Titans #8 – Which Mal and Bee Are they?
The Titans’ move to Manhattan was a bit rough to say the least. It felt a bit random, and it left me asking numerous questions as to how Nightwing could live here and in Blüdhaven at once. Thanks to Wikipedia, I now know this is possible, and I hate myself a little bit for researching this as much as I did. At least in this issue, Nightwing acknowledges the fact that he does indeed live in Blüdhaven. The others, save for Flash, all live elsewhere, but I have no idea which comics they grace. Garth I can guess lives under the sea, but Arsenal, Lillith or Wonder Girl? I have not a clue.
I could look those up I’m sure, if I really wanted to go on that goose chase. But where they all live isn’t as important as where another couple lives: Mal and Karen Duncan. Mal is a former Titan who went by the name Herald. He had a voice that rivaled the Black Canary’s. He left the Titans years ago, and he wants to forget everything about his life with them. His wife Karen, has been known as the Bumblebee in the past, but in this realm of DC Comics, she only just developed powers. She hasn’t been called the Bumblebee just yet. Perhaps this is due to Flashpoint, or perhaps this is due to the weird glitch in the Rebirth time stream.
My advice is to just go with it. It makes a far better story to ignore what you know from DC history.
Now that Bee has suddenly developed her powers (in her late 20s after marriage and kids…okay let’s not go there), she’s a little scared. Mal wants nothing to do with his, and she has no idea what to do with hers. He suggested she visit Meta Solutions to decide. They can help her learn to control her powers, and if she wishes, they can take her powers away. In fact, he’s already seen them to remove his own powers. He’s really been traumatized from his Titans days.
While Bee is meeting with the good doctor to explore her powers, Mal hangs out in the waiting room and gets a Vietnam flashback. He was almost killed by Mammoth years ago when he was a Titan, and now Mammoth is right there in the reception area, like nothing is wrong. Like he never did anything wrong. What does a former superhero with no powers and PTSD do in such a situation? Run in terror, that’s what.
Good thing for him, Lillith was able to pick up on it, and the Titans were there in a literal flash to help Mal.
All of this reminds me a great deal of a few various X-Men stories regarding offering ways to take away mutant powers (various as in various forms tellings of the core story), which often resulted in the “savior” company using the powers for evil. It makes sense. If you don’t want the powers, if they scare you, or if they are detrimental to your life (such as Rogue), then why would you want to keep them? In Mal’s case, his powers reminded him of an awful time in his life, and he wanted to forget all of it. He tells his wife that it’s completely her choice, that she should do what’s right for her. However, does he really mean that? What if she wants to be a superhero? What if she wants to give up her quiet home life to be the Bee?
I also couldn’t help but draw a connection to deciding on a possible abortion. I don’t think that needs further explanation. That said, the last panel suggests that Karen wants to keep her baby.
<mic drop>
Our Rating: Yep
Author: Dan Abnett
Artists: Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dathouse, and Corey Breen
Publisher: DC Comics
Publish Date: 02/08/2017
Acquired via Purchase
