While John Layman’s Titans Vol. 3: Hard Feelings was more bicker-y than I might like, neither was it as problematic as I’d feared. I do appreciate that Layman is not writing for the trade — it’s all connected, of course, but Hard Feelings offers two- and even one-parters with the Titans fighting various villains, and that felt nicely more episodic and less goal-oriented than your standard DC trade. I also appreciate Layman picking up a variety of threads from Tom Taylor’s run before him when he certainly didn’t have to.

The greater difficulties are not new; as a Titans book, Hard Feelings is concerned with very familiar Titans concerns, even on to the next volume, when I rather wish someone could find some uncharted ground. But also there’s an undercurrent of anti-Justice League sentiment across this story that I just didn’t like personally. I guess the Titans rebelling against the Justice League is more interesting (more on-brand?) than everyone getting along, but while Justice League Unlimited touts a more cohesive League, it seemed unfortunate for Titans to be immediately poking holes in it.