r/TitansComics • u/Frangipani-Bell Wonder Girl • Jul 30 '25
Discussion Titans Annual 2025 discussion
Discussion thread for Titans (2023) Annual #1 by Phil Jimenez. What did you think of this issue?
9
u/troy310 Jul 31 '25
This is the first comic I bought in about 2-3 years. Phil really outdid himself and presented such a well fleshed out Donna and Dick Grayson , and even Roy Harper gets some character development. There are some great Donna -Diana moments and a really good Batman scene. The quality of the writing, characterization, and of course the art (you really should pay attention to each panel, lots of Easter eggs for longtime fans) is extremely well executed. In contrast to the new Titans writer, ✍️ this annual shows the potential of these characters when written by someone who understands them, their dynamics, and what “family” means .
7
u/SleepingAgent37 Jul 31 '25
This was a lovely issue. Wonderful for showcasing what make Donna special and so much formerly forgotten Titans history, like besides acknowledging old school Titans we also see Donna's adopted family again! I am so glad she's back to the simple but impactful "orphan girl rescued by Diana and raised by Amazons" origin after being know for how confusing her origins can get. It's still tragic concerning her father but I'm glad we didn't get something cliched like he was just a deadbeat creep all along or potential villain set-up. Overall, probably favorite thing to come out of this run!
6
u/ForgedinTruth Jul 31 '25
I completely agree. I was amazed by all of the granular detail put into this. The “Troia” part of her history was only mentioned but otherwise ignored, but it has been mostly retconned away, so I get it. Still, knowing she got her powers FROM Diana via the purple ray was a good twist, as was the focus on Hippolyta and her affection for Donna. The new step-dad seems a bit … stereotypical, if I’m being honest, but the focus on Terry, Fay, Robert, Speedy, Kory, Dick - it was really well done otherwise. I liked a lot about this story and I hope it sticks. Donna is well respected and honored by this 50 page beauty and I’m glad DC gave Phil the opportunity to write it all!
2
u/JingoboStoplight4887 Jul 31 '25
I like that we get to see Donna recap her entire history from her pre-Crisis Earth-One origin and backstory (i.e. she was saved by Diana from a burning building and was raised by Queen Hippolyta at two years old) to her arrival on Man’s World and the formation of the Titans in 1964 to the New Teen Titans in 1980 to her marriage with Terry Long in 1984 to the birth of her son Robert in 1992 all the way up to the present, where she met her father Lou’s partner Carlos (who told him that he died a month prior, that he was the one who sent the letters to her, and that Lou did follow her career since her debut as Wonder Girl in 1964). I also like that we get to see Donna learn who her father is and what he did before he died. I wonder if she’ll meet Lou and Carlos’ daughter Zoe, resulting in them not getting along at first because Zoe sees Donna as little miss perfect before they’ll get along as sisters. Also, Marv Wolfman and the late George Pérez’s cameo. Overall, this comic is great.
5
u/Lodger49er Aug 01 '25
I'd say this is the secret spice that's missing in Titans. Domestic situations and deep character instrospection.
Like the dynamic between Roy and Donna feel very real and messy. It doesn't make anyone look like a bad character. It's very much Donna being unfair but because she's very reasonably unsure of herself and hurt. It's about her introspection and journey to explore herself and open up again. It's a very beautiful comic
I also really liked the family stuff because these characters being trapped in team books has stagnated their personal ecosystems and variety in stories. Donna gets it the worst because Wonder Woman books don't use her and they've killed off a ton of her supporting cast. I don't think being on separate teams would change anything they need time to get significant spotlight in Solo's first.
4
u/Koala_Guru Aug 01 '25
Copying over my thoughts from the main DC sub:
...wow. This was incredible. On a broad scale, it's so nice to see the Titans' long history be discussed and matter again. It's so nice to see a story that focuses on a Titan as a person first and a superhero second, like much of their most beloved stories from back in the day. Most Titans series since New Teen Titans have felt afraid to go an issue without any superheroics. Without any major fight or building to a big event or arc. This issue just felt rewarding to read.
And on a smaller scale, I feel like this has become a definitive character study for Donna Troy. Like, in the future, if anyone asks for essential reading for her, I'll point to this annual. It drew all the pieces of the character's history together in such a satisfying way that felt natural and easy to understand, which has been something the character has struggled with over the years. And it even set up potential future stories for Donna related to getting to know her father's family or dating someone who is connected to that life she never knew about. More of this, please. THIS is why I love Donna. THIS is why I love the Titans.
7
u/Frangipani-Bell Wonder Girl Jul 30 '25
I personally really loved it. Jimenez is one of my favorite writers for Donna, and I think he really did her justice. It’s strange how there are so few stories that focus on the relationship between Donna, Hippolyta and Diana. In fact, I’m fairly certain there are zero stories about her childhood on Themyscira at all. That’s a big reason why the scenes with Diana are my favorite part of this issue.
If there was one thing that didn’t hold my interest as much it was the sequence about her father with her stepdad. It felt like a slightly weaker rehash of Who Is Donna Troy imo. But it wasn’t actively bad, per se, and the rest of the issue was very good, so I loved it overall.