Tales of the Teen Titans #48
Published and © by DC, November 1984
Title: “The Recombatants!”
Synopsis: The Titans arrive to assist with the elimination of an experiment gone awry but end up siding with the Recombatants!
Writers (co-plotters): Marv Wolfman and George Pérez
Writer (script): Wolfman
Pencilers: Steve Rude and Pérez
Inker: Al Gordon and Mike DeCarlo
Review: This lead story fares much better on revisiting. Little Me had yet to visit a comic-book store, thus had little clue who Steve Rude or the DNAgents were. In hindsight, this was one of those fun unofficial crossovers driven by creators, penciled by a top indie artists of its day.
•••
Title: “Flash Force 2000”
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic landscape, automative technology holds the key between a brighter future and despotic rule.
Writer: Robert Loren Fleming
Penciler: Denys Cowan
Inker: Sal Trapani
Review: One part Mad Max + a dash of Knight Rider + Matchbox toy catalog + laugh-out-loud, atrocious dialogue = D-list Atari Force wannabe.
Grade (for the entire issue): C
Second opinion: “Showed little of what makes (Steve Rude) such a great artist on Nexus.” – Martin Crookall, Fantasy Advertiser #89, February 1985
Cool factor: Steve “The Dude” Rude drawing the Titans? Definitely cool.
Not-so-cool factor: Because of its popularity, the Titans title was often called on to host subpar previews.
Notable: The second half of this unofficial crossover takes place in DNAgents #14. … This issue includes a 16-page Flash Force 2000 preview.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a 95¢ Canadian variant of this issue. … According to MyComicShop.com, there is also a Mark Jewelers variant.
Character quotable: “We’re going to program your new driverless cars for evil, doctor.” – Terminus 3, presciently
Editor’s note: This review was written Sept. 12, 2025.
