Teen Titans #40
Published and © by DC, July-August 1972
Title: “The Spawn of the Sinister Sea”
Synopsis: The Teen Titans come to Loch Ness to investigate its famous monster, but become entwined with a more murderous legend.
Writer: Bob Haney
Penciler: Art Saaf
Inker: Nick Cardy
Review: Bob Haney’s Teen Titans scripts are a magical sort of wrong: All wannabe hipster and madcap adventure, story logic be damned. Much like his work on Brave & the Bold (see reviews), his Teen Titans adventures are a great deal of fun – as long as you don’t think about them too hard. We’ve got a robot Loch Ness monster, a dollop of gothic horror and a former Titan gone bad. Haney’s attempts at groovy dialogue had to be painful at publication but clears the so-awful-it’s-amazing bar today. The solid art from Art Saar and Nick Cardy does no harm.
Grade: B-
Second opinion: “The story is exciting and actually has action sequences worthy of the team. … 3 out of 4 stars.” – Craig Shutt, Comics Buyer’s Guide #1604, May 2005
Cool factor: There’s always something cool lurking in the trying-too-hard-to-be-hip-era Titans.
Not-so-cool factor: Aquaman’s underwater, golden-dolphin phone. (Or maybe that was the cool part. It’s a fine line with Bob Haney’s Titans.)
Notable: The “Tell It to the Titans” letters page includes an LoC from future DC “Answer Man” Bob Rozakis. … Includes a “All DC Magazines Now Only 20¢!!” text feature explaining the then-recent changes in comic-book pricing.
Character quotable: “The plot thickens, chickens!” – Robin, the grooviest boy wonder
Editor’s note: This review was written March 2, 2022.
