Rebirth Rose Wilson (DC)

First off, in #36, it's nice that we at least get confirmation that the other disappeared Titans from earlier issues are (probably) fine???

From what I recall, we learn that everyone but Dick, Kory, and Victor were illusions, and then we simply never figure out where they were. I would be a lot more worried if I was their friend. But, we see that Donna is trying to call Yara here, so maybe it's fine.

This also rubs me all the way wrong, though. It's just another minor jab on the mountain of jabs towards the older TItans. I dunno. Maybe I'm being petulant and reading too much into it. But leaving Donna unanswered and having this presented as a cool girl moment, like you're ignoring your burdensome mom or something, is... not very enjoyable to me.

I won't talk too much about the conversation between Dick and Kory, because that feels like the one main aspect of this comic that has been floated around. Legitimately, I've seen two dozen screen grabs about this and zip about anything else that happened in the comic. (Possibly, maybe, potentially, because the people who read Titans like the Titans? *gasp*)

On one hand, does is suck that Kory is leaving our boys to suffer? A little. But also she deserves it. Fly away. Escape. Run. Go have a series; I'll read that shit. It'll be great. This has also broadly been recognized as one of the only cases where Dick's issues in Bludhaven have been acknowledged rather than keeping up the flanderized Good Boi persona modern Titans uses. @kitkat5628 and I talked about this, but I'm of the opinion that it must be an editorial mandate. For better or worse, the Nightwing personality perpetuated to the public is the happy-go-lucky goober charming guy, and I think in appearances outside of his main series, he's made to largely adhere to this. Unfortunate, again, given how much Bludhaven is killing him, but you can at least offer an in-universe justification that he's purposely hiding his turmoil because he doesn't like to share or doesn't believe he deserves pity. That would be in-character. Oh well.

Besides that, I guess Eva reminds me of Indigo from The Outsiders. Not much else to say. I feel like, by #36, I've learned nothing about any of the less familiar characters other than that they resent being here. I guess Cyborg is also up to some unknown shenanigans involving the construction of something under the new base. Good for him.

Moving onto #37, I just... ugh. I don't want to be lame. I don't want to be a hater. I love all comic fans and everyone who indulges in these characters, and I might just not be the target demographic. But I'm just not compelled by this.

I've never been a super huge fan of this character archetype. You know, the overly-vocal-about-their-disillusionment, too-cool-for-you kind of character. It just doesn't speak to me. I find trying to maintain hope and optimism in spite of tragedy far more admirable, far more enjoyable, than becoming performatively jaded. And it feels like half the team is gearing towards the latter, performative jaded persona; a race for who can be the most disaffected, which I consider contradictory to the modus operandi of the Titans, from their inception.

(Oh and also the basement thing Cyborg had contained a goddamn dragon, which he failed to fight back with Terra. I find myself not invested. Oh well.) But, okay, back to our main boy.

I liked this conversation conceptually and am iffy on the execution. "Not that type of Spyral"... really? I mean, if I read it from the lens of him trying to inject artificial humor in a "heh... heh" kind of way, born of discomfort and unhappiness, I can get behind it. Same goes for the tattoos comment. But Dick's dialogue is so saturated with this sort of thing that I'm semi-convinced this is just Brombal's voice for him. Quip after quip after quip, completely disregarding the emotional arc he's on. I love quips. You know this about me. I. Love. Dick's. Quippiness. But now, in the midst of his Nightwing arc, during the point where even the Titans series is bringing it up... now?

I can live with it I suppose. And again, addressing things, thank you. But maybe it would be good for him to leave. Let Stephanie takes the reins as the leader, let her have her spot, and focus on the stories that are more compelling for you. Clearly no one is interested in exploring Dick as a character here. He is, at best, a means to prop others up.

I can't get over this characterization. Really.

I'm glad he's supporting Kory. That's good. But he was -- is -- in so much pain. Lord help me for saying this, but the dimples are misplaced. Now is not a dimples time. It's really taking the "faking it while dying inside" to the extreme.

#37 was definitely better than #36, and the characters might be finally getting somewhere, but I think my problem is that they're inherently not the kind of characters I'd cling to (just personal preference, you know?), and the characters I do like are being sidelined or bastardized. I think the best outcome would legitimately be for Dick to leave, so that this new cast could prosper without sticks in the mud like me ruining their fun, and I wouldn't be subjected to the baby boi-ification of Dick during one of his most emotionally charged periods in the last two decades. Hell if I know, though.

I won't say spoilers if you didn't, but an anon of mine pointed out a liiittle difference in "actions Dick takes" in Nightwing and New Titans.

Was wondering what you think of it?

Writers just be ignoring whatever is happening in Nightwing I swear😭 Both in Breakout and Titans he's so different, I'm just pretending he's putting up a good act lol. I understand the difference in vibes and audience, especially for Titans, but you can make him angsty without making it way too dark?

As per the demands of the people, I suppose I shall. Damn it. Yall couldn’t let me bask in Gerry Conway heaven in peace. The things I do 😔

It makes me so fucking sad that I’m having this reaction to Titans of all things, and I totally agree regardless. I always assume, on a meta level, it’s an editorial mandate to keep him adherent to his public good boi image in books that aren’t centered on him, since audiences may not be super familiar with his character. That said, it works to further perpetuate this public image, which is in many ways directly contradicting his actual personality. You’re only driving the wedge further. In-universe, I think the explanation of him being a martyr works, and it’s what I’ve stuck with. But still. Can’t agree more. Let the man be sad with his friends, the people that should support him, damn.