Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Review: Tiny Titans #42


I can't believe I have let nearly 3 weeks go by without reviewing Tiny Titans #42!

I have talked about my love of Tiny Titans too many times to count here. It is a fun-filled all ages book which weaves just enough DCU in-jokes to keep an older reader like me smiling. Now when you add Supergirl stuff to Tiny Titans it makes a great product even better.

So when I saw that Tiny Titans #42 introduced BizarroGirl I was tickled. Somewhere, Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle are smiling. This BizarroGirl has the same look as their version. The book also gets a lot of mileage out of Match, the 'Bizarro' version of Superboy. Here, Match is smitten with the Bizarro Supergirl and tries to woo here throughout the book.

The book is done by the usual creative team of Franco and Art Baltazar. I hope this book sticks around for a long time because it is a nice little ray of sunshine in the world of comics.


The book opens with Supergirl spending some quality time with Streaky in the Fortress of Solitude.

Suddenly, a rocket flies by!

It's BizarroGirl!

When Supergirl comes across the rocket and BizarroGirl, the two have a twisted but very classic interaction. This is my favorite panel of the book.


Yep, it's a Tiny Titans Supergirl/BizarroGirl take on the classic cover of Action Comics #252. The panel composition and the dialogue rings true.

This being an all-ages book, 'Great Guns' becomes 'Great Krypton'. And, of course, BizarroGirl's speech is a distorted version of Supergirl's here.

But what I great homage.


Faced with the shocking appearance of her misshapen doppelganger, Supergirl does the only thing she can do ...

She invites BizarroGirl to the Fortress for a pancake breakfast. Aw yeah!!

If that doesn't bring a smile to your face, you shouldn't be here. This book is not for you.


Back at the Fortress, it is love at first sight for Match.

He is completely enamored of BizarroGirl and decides to do something about it.


He literally swoops in, declaring his love.

I love that second panel, my second favorite panel of the book. Nice stiff arm by BizarroGirl with 'ssslow dowwnn Rrromeo'. Fantastic!


But Match isn't done. He is determined to show BizarroGirl how much he loves her, how she should be with him.

And maybe he is winning her over. I like how she giggles here when he warbles out a song about girl love. And then she flies off, I think in hopes that he will follow.


The problem is Match starts to get romance advice from Beast Boy who is declaring his love for Terra throughout the book as well. As in the real DCU, Gar isn't having much luck with her. Her response to all Gar's romantic banter is to hurl a rock at his head. He is constantly yelling duck.


Later, Superboy has something of an existential crisis moment. He realizes that the Bizarro version of Match on the Bizarro World is probably someone just like him. That is enough to shake him for a moment.

This was my favorite moment of the book. I love it when the Titans lose their composure (like Robin in the 'pink aisle of the toy store' a couple of months ago.


The book ends with Match and BizarroGirl sharing a hug, surrounded by the hearts of love.

It turns out that Match took Gar's advice literally, getting a duck for BizarroGirl, a BizarroDuck.  And that present makes BizarroGirl realize just what a nice guy Match is.

The supergirls at home smiled throughout this book, enjoying it completely. I also smiled throughout the book, loving every bit of it. Tiny Titans is just a fun fun book. An homage to Action Comics #252? Superboy as Match on BizarroWorld? A BizarroDuck? It all is just perfect.

Add to that the definite Supergirl sort of focus to the issue and this issue was a big win!

Overall grade: A

2 comments:

valerie21601 said...

At least this wonderful comic book series isn't going away when the Flashpoint DCnU universe kicks in.

Gene said...

Its funny, in an earlier issue of Tiny Titans (can't remember which one exactly) Supergirl wished she had her own Bizzaro clone. Glad to see that her wish has come true.

Gene