DC Universe Presents #12 Review

After a fascinating and inspired arc about Vandal Savage, DCU Presents #12 cheapens the very prospect of this series by turning it into an unnecessary tie-in to Teen Titans, a book so overwritten itself that you’ll be stunned to learn that it needed more words elsewhere to paint the whole picture. This issue opens with a straining exposition dump – really just a recap page in disguise – and then launches into a high-octane story about Kid Flash fighting dino-teens. The premise is fine and good; unfortunately the issue itself is a one-way ticket to “Check out Teen Titans #12”-ville, resolving nothing and leaving you empty.

I’m going to chalk this up to mandate; writer Fabian Nicieza handles Kid Flash just fine, writing him as a quippy ADD-plagued teen. The dino-teens offer nothing of substance (other than being, you know, dino-teens), and are forgettable new characters that serve little more than as foils for Kid Flash to bounce jokes off of. Speaking of jokes, for every genuinely funny line there are three bad ones, but much like Spider-Man, it works to the credit of the character instead of coming off as bad writing. Sadly, that’s all this issue can really offer you in the end, because there’s nothing of substance, either in story or character.

At least Jorge Jimenez’s manga-influenced, kinectic style gives this book something noteworthy. While there are way too many blur effects employed throughout the issue, Jimenez’s work bounds with energy and expression, underlining the book’s chaotic pace with frantic layouts and very busy panels. His facial work – particularly in DAC, one of the dino-teens – is impressive. But ultimately, all of this zany imagery amounts to nothing, as we’re left closing the book with a whole lot of indifference.

Perhaps if this story was self-contained – like the DCU Presents stories should be – the effect of this book would be different. But as it is, the narrative is poorly structured and unfulfilling, despite the voice of the lead character being generally entertaining.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

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