Teen Titans V6 #6 2017
“THE RISE OF Aqualad” part one! New story! New city! New member? As the team adjusts to their new lives at Titans Tower, Damian investigates a series of strange disappearances in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Jackson Hyde heads west to fulfill his destiny…and finds himself in the crosshairs of the Teen Titans!
Summary
Robin/Damien Wayne is hanging out at Titans Tower with his team; Starfire, Raven, Flash/Wally West. In the sea surrounding Titans Tower, something lurks in the water.
In New Mexico Jackson Hyde is at home with his mom and playing around with his Hydro-kinetic powers. She reprimands him for using his powers and going out of his way to appear different by bleaching his hair and being into boys. Jackson counters he’s not trying to be different, he just is. That night he meets with Kenny, his boyfriend who is still in the closet. Jackson confides his powers to Kenny but it freaks him out and Kenny ends their relationship but not before Jackson shows him a video of the Teen Titans living on their own and on their own terms.
In the morning Jackson packs his things and drives to Titans Tower as the team is searching for a missing reporter. The team is attacked by King Shark.
Teen Titans V6 #7 2017
“The Rise of Aqualad” finale! Out of the depths of the San Francisco bay rises King Shark, backed by an army of mutant shark-people! Outnumbered and out…teethed, can Damian, the Teen Titans and their new ally Jackson Hyde defend their city from the jaws of disaster?
Summary
The Titans make no head way in the battle with the villain and King Shark Escapes and meet with a team of Shark like humanoids in the sea. Jackson swims to the Tower and is let in by Damien Wayne’s “Bat”. Robin is upset and tells Jackson to leave but Starfire makes a plea for him to stay. They then get a video from King Shark holding the reporter.
The team battles King Shark and his allies. Jackson uses his Aqua-Kinetic powers to aid Robin against the villain. He saves Robin and activates his Gills. Robin regards him by giving him a costume and code name.
Elsewhere Black Manta hears about Jackson from King Shark.
What I thought
Aqualad is back and he’s different from his far more popular Animated counterpart and gone are his dreadlocks from during DC Comics Brighter Day event. He now aesthetically looks more like his animated counterpart but is also Gay. It’s all done neat enough that it enhances his character by adding another dimension to him. Aqualad by virtue of being gay is now the most high profile gay character that DC Comics has. I also like the idea that his mother is now a central figure in his life and origin. His unique features are also noted as natural, his blue eyes and glowing tattoos. His hair though is bleached blonde. So we have his “differ5being a motivation for leaving home and joining the team while we also have the team conveniently facing a water based threat so that the new teammate can make an impression. It’s a tried and true formula and at the end, we have his father circling on the outskirts.
The art was average at best, it failed to capture the emotion of the exchange between Jackson and his boyfriend.It also failed to convey any emotion at all. The action moments were better but the choreography was rather flat.
Overall I give this story 3/5 stars
