Review: Tiny Titans #29

Tiny Titans #29 came out yesterday and, as usual, it was a giddy trip through the DCU suitable for all ages.

I have sung the praises of this title here before. It pokes fun at continuity enough to keep me happy while being smart and silly enough to keep the Supergirls at home happy.

Is there any better way to show that than this issue's cover. Who would have ever thought that Tiny Titans could somehow figure out a way to do an homage cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7? How funny that Supergirl is trying to rock Kid Devil to sleep, albeit in the pieta position seen on the original Crisis. And Crisis on Infinite Toddlers? Too funny. Much like prior puns 'Finals Crisis' and 'Battle for the Cow', Art Baltazar and Franco continue to infuse the most current in-jokes with the more famous DC events in this title.


Best of all, this issue spotlights Supergirl!

As I have said before, the Supergirl in Tiny Titans seems unflappable and perfect. She floats above the fray at all time and never gets flustered like the Titans often do.

So it was very funny to see her lose her composure a little bit in this issue. The title page sets the stage. Here Supergirl struggles to hold Krypto and Kid Devil and realizes she may be in a bit over her head.

The main story has her being recruited by Robin and Beast Boy to babysit the toddlers. All the toddlers!

There is just a sense of sarcasm in Robin when he says that maybe the reason it is her turn to babysit is because she has never done it before. It implies maybe others have done it more than once. She isn't that far above the fray!

The toddlers begin to file in.

The Terror Titan toddlers and their need for nachos and hot sauce.

The Lil Tiny Titans, a group that includes the mischievous Jericho and Wildebeest.

The unruly Kid Devil.

Even the Atom's baby Smidge.

Look at the exasperated look on Supergirl's face in that first panel. We have never seen her look like that in this book before.

And then a couple of toddlers who I haven't seen here before (although I don't get this book every month). That's right ... it's Tim Drake and Jason Toddler.

Jason Toddler! That's comedy gold!


It all seems to be a bit much for Supergirl when you put them all together. It is amazing how much visual information can be conveyed in this book. Supergirl's blank stare says it all.

Luckily, Miss Martian doesn't want just Supergirl to babysit her. She wants Beast Boy as well. She stretches and grabs him to join in the fun.

And it is a good thing too! He is able to distract the toddlers by changing into an array of cute animals. For a while it calms them down.

But in the end, he is sort of a one-trick pony. After a bit, they want him to perform magic, something Beast Boy can't do.

With magic on their mind, Miss Martian stretches and grabs Zatara.


Zatara feels he is above performing tricks for the kids and is about to walk off.

That is, he is going to leave until Jericho takes him over and makes him magically pull animals from his hat. The animals start small and grow bigger.


In the end, Zatara conjures up an elephant, a giraffe, and even a couple of dinosaurs. Despite getting help from two other Titans, Supergirl realizes the sad truth. She isn't cut out to be a baby-sitter.

As usual, this is another very cute and funny issue of Tiny Titans. I think it is delightful that characters like Jason Todd and the Terror Titans can be represented in a kid's book. And I love how Supergirl is finally brought down to Earth a bit. That picture of her with the Atom baby crying is almost too fantastic for words.

I love this book but I understand it is an acquired taste. I don't know if I will ever give it a bad mark.

Overall grade: A