Super-heroes travelling to a dystopian future to encounter dark, twisted versions of themselves years after some sort of tragic turning point... it's a super-hero genre standard. Some might argue it's a tired cliche, and I've been one to argue such a point in the past. But Johns does right by the genre convention here... actually, he does more than do right by it. He tells a compelling story that explores the premise that got this title going in the first place. He embraces past traditions while acknowledging the need for a more mature, modern approach to storytelling. And the art and design work by McKone stands as out some of his sharpest work. This stands out as perhaps the strongest issue in the series thus far.
The Titans return to the 21st century after their adventure with the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st century, only they soon discover they haven't returned to their own time. It's a few years later, and the Titans have replaced their mentors as the pre-eminent heroes in the world. However, they've remained a team under the Titans banner instead of assuming the Justice League name. The Titans are surprised to discover how they've changed as adults, but the changes go far deeper than they would ever have imagined possible.
Design wise, I think I'm most impressed with McKone's vision of an adult Tim Drake as Batman. This future Batman conveys just as much intensity and drive as Bruce Wayne's, and the costume is basically a classic one. Still, though, McKone conveys a different quality in the Drake Batman. He doesn't seem as tall, for one thing. One can see the angry child in this character more clearly than in the Bruce Wayne incarnation. The Joker's Daughter design is striking, and I hope we get to see it again in mainstream continuity. The inhuman appearance of the future Changeling is unsettling as well. Cox's colors really reinforce the dark atmosphere that looms over the entire issue while sacrificing nothing of the energy of the colorful costume designs.
Johns gets to the point of the story in a hurry. He doesn't try to lull the audience into a false sense of security. He shows us right away that in this future, the heroes have lost their way, that they've become the bad guys in a misguided attempt to do good. It's a nice change of pace from the decompressed style of storytelling that's arisen in the last few years.
The first issue of this series was about how these young heroes needed guidance, how they felt disenfranchised and needed to rediscover what made them want to be heroes in the first place. Johns builds on that notion here by demonstrating how the experiment could fail and why the guidance was so desperately needed in the first place. What really made this issue click for me, though, was Johns's success in establishing mood. The tension and dreariness of this vision of the characters' future completely envelop the reader and draws one into the story. 9/10
