Comics Review: Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Teen Titans the Judas Contract #1

Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Teen Titans the Judas Contract #1

DC Comics 

Writers: Matt Groom and Kyle Higgins

Artists: Tom Raney and Hi-Fi

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is a story that has been adapted a myriad of times. If there’s a Teen Titans related media, you know what story is coming at some point. It’s one of the most iconic storylines in the entire history of the team, and for good reason. That story showed what the Teen Titans were all about, and showcasing their growth for the future. It’s an important story. 

Groom and Higgins start by catching the feeling of the 80s team. There’s a lot of charm, and in a few quick pages, it’s highly believable that this is a version of the Teen Titans. In this darker timeline, the point of divergence is a moment of empathy, instead of a tragedy like all the previous books. 

Tempus Fuginaut has my favorite introduction here compared to all the other books. It really gives us insight into his character, and hint at a potential role of his in the future. One complaint I’d have is that it harkens back to the Dark Knights from the Metal event and kinda loosely retreads the story of some of them. 

Once we get to the divergent point is where the book loses it for me. Empathy being the diverging point really had potential, but the execution of it felt really rushed. That’s something shared amongst all the Tales from the Dark Multiverse series, so I’m not holding it too much against them. 

Instead of immediately betraying the Titans, Terra betrays Slade first. Raney’s rendition of the fight is really similar to their sparring practice in The New Teen Titans #39. The fight is much shorter here than in the original. The sense of urgency from the original was amplified, and it served a good purpose. Raney really captures facial expressions well, such as Slade’s fear and Terra’s anger. 

What holds this issue back for me is that most of the issue is Terra going on a murder spree. While Terra isn’t a good character (referring more to a good vs evil scale), part of her story is being manipulated by Slade. The original story painted her as a villain for sleeping with Slade and trying to destroy the Titans, but Slade really got off scot-free with his part in it. He never really faced repercussions for sexually assaulting a minor. He also wasn’t ever really seen as the aggregator in the sexual part of their relationship. 

Another negative of this issue is the depiction of Slade’s abuse towards Terra. Slade is shown, in his brief appearance, to be abusing her, but once she snaps, it makes her look like the true villain and Slade looks sympathetic. You’re made to feel bad for him and for Wintergreen, even though he was also complicit in her abuse. Her dialogue about being a goddess, and being above emotions ruins the idea of empathy that served as the diverging point. 

Overall, this issue could have used a bit more pacing, the latter half of the issue feels really rushed. There was a lot more potential in this idea. While I don’t hate it, I think it could use more work.