Teen Titans #23.1: Trigon – Review

by Marv Wolfman (writer), CAFU (art)

The Story: After a disappointing debut in Scott Lobdell’s Teen Titans, Trigon has returned to the hand that birthed him as Marv Wolfman steps in to give us another version of the demon warlord’s origin.

The Review: A lot has changed since Trigon’s 1981 debut, and the classic New Teen Titans style is no longer in vogue, but thankfully that wacky wandering Wolfman has found a way to incorporate at least some of his unique narration. Unfortunately, though the caption boxes in this issue contain more than one interesting concept, they rarely make good on their ideas or reach the lofty heights that the original Titans run managed with such panache.

The other thing that Wolfman brings with him is a delightfully old-school sensibility when it comes to layouts. The panels vary in size and placement, drawing the eye with them. I hadn’t noticed until this issue just how rare it is to see panels flowing both horizontally and vertically in a single row, but it really is a novelty. Even better, Wolfman plays with his panel arrangements, finding fascinating ways to represent scale, the passage of time, and the enormity of Trigon’s malevolence.

Like so many of its Villain’s Month brethren, Trigon’s issue is primarily dedicated to a retelling of his origins. The story of the New 52 Trigon has a slightly different beginning than its predecessor; however he’s essentially the same character. Especially with this being the case, I can’t help but wonder why Trigon needs an origin story. I’ve never heard much about Trigon’s birth, nor have I needed to to enjoy the character’s presence.