Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Bring on the Bad Guys: Baltzar and Verna

 Real names: Baltzar and Verna 

First appearance: Teen Titans I#6 (Nov-Dec. 1966)

Abilities: Animal trainer Hypnotist 

Worst act: Theft, kidnapping 

Created by: Bob Haney (script), Bill Molno (pencils), Sal Trapani (inks), and Stan Starkman (letters)


The first appearance of Beast Boy in a Titans book. Pity it'd be some time before he formerly joined, but he was a regular in the Doom Patrol at the time. 

Which ties into this yarn for a bit, as Beast Boy, frustrated at being unable to join either team formerly due to his Scrooge-ish guardian, opts to run off to the circus. 

The carnies running the place, instead of seeing the value in a boy who can change into any animal imaginable, decide to hypnotize him and make him knock over stores. Seems like waste. 

Honestly this feels more like a Beast Boy tale than a Titans one, with Haney trying to push the shapeshifting hero as the 5th Titan (which is a bit insulting to Speedy, who technically had that title). 


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