I would love to see someone post the panels that emulate Perez’ style. I thought it looked like Swan all the way. Having Taghal ink it kept the look , I thought.

While I enjoyed Swan's art here, I do have one small problem with this splash page. Look at Trigon's waist. His crotch appears to be leering/sneering at his own daughter. I don't know whether to laugh at or be creeped out over that.

I mostly agree with your sentiments here shax. This is the big reveal, the big moment of Trigon's arrival even if it did occur earlier than Raven expected it to. The battle scenes felt weak, I get no sense of IMMINENT danger or power from Trigon and like you said, the Titans keep surviving. However I could understand the reasoning that they haven't had enough quality time together to train as a team (yet they've apparently done so to some extent as when Robin orders Cyborg to take up 'Position Six' in their first encounter).

Two things stand out to me though from those battles: first, Kory hints that something may be up with her starfire bolts. Yes, she's fighting an extradimensional demon so maybe those bolts won't be as normally effective but she's concerned over previous lapses in their effectiveness from earlier issues as well. Second, it's becoming rather apparent that Wolfman doesn't know how to use speedsters effectively. For the most part, all Wally does in this issue is race/spin around Trigon. What exactly is that supposed to do? Throw Trigon off balance somehow? Then, there's a panel when they are facing off against Goronn where Wally just stands there and does *something* that makes Goronn shake. I can't tell what he's doing to him.

As for the JLA, for me, I would've liked some vindication moment here for Raven. We're told repeatedly that she approached the League first and was then rebuffed by Zatanna's feelings of great evil within Raven. Now, oh look, there's a giant four-eyed horned demon laying waste to NYC. Hm, seems like Raven was right after all Zatanna. The JLA looked weak last issue and they come off looking worse here (especially since they did not show up to fight Trigon, any member of their roster that is)

Part of the muddling aspect to this story arc for me is Azarath and it's disciplines. Apparently they have the power to destroy Trigon but are afraid and/or unwilling to use it. If they are pacifists at heart then why have this power at all? I kinda see Robin's point about peace being a constant struggle to attain and maintain but their sentiments here seem to suggest that even if Trigon manages to destroy/subvert everything, even if he's in charge, then there's some form of peace at play here even if it's based on evil. Raven seems to butting her head against a brick wall in trying to change their minds to no avail and after about 20 some pages of such various effort, it gets a little annoying and frustrating to me. Move on Raven and help the team you formed fight your father.

Swan's depictions of emotions was great here especially with Raven and Wally. The last few pages of Raven offering the deal of going with Trigon and their leaving was really dramatic and impactful, probably the best bits of the whole issue for me. (Though I missed Kory's usual flowing hair when she flies).

Lastly, it never occurred to me to note any possible parallels between Raven's manipulation of Wally and Carol's manipulation at the hands of Marcus. Interesting despite the differing circumstances and level of manipulation. I will say though that while Claremont may have offered up a proper rebuke of that instance later in Avengers Annual #10, in the very same issue, he had Rogue psychically rape Carol, an emotional and mental dangling plotline that he let linger on for 9 years afterward. That's the pot calling the kettle black for sure.

I think when the issues came out, I started with #6, and bought the easier issues after that. I remember buying # 1 and 2 for more than cover price.

Like I said, I find the stretch beginning with this issue totally forgettable. Other than the day-off issue, the next one I recall at all is the one about what happened to the Doom Patrol. And that's a ways off.

That, and the aforementioned fact that they have, for some reason, mastered the most powerful magic in the entire universe -- the only magic capable of defeating Trigon. -- even though they have no intention of using it under even the most dire of circumstances.


At this point, both Trigon and Azareth are such horribly ill-considered concepts, seeming to exist solely for the purpose of giving Raven an internal conflict.

My impression when I last read the series two decades back was that #38-50 are really the center of the entire series. All the good plots, story-arcs, and character-building happen there. While I've been surprised by how dense and satisfying the first two issues were, we seem to have dropped off a cliff already, and I'll be curious to see if my impression of when we get back on top of that cliff holds true.

I mentioned that one as having been memorable in my previous post. But was it important? Was the series building towards anything in that installment? It was an experiment in storytelling that helped to influence what came later, but it was (to the best of my memory) insignificant beyond that. Wolfman and Perez really didn't have a firm plan/vision/direction between issues #5 and #37, IMO. It was just another monthly superhero book, trying to offer a little more characterization along the way.