot of ground to cover in Titans. With two teams and quite possibly more deaths under this banner than any other, you can imagine how intense this one might be.

Once again, we're celebrating Heroes Day. We see Deathstroke at his son Grant's grave, Red Star drinking with a picture of him Pantha and Wildebeast, and Rose Wilson kicking someone out of her bed before she kills him.

The rest of the Titans and Teen Titans are at the tower in the hall of fallen Titans, along with Geo-Force. While Bart and Cassie discuss his statue and Conner's coming down, Donna mentions Lilith and even her own multiple deaths, while saying how unfair it is that other people should be able to come back from the dead as easy, meaning her husband and child. Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy are discussing Terra, when Starfire declares she should not be honored since she was a traitor, greatly upsetting Gar until he storms off.

Hawk and Dove are discussing Hank and Don, the original Hawk and Dove, when it cuts back to their graves, a scene straight from the main title. Don Hall is still listed at peace and unable to rise, when we see Hanks now empty grave next to it.

We see the two girls then leaving a bar discussing the original Hawk and Dove again, when they find a dead Hawk and Dove laying on the ground, and follow the trail of dead birds leading to a library. Suddenly, we see them from that now recognizable BL viewpoint of emotions. Hawk is of course colored Red with Rage, but something about Dawn is different. She's colored a white or grayish color, and no emotion is read off her, instead a squiggled line in the 'thought' box is shown. We then learn that Hank, the original Hawk is watching the two and makes his presence known.

We see Bart still staring at Lilith's statue, Donna alone looking at a family portrait, and Vic and Kory discussing Gar as he stands on the grounds alone. When Suddenly, Terra herself appears, and she's not a zombie.

Terra tells Gar that she was never dead, and just hid herself from them since she had worked with Deathstroke and didn't think the Titans would take her back. Gar, being in love with her believes her instantly and the two share a passionate embrace, while BL Hawk takes on the two sisters, where he manages to knock out Holly but Dawn is able to get the upper hand, and the two begin to win, until Hank declares that "Playtime's Over".

Cut back to someone viewing Gar and Terra, where Gar is colored with Love, and Terra is slightly grayish black. Vic and Kory arrive to attack the person watching them, who we learn is Lilith. And with her now distracted, her illusion is repelled, and we see the Black Lantern that Terra is. And her hand is hovering right on Gar's chest, just over his heart.

We see Donna wake up to a squeaking noise, only to find a stroller now sitting in her room.

Cut back again to Hawk and Dove, and we see Hawk being destroyed in the fight with BL Hawk. Until finally, after wearing the two out, BL Hawk walks up to Holly, and shoves his hand deep into her chest.


Not at all a bad issue involving the Titans, and knowing there are dozens of dead Titans and characters to use, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Benes' artwork is fantastic as usual, and I'm more excited about Donna's story than any others. The Hawk and Dove doesn't interest me very well, but it's done enough to really keep me involved in it. Gar's bit is expected of course, but hopefully he won't die here against Terra, because we know he can't do anythingg against her.

I'm most excited about this mini until we get the launch of the Flash one in a few months, so be ready for major Titans news in the future.

Issue #2:

We're in Titans Tower, and Donna is in her room, walking up to a baby stroller. She finds it empty, but for a rattle, and when she picks it up we see the Black Lantern logo on it. And as she looks at it, someone tells her "I tried to put him down for his nap honey-

-but he wants his mommy" and we see a dead Terry Long holding their dead son, Robert. Her son floats over to her, and believing it's a dream she holds him, not sure of the reality of the situation. She knows they are dead but can't handle both her husband and son back, so she embraces her son. But as she asks if it's a dream, Robert bites her neck, and Terry informs her it's no dream.

We're back to Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy battling multiple Liliths, and Terra holding Gar to the ground, preparing to take his heart. Starfire and Cyborg can't figure out which Lilith is real, but Cyborg finally finds her, just as Gar disappears from Terra's grasp. He tries to attack her, but is more interested in just who and what she is, so he still holds back some. But as she gains the upperhand again and prepares to remove his heart, we hear Kory claim she never liked Terra, and she blasts her, burning her body , allowing Gar to escape. Kory tries to apologize, but Gar would rather help Vic than discuss anything.

Cut to Dawn watching Hawk have her heart ripped out by the BL Hawk. He tries to attack her then, but she evades just as she's been doing. As they fight, he goads her into finally getting angry at the death of her sister, and she attacks him outright rather than in defense, and as she does, Holly rises as a Black Lantern. So now, Dawn is up against two Black Lantern Hawks.

Back to Donna, who is shocked but can't bring herself to do anything against Terry and her son. As they lunge at her, she's rushed out of the way by Kid Flash, who brings her to Cassie. As they discuss what's happening, we see the three colored as Fear for Bart, Hope for Cassie, and Donna is labeled as Will, but colored with Love, so I'm not sure which is the mistake (if it is?). Just then, the two notice the bite mark on Donna's neck. Her veins have begun bulging out, and a dark red/blackish color spreading from them, showing she's obviously become infected with something.

We see Lilith manipulating Vic by showing him a version of himself without the machine portions, and Kory a version of herself marrying Dick, as we see Terra rising and reforming. As she claims she always hated the tower, an earthquake starts up, totally sinking Titans Tower into the ground.

Dawn is doing her best to avoid both Hawks, but still neither one can get a reading of emotion off her, but this time she's colored white/gray and black/gray in one panel, so I'm not sure just what that means. She takes off claiming to need help, and the Hawks follow.

Cassie, Bart, and Donna are trapped in the now sunk and destoryed Tower, and with Terry and Robert are trapped as well but on the other side of a large pile of rubble. As they try to figure out how to escape, Bart states he can't use his powers because the place is too unstable and he could bring further destruction if he did. He's really grown up at this point, and become a true hero. Suddenly, Donna convulses and falls to the ground, as the infection is spreading, and we see the Black Lantern symbol appear in both her pupils.

Vic and Kory are still incapacitated, and Gar is the only one left. With Terra taunting him, saying she finally gets to kill the Titans, someone says "Don't you mean 'we'?"

And we see Black Lanterns Pantha, Wildabeast, Aquagirl (Tula and another version I think), and Tempest, preparing to attack.

Issue #3:

The real ass kicking things get done issue. We open with Donna reflecting on her past with Terry and their son while she's being informed by someone that she should not be alive and she's cheated death, while her family has paid the ultimate price. We cut back to her, Cassie, and Bart trapped underground with Terry and Robert getting around to them, and Donna saying she has to take them on, because she has no choice.

Cut to Vic and Kory still being seduced by Lilith while Terra's taunting Gar still. He turns into a Stegasaurous (which I can't spell), knocking out both Terra and Lilith, releasing the other two from their thrawl where Vic is angry he's back in a metal body, and Kory that Dick is gone. Then, they notice the other Black Lantern Titans heading for them. While they attack, Tempest calls Vic out, asking "havn't you killed enough Titans?", and while no one can get over Garth dieing, he continues to try belittling Vic by saying the original Titans never killed members when they lead, and that it should've stayed in their control. As this happens, Gar finally gives in to Terra, realizing he can't fight her any longer.

Just then, Donna busts through the ground, pushing Terry above her, with Cassie and Bart behind her lending a much needed hand to the other three. Terry tries taunting Donna, but she says he's already won, because now every memory of her husband and son is tainted because she'll always remember that day along with all the others. And as she says this, she finally gets angry enough and punches her fist through Terry.

Then, while encouraging everyone to fight back and letting them know the Lanterns aren't real, Donna grabs her son. By the head. And while constantly repeating it's not them, in an incredibly drawn heart wrenching scene zooming in on her face, we see tears roll down her face as Donna smashes the skull of her dead son, while he calls out for his "mommy". Two pages, and I felt more for Donna than in years of stories about her. This showed her amazing character and just how strong she really is.

Gar finally snaps, shifting between Cheeta, Lion, and Grizzly Bear, ripping into Terra, asking if she's going to say that she was drugged or controlled. And while she's laying there in pieces, Gar, colored with rage finally rips her in half, saying he knew all along that she was just being herself, and none of her excuses ever really mattered.

We see a much wider range of the battle, with Bart running from Tempest, who's taunting Bart about having died once before. Then, Dove arrives and attacks Tempest, while both BL Hawks arrive attacking Vic and Dove.

Pantha and Wildabeast both grab hold of Cassie, preparing to pull her apart, while Lilith makes it look like Conner and Tim to her, pulling at her refering to who loves her the most. Just then, Donna snaps Lilith's neck, only to see the reformed Terry and Robert coming after her.

Dove, having nearly given up at how nothing stops the Black Lanterns gets attacked by her sister, Holly. She knocks Dove to the ground, and prepares to pull her heart out when something happens. Hawk begins screaming out in pain, stating that it burns, and Dove panics not knowing what she's doing. Suddenly, the ring states Connection Severed and Hawk's body is destroyed, leaving a Black Ring laying on the ground.

The other Black Lanterns take notice, along with everyone else, and the Lanterns descend upon Dove. But before anyone can do a thing about it, Dove orders them back, and states that she'll let them have all of their emotions if that's what they want. As they reach for her, a brilliant white light explodes out, destroying all of the Black Lanterns but Terra, Tempest, and Hank Hall.

She then sees Don Hall, the original Dove, at the gravesite of Hawk and Dove in the day light, who tells her that Hank never had it easy, and both of them tried saving him. But that she can still save him, and she shouldn't give up.

Cut to the Titans helping Dove up, whole the three Black Lanterns leave Titans Island, and no one knows how or why Dove was the one who defeated them. While discussing things, Donna states they need to get the word out and help the others, where Bart chimes in that he just talked to Barry and knows that it's happening all over the world and all the heroes are busy (in a funny scene where he's asked when, and he says "specifically between 'out' and 'there'" during Donna and Dove's conversation. A scene we'll see again in Blackest Night #4).

Vic and Gar talk about Terra, where Gar finally states that he knows Terra wasn't the one for him, and that girl is out there somewhere, and he just has to find her.

Donna decides that Dove will be their front and center weapon, and she'll stay right by Donna every step of the way. Dove states she's fina and can protect herself, but Donna says it's for Dove to kill Donna if need be. She knows and feels the power behind the Black Lanterns from the bite her son gave her, and she feels it trying to corrupt and turn her over to their side.

The final page shows Donna's point of view. And we see this:
Vic colored with Rage and Willpower
Cassie colored with Hope, Rage, and Fear
Dove in her White Light
Bart in Hope and Fear
Gar in Willpower, Rage, and Hope
Kory in Love and Rage

(Let it be known, my coloreblindness may have left Compassion out, as it looks a lot like Hope to me at times)

Basically, Donna now sees just the same as all the Black Lanterns do, showing just how far her corruption has gone.


Overall, this was the best issue of the series, and while this one had a lot of development, it just seemed to be lacking in something. Had tons of revelations it just seemd a little lacking in something to me. But Benes artwork was fantastic, and I'd love to see him on some regular Titans work.

So now we know freezing hearts, a Kryptonian device, the Pyscho Pirate Mask, and Dove herself can destroy or block out Black Lanterns. I'm sure a lot of this will culminate before the series end.

Well Pyscho Pirates mask is destroyed but they know from that that the multipal emotions from it can destroy them.
It seems to me that Dove can access the power of the White lanterns with out the ring. So maybe the emotion of the white lantern will be peace?

I believe that Peace is what she has access to as Dove, yes. Whether it'll play into White Lanterns is still unknown since they're keeping tightlipped on the idea of White Lanterns so far. But yes, I think Peace is a very good call on what it is that the Dove's have achieved, both in life and after death.