Continuing to highlight the members that don’t have a solo title the latest Tales of the Titans series shines the spotlight on Donna Troy. One of the founding members of the Teen Titans Donna Troy has been one of the lost characters. DC Comics has never known what to do with Donna Troy’s character after no longer being Wonder Girl. The proof is in the constant change in direction, that includes death and resurrection. Can Tales of the Titans #3 begin the path of setting things right for Donna Troy? Let’s find out.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Kath Lobo and Bob Quinn
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Rob Leigh
SOLICITATION
“The Titans have stepped up to become the DCU’s premier superhero team, and all eyes are on them! But Donna’s always seen the world through the lens of her camera, and when she hears rumors of an insidious new leader on the rise in Markovia, she’ll stop at nothing to use her powers and her photography to bring the truth to light!” – DC Comics
REVIEW
A key element for these Tales of the Titans one-shots is answering what is next for the Titans without a solo series. We saw with Starfire’s issue that she is more than ready to move forward. Meanwhile with the Raven one-shot we got the opposite of her being stuck in Trigon cycle. Thankfully for Donna Troy Tales of the Titans #3 follows the Starfire example rather than Raven.
Showing the experience from previously writing the Wonder Woman series, Steve Orlando makes sure to recognize the importance of Donna Troy’s past. Ignoring that for a clean slate would’ve been a mistake. Donna has too much history to not have that worked into what her direction is moving forward. Orlando makes sure that is an emphasis without making it the dominant narrative driver.
Because as we see throughout Tales of the Titans #3 Donna is making sure to make an impact as superhero. Whether it’s as a member of the Titans or a solo hero Donna is more than ready to step up. Having her go actively take on a solo mission shows she isn’t just going to sit idle until the next Titans mission. Like Nightwing, Flash, and Cyborg, Donna is confident in doing things solo.
Orlando adding that Donna goes on the mission to take on the militia group while the Wonder Woman Outlaw storyline is going on was a nice touch. This shows a great sense of awareness of how to utilize a bigger storyline to elevate other characters. In this case, Donna’s connection to the Wonder Woman franchise is strengthen while still making sure she is spotlighted.
The mission also shows that Donna is a versatile hero. Donna isn’t just the muscle of the team. Throughout her career she has obtained a wide variety of skills. That includes having some spy training. Combining that with her fighting ability makes Donna an even bigger badass.
The pacing for Tales of the Titans #3 was by far its biggest strength. Orlando made sure there was an escalation to the battle Donna got involved in. This made Baron Bedlam’s appearance as the main villain better. Which is definitely needed given how generic of villain Baron Bedlam is. Orlando was careful about accentuating Bedlam’s strengths and hiding his weakness as a villain. This let the focus be on how Donna was able to defeat a villain that needed to be taken down.
After this successful missing, shifting back to exploring where Donna is mentally was handled well. Donna is at a spot where she is confident in her abilities. That said she knows she hasn’t done as much as her peers like Nightwing and Flash.
Having Dick Grayson be the one she talks to about this is a great recognition of the Donna’s history. Since their original days as Robin and Wonder Girl, Dick and Donna have built a brother-sister dynamic. Tapping into their relationship made the impact of how Dick Grayson was there to remind Donna of how badass she is a great moment.
That led in well to the hook ending with Donna learning her biological father was still alive. It’s been a long time since Donna has explored her family heritage. Learning that her father is alive can open the door for a new version of the “Who Is Donna Troy” story that feels new if done right.
Kath Lobo and Bob Quinn delivered great, energetic artwork throughout Tales of the Titans #3. They did everything to make sure to showcase Donna Troy’s fighting style. There was both flow to the way Donna utilizes her strength that gets over how much experience she has. That along with the emotional story beats at the end of this issue, the artwork adds a lot to how well Donna’s story is told.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Steve Orlando, Kath Lobo, and Bob Quinn work together to deliver a strong Donna Troy story in Tales of the Titans #3. Everything emphasized how Donna can stand on her own just as well as she does as a lead in the main Titans series. The ending is hopefully something we see followed up with in some way in the Titans series, possibly as a long-term sub-plot with a big character payoff for Donna.
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10