DCU Book Club-Girl Power! Week 77 INTRODUCING SOLSTICE! Wonder Girl Issue 1 & Teen Titans (2003-) Issues 93-97, March 2-8

JLWWSM · March 2, 2020, 3:12pm

INTRODUCING SOLSTICE!

Wonder Girl 2011 (#1)

Spinning out of the pages of TEEN TITANS comes this spotlight on Wonder Girl! Even though not every moment of Wonder Girl’s life is spent being a Titan, strange adventures still follow her everywhere, including a chance meeting with the odd new hero known as Solstice!

Teen Titans (2003) #23

Strange disappearances on an archaeological dig prompt Wonder Girl’s mother to ask the team for help. But what part does the new hero Solstice have in these mysterious absences? Will she help the Titans—or hurt them?

Greetings,

Thanks for dropping in for Girl Power!

Originally from Delhi, Kiran (aka Solstice) brings a vibrant, positive, and sunny energy to the Teen Titans! Solstice shines brightly here in her debut story arc with the Teen Titans.

NOTE: Prior reading of Teen Titans is NOT required to understand this week’s selection, so feel free to dive in!

HOW TO JOIN THE FUN!

• Read the story between Monday, March 2, 2020 and Sunday, March 8, 2020.

• Reply your answers to the discussion questions, share your thoughts about the story, or both!

• Have fun discussing the book with the community. All are welcome to join, just jump right in!

Our SPOILER discussion begins NOW.

What to Read:

- FIRST, START HERE with Wonder Girl 2011 #1

- SECOND, CONTINUE HERE with Teen Titans (2003-) # 93-97

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Is this your first time reading Introducing Solstice!?
As customary with our beloved Teen Titans, there is some relationship-drama on the side . Whose interactions / drama are you curious to learn more about?
What do you think of Solstice?
What was your favorite panel?

We’d love to hear your general reactions to and thoughts about the story.

Questions? Concerns? Feel free to send me a direct message.

Click here to learn more about DCU Book Club (DCUBC).

Happy Reading!

MattMcDonald · March 3, 2020, 11:02pm

Really looking forward to this one! I know nothing about it so it should be fun!

FJcruiser89 · March 4, 2020, 2:02am

I just joined this book club tonight actually, I never really used the community section a whole lot but saw that there was some book clubs to join. I usually read comics from their beginnings to their current but been wanting to try something different. So I just read the first book, which was Wonder Girl. I thought it was a good read I thought the art was good as well.

JLWWSM · March 4, 2020, 4:05am

Hi @MattMcDonald

Glad to hear it! This is a unique story because we see her beaming with sunshine from head to toe.

The New 52 launched shortly after this storyline ended. The New 52 brought Solstice this completely new look:

JLWWSM · March 4, 2020, 4:10am

Welcome @FJcruiser89

So glad you could join in and welcome to the community!

I loved the art in Wonder Girl too and I’m happy you enjoyed the story. It’s a nice prelude into the rest of the story in Teen Titans. It also gave us some time with Wonder Girl.

I thought it was a nice touch that Wonder Girl and Solstice can bond through having archeologist parents - as well as their own superpowers!

FJcruiser89 · March 4, 2020, 2:50pm

@JLWWSM

Thank you, my favorite part was when Wonder Girl, realized and also understood when Solstice turned back to normal for her family. I can’t wait to start teen titans #93.

JLWWSM · March 6, 2020, 3:31pm

Discussion is open through Sunday night!

Don-El · March 6, 2020, 10:35pm

Bookmarked!

JLWWSM · March 8, 2020, 3:13pm

The Solstice is still shining brightly! Discussion is open through the end of today!

One of my favorite parts of this story is the interaction between Solstice and Raven, since their personalities are polar opposites!

Lecouch84 · March 8, 2020, 5:39pm

Yes first time reading

I would have to say Ravager and Superboy. At first I thought that it was just the demon trying to eliminate the Teen Titans and give more power to her superior but at the end of the adventure the real Ravager showed interest in Superboy and vise versa.

I think she is an interesting character. We don’t really get much backstory on how or why she has her powers except for defeating Rankor. I think she also lets DC comics go more into the myths of the Middle East such as India.

My favorite panel was

I really like the Teen Titans working together to help bring down Rankor before Solstice delivered the blow to bring him to his knees.

Overall it was a good introduction to Solstice and kind of wish we had more to go on before the New 52 started.

MisfitCMJ · March 8, 2020, 10:32pm

Unfortunately, this is the last run of Teen Titans before the New 52. The bright and shiny Solstice introduced here, and the brave, heroic Wonder Girl would soon give way to bubble-bodied stereotypes a cheap editorial direction truly believed would sell more comics, and be what the (predominantly male?) readers REALLY wanted. New, blue Solstice never has a story that doesn’t revolve around the boys’ storylines, and Wonder Girl gets a new, second version of Jason Todd-like story that includes a statutory rape backstory that nobody seemed to blink at. There are strange runs of the Titans over the years, questionable runs, choppy as heck runs-- but the first volume of the New 52 is the only bad one. But this last year or so of the longest running Titans book does everything it can to try and find the magic that is the Titans, and that includes the invention of Solstice. Her premiere story has everyone doubting her— how can anyone so bright not be filled with deception? And she just keeps siding with our heroes and trying to save her parents, even as Cassie keeps trying to maintain her own strengths in the face of Red Robin’s return. Tim is a natural leader, but Cassie has earned her right to lead the team. Truly, it would have been a wonder to see this version of Wonder Girl and this original version of Solstice continue to grow. Well, we sort have Wonder Girl back in Young Justice, though Solstice is still pointless fodder from Heroes in Crisis.

This was the last, truly strong Teen Titans story until Rebirth.

Cassie and Kiran both deserved better.

Don-El · March 8, 2020, 11:39pm

It was almost exactly a year ago that DC / Warner made the HUGE decision to open up the ENTIRE existing DC digital comics library to anyone who subscribes to this service (around the same time DC also decided to finally jump on the Comixology Unlimited wagon!). @MisfitCMJ one of the many many reasons I joined DC Universe sight-unseen back in July 2018 or so was hoping at least part of the old and new would show up here. Even half of the new stuff would have made it worth it combined with the original shows etc.

So yup the Titans (and other older teen / young adult solo heros and teams) were pretty grim violent fare overall in the New 52. The magic here is:we can reread the GOOD STUFF like this per New 52 Titans series at our leisure here on DCU now, and reflect on it’s virtues with each other here in sunny bright Community.

Don-El · March 8, 2020, 11:47pm

So, Wonder Girl #1 - two quick takes here about some interesting characteristics of this issue:

There was only one issue ever printed. Why was that you may ask?
The cover is a very striking solid single color background (white) and features a unique branding icon for the character.

What gives here?

Well, here’s a clue: compare the Wonder Girl #1 cover with the Teen Titans cover of the same month/ year (January 2011):

…

Well well well- they both have the solid white background and a unique emblem / icon / branding symbol on each. This is the month that DC Comics did two things: every cover for every comic published that month was like this, AND they deliberately did one issue “one shots” (@Awesome_Squid take note) for characters like Cassie as well as Shazam etc.

Don-El · March 9, 2020, 12:29am

Yes, this is the first time reading this storyline.
Relationships: J. T. Krul can go up and down in story quality, but I really like how he handled the various pairings here. The most intriguing one to me is Ravanger / Conner. (for some reason, every time Ravanger would bait team members to make fools of themselves reminded me of digital friend @MisfitCMJ , but maybe it was more the wry wit she displayed, yeah that’s it!).
What do you think of Solstice? Well, between her intro in Wonder Girl one and only #1 and here, she reminds me of someone wired psychologically to be open, friendly and optimistic with a bit of “I’m still not an adult yet” mixed in for naivete about relationships.
Honestly, for favorite art moment, nothing really popped out at me in the story between the desert ruins and the underworld scenes, but I did really really like the lighting effect and expressions on characters’s faces that Nicola Scott does here:

Thanks @JLWWSM for taking the time to set up a fun 45 minute reading / reflection / research experience for a lazy Sunday evening (and helping me get my money’s worth here)

JLWWSM · March 9, 2020, 12:35am

Hi @Lecouch84

Same! I totally didn’t expect that twist with Ravager and Superboy. That’s an interesting match, I don’t even know what to expect from those as a couple.

I loved that they brought in myths from India. I loved all the panels and rich history there.

I’m with you on that. My only complaint for the story was that I wanted to know more about her origin and powers. But as I think about it, this is her first adventure, so maybe they didn’t want to give everything away in the first story. - But I need to know more about her!!!

Thanks for joining in and letting us know what you thought of her first adventure!

JLWWSM · March 9, 2020, 12:41am

Hi @MisfitCMJ

I haven’t read all of the Teen Titans runs, so I can’t comment on how this compares to the other runs. It was insightful to read your thoughts on the Teen Titans series over the years.

Cool Solstice was about to be really fun! Especially with how she impacted Raven. I wanted to learn more about that - and the Superboy/Ravager thing.

Thanks for joining in!

JLWWSM · March 9, 2020, 12:44am

That is so cool! Thanks for pointing that out! I totally missed that.

JLWWSM · March 9, 2020, 12:50am

I found Ravanger/Connor most intriguing as well and enjoyed all of the interactions within the team. I’m happy you enjoyed it too.

I like your description here. She still comes across as a teenager, as she should.

I loved that cover too - it’s absolutely gorgeous.

And you’re very welcome! Thanks for taking time to ready along with us and share your reflections!