Tim Sheridan, script. Rafa Sandoval, pencils. Julio Ferreira, inks. Alejandro Sanchez, colors. Rob Leigh, letters.

During the issue 1 review I enjoyed some of these new concepts but wasn’t sure why I didn’t understand certain things. Are they gaps in my Titans knowledge, or are they brand new concepts and everyone is lost? A few more things came into focus here but I’m still not entirely sure what is going on not only with the Titans but with all of DC.

As the Titans face a new version of the Four Horsemen the story jumps between future (state) and a past that is still slightly in our future. Bad things happen, it’s all Red X’s fault, and there is a trip in the past (still a little in our future) to make things right. It is strongly implied we know who Red X is but the true identity is not yet revealed.

There’s a lot of cool stuff here. The Beast Boy and Cyborg team up. Dick Grayson as a compilation of the best and worst qualities of all his mentors. The Titans as a family of past, future, and present members. That “teen” word doesn’t really matter except for branding. They’re so much more than just a group of young super heroes which is why I’ve enjoyed the concept more so than any other team from DC over the years.

So much happens it feels rushed, but that’s the whole point. This is the bad ending that everyone will now try to avoid. That story will be told in the new Teen Titans Academy. The best way to ensure the heroes of tomorrow don’t screw up is to teach them ways to prevent that now. Red X stars in that upcoming book and the focus will be on preventing his future actions. But do these other future heroes also now suddenly appear in the comic? They just show up in present continuity thanks to the Future State sneak peek?

This confusion extends to the ads for other upcoming DC comics under the Infinite Frontier banner. Batman, Wonder Woman, Justice League. Current cast, past cast, future characters, all existing at the same time to…. gain more readers?

I’m debating picking up the first issue of Teen Titans Academy. There’s enough familiarity and curiosity to at least get the first issue and see what is going on. But Wonder Woman for example? What’s happening? The Batman family pushes Harley to his side but Nightwing is in the back. And the Justice League ad looks like an ad for 10 different books. I’m confused just looking at the double splash page of it all. This doesn’t make me want to add these books to my pull list. Hey DC, if you’re constantly changing your phone numbers, eventually I’m going to get the message you don’t want me to call anymore.

But it’s also possible I’m looking at this as a person who isn’t as into the other series. I know enough about Titans to be excited for the possibilities. Maybe a fan more into Wonder Woman is all in on this. Time, future time, will tell.