Teen Titan #09 or "Harvest is an Unfunny Doctor Dinosaur"

[majingojira]

The "Harvest" arc of Teen Titans/Superboy/Legion Lost is . . . Bad. I mean, really bad. It could have been interesting, but it's just been bad. I mean, it even has a Gorgonopsid and a properly feathered Raptor show up in its pages and it's STILL bad. I love that sort of thing! And I realized the main reason why I find it so bad.

I can't take the villain as a credible threat because he comes off to much like Atomic Robo's Doctor Dinosaur.

In this issue, we have it all laid bear.

The Important part is what Robin is saying.

"No sane person could think it was a good idea to pluck teenagers from across the globe--meta or otherwise--and set them against each other in a battle royal . . . where the survivors are forced to serve your insane cause as Ravagers."

I'm sorry, but that concept is not insane--it's STUPID. Harvest has been played up as a Xanatos level schemer rather than a sadistically insane person like Granny Goodness. She could get away with a plot like that (Hell, isn't that how some Furies are chosen?). Harvest? No. You don't have your evil genius come up with this as his plan to "Save the Future".  

It's one of Doctor Dinosaurs plans in terms of complexity.




Robo then points out that there's no mail box on the island they are on.

Yeah.  Robo and Doctor Dinosaur are just fun together.  Ya know, everything Titan's isn't.  Not even a properly feathered raptor could save it. 

Then when the heroes split up, free the captives, escapes and destroy his base, he declares victory!



So aside from re-hashing the X-Men core concept without the unification behind the story, this is comparable to another incident with Doctor Dinosaur.



I'm with Robin here, but only in part. The line looks like it's a denial in the face of a superior foe, but given his initial plan set up -- I've got to say, it's only because Harvest is an apparent moron that I refuse to believe that is part of his plan.

It's Doctor Dinosaur and his Crystals.

So yeah, Harvest isn't a good villain.  They want him to be a skilled manipulator and plotter, but he's not.  He's an idiot. Behold! More Harvest level planning in action!



"IN A PERFECTLY LEGAL MANNER THAT'S HOW!"

At least Titans will be having more dinosaurs in its next issue.  At least that might be interesting.  Harvest was just annoying in that we're supposed to be taking him seriously.  Well, after this realization, I certainly can't.  Hell, I started reading his lines in the same voice I give Doctor Dinosaur: a fast-talking-when-stressed classic Starscream sort of voice. Try it! You'll love it! 
 

Comments

[majingojira]

And then THIS happens:

Reporter: "Harvest! How did you form your team?"
Harvest: "Well--"
Ravager: "By kidnapping meta-human teenagers from across the country, and forcing them in battle royal death tournaments where the survivors joined his teams, with only fear off his retribution keeping us in line."
Reporters: *stunned silence*
Harvest: *Fumes*
Ravager: "***** you, Harvest. You saved the world with murder, lies and fear."
Harvest: *incinerates ravager* "I DID IT FOR THE GREATER GOOD!"
Titans: "K, thanks, die now."
Harvest: *dies*

But I doubt that would happen. The writing isn't up to par for that to happen. That the Ravagers are shown buying into it hook, line and sinker and that his moronic plan was working despite all logic working against him pretty much seals the deal on any Harvest related plans being entertaining.

[shadowpsykie]

i don't buy that the Ravagers are buying it... Fairchild is from what i have seen in the series Smarter than that....

[majingojira]

Given that Fairchild A) is a rather smart person, at least previously, B) she is not truly a Ravager at this point in time (what with betraying the boss and all that), C) Rose "Join us or Die" Wilson (ugh! I can't believe they did that to her character--damn reboot) and the other shown Ravagers did, as far as I wish to remember.

Yeah, no. Argument inapplicable.

[shadowpsykie]

yeah, the way they were playing up Rose in Superboy, i also feel like there is more of a character arc in it for her too. She genuinely cares for fairchild... so yeah. i think that what ever He thinks the Ravagers are s upposed to be, they are not.

[majingojira]

Which just further drives home the "Harvest is an idiot" point.

[shadowpsykie]

oh i am not defending HIM. he's a tool and idiot with delisions of grandeur... but he has the power... as is mostly the case... that said, again, its the series i like, not so much the villain.

[majingojira]

Still, it doesn't bode well when the creative team behind the characters at the moment bought into their own hype despite its fact that it's effectively flaccid.

If there was another writer on these characters, there might be hope. But for now . . .

Then again, with this creative team, it took like 4 issues for me to give a crap about anyone. But everyone's different on that ground.