Just making a joke.  Slave to fashion is one thing (heels); but, hunk of metal constantly smacking a woman in the breasts is a bit much, even for comics.  She wasn't wearing that thing in the Titans book; at least not that I see on covers or recall.  It looked like a new addition (or return of something discarded far earlier) and really seems out of place, even from a design standpoint, let alone logic. 

I always liked WG's 1969-late 70s look over the Perez 1980 version. I thought the white wrap around stars were a cool design and overall, a pretty costume. It seems like as the original series went on, each artist had their own version of how the stars were placed, the necklace came and went, as did her bracelets. While Perez's look was streamlined, to me it was kind of boring.

@mechagodzilla, that is the one! My all time favorite look for Wonder Girl.

Well, it took me two weeks to get around to this one. Too big a project to cram in with less than a full evening free. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed exploring/writing it.



Secret Origins Annual #3 (1989)



"Pieces of the Puzzle"

Script: George Perez
Pencils: Tom Grummett, Grant Miehm, Irv Novick, Michael Bair, Trevor von Eeden, Dave Cockrum, Kevin Maguire, Mark Bright, Colleen Doran, Dick Giordano
Inks: George Perez, Anthony van Bruggen, Ty Templeton, Michael Bair, Trevor von Eeden, Larry Mahlstedt, Karl Kesel,Ian Akin, Brian Garvey, Romeo Tanghal, Dick Giordano
Colors: Adrienne Roy
Letters: John Costanza

Grade: A+


Ten years after the original Teen Titans' final appearance in Brave and the Bold #149, and yet already half a decade after Marv Wolfman and George Perez set the comic world on fire with their revitalization of the property, Perez goes back to revisit the early years of the Teen Titans, carrying them forward into Post-Crisis continuity in this annual that managed to fly under most people's radars.

It is, in my opinion, a brilliant and lovingly researched tale that tries to capture the best of the original franchise, upgrade the worst, and weave it all into one coherent whole. Truly, you could pick up this one issue and know everything you ever needed to know about the Teen Titans (and New Teen Titans) from this one quick read.

However, if you did that,you would miss some of the spirit of those early issues, which Perez seems unable to appreciate as Dick relives the early days of the Teen Titans and mocks the Haney idealism that drove it all:



Truly, and most importantly though, this story is a love letter and apology to Mal, the under-utilized Wolfman/Wein creation that was a Titan from 1970 thru 1978, constantly being down-played, under-utilized, and re-routed until he just plain fell off the face of the Earth in time for the 1980 New Teen Titans revival.

Perez has given great thought to the character, changing his introduction to the team so that he comes off as a good-natured volunteer instead of an angsty street dude:



undoing the whole Guardian persona that came and went several times, updating his "Hornblower" costume and weapon (which is now something Karen Beecher built instead of a magical weapon ridiculously gifted to him by the angel Gabriel), and also giving him a better codename as The Herald:






The framing story surrounding this tale returns to the B story in Teen Titans #35, in which the Gargoyle (previously seen in Teen Titans #14) returns with only Mal there to fight him. That story attempted to grow Mal into his own character and failed, so Perez revisits that story and spins something far more complex out of its events. Perez even manages to intertwine it all with Mr. Twister (from the first Teen Titans story in Brave and the Bold #54) and The Antithesis (from the final original Teen Titans story in Teen Titans #53). It's ambitious, if a tad non-sensical.




And yet, with all the effort this story makes to repeatedly guilt-trip both the franchise and comic reader for forgetting about Mal over the years, it ends with him as a broken, tired, overly apologetic wanna-be. Not only do the Titans NOT invite him to join the team after this elaborate adventure, but Mal isn't even able to join them for a small social gathering at the close:



Remember Mal? Why'd you forget about Mal? Why'd EVERYONE forget about Mal?

Now forget about Mal again...



Anyway, in terms of what makes its way into Post-Crisis Continuity...


Brave and the Bold #54 goes pretty much the way it did the first time around



only we later discover that Mr. Twister was a pawn of the Antithesis and became the enigmatic Gargoyle.

Also, Aqualad is referred to as "Garth" in this adventure, whereas in the Pre-Crisis that didn't become his name until the 1980s.


The events of Teen Titans #53, which first depicted the formation of the Titans, now happen immediately after Brave and the Bold #54 and are used to far more dramatic effect than Bob Rozakis had ever intended:



The Antithesis is now a product of the JLA computer instead of some alien being



but, a little embellishing aside, the story otherwise goes as it originally did:





Teen Titans #6 and Teen Titans #11 are shown only in passing:



As are #18 and the B story from #21:



Though the events of the B story in #21, partially providing Donna Troy's origin, would necessarily be somewhat different since Wonder Woman could not have rescued an infant Donna from a building fire in the Post-Crisis. That incarnation of Wonder Woman didn't leave Themyscira until 1987.


Teen Titans #25 is substantially revised, with Robin never actually quitting the team, but instead missing out on the uniform era because he was busy trying to figure out who framed The Titans for the death of Dr. Swenson (also a new addition):



Mr. Jupiter is never mentioned, and the Titans abandoning their costumes and powers is no longer a self-imposed punishment:



better explaining why that era ultimately ends.


Teen Titans #43, the final issue of the original stretch, is now presented with an added twist, explaining why the team disbands after this adventure.



It also goes on to explain what happened to the inherited estate:




The reunion in Teen Titans #44 is presented pretty accurately beyond the changes made to Mal (and Mal's transformation in #44 is clearly booted out of continuity here):



but Perez finally adds an explanation as to how/why the team decides to reunite at the end of that first story:



and he isn't shy pointing out just how pathetic and ineffective Rozakis wrote the team to be:





We then jump ahead (completely skipping all mention of Duela Dent) to the introduction of Teen Titans West in Teen Titans #50-52. Perez's depiction is very very close to the source material, except that they actually call themselves Teen Titans West now, Betty Kane has now assumed a new identity as Flamebird (instead of being a confusing second Batgirl):



there's no Gnarrk, and Golden Eagle gets an improved look (and, for some reason, now sleeps through a job interview instead of being bullied at a gas station when this all goes down):



We also finally get to see what brings an end to the Titans West team that Rozakis was just getting started when the title got the ax in 1978:




Finally, Perez provides a new explanation for how the core Teen Titans team disbands that makes more sense than what Rozakis offered arbitrarily at the end of Teen Titans #53:




Perhaps what's as interesting as all the history Perez does revisit is what he skips. Neal Adams had retroactively created an alien conspiracy in Teen Titans #20 (you know, the big issue that was supposed to introduce DC's first black superhero...until it didn't?), connecting the events of that story to the semi-memorable Teen Titans #8, #10, and (one of my personal favorites from the early years) #16. Perez avoids all of those stories outright, perhaps deciding that rectonning Adams' retcon might prove to be excessive.



Perez then goes on to reconstruct the New Teen Titans history for the Post-Crisis, but I won't be discussing that portion until I am knee deep in New Teen Titans reviews some time from now.




A simplified version of everything this story establishes:

Brave and the Bold #54 still happened.
Teen Titans #6 still happened.
Teen Titans #11 still happened.
Teen Titans #14 still happened.
Teen Titans #18 still happened.
The backup story from Teen Titans #21 still happened, though somewhat differently.
Teen Titans #25 still happened, though very differently.
The backup story from Teen Titans #35 still happened.
Teen Titans #43 still happened.
Teen Titans #44 still happened, though Mal becomes The Herald instead of The Guardian.
Teen Titans #45 DID NOT happen.
Teen Titans #50-52 still happened, though somewhat differently.
The flashback in Teen Titans #53 still happened, though somewhat differently.
The framing story in Teen Titans #53 DID NOT happen.
Mal and Karen are now married and retired.
Mr. Jupiter may not exist in the Post-Crisis
Gnarrk may not exist in the Post-Crisis
Duella Dent may not exist in the Post-Crisis



If you're a fan of these original stories at all, you owe it to yourself to check out this issue. I can't recommend it enough for the hardcore classic Titans fan.


ONE story remaining in this review thread. Any guesses what it will be?

Or maybe it was the spiritual successor to the Secret Origins series, which essentially had the same scope?

A Flash comic, perhaps?