Teen Titans #33

Teen Titans #33 (On Sale: March 18, 1971), has a cover by Nick Cardy.

This issue features "Less Than Human?" by Bob Haney, George Tuska, and Nick Cardy. Continuing from the last issue, Kid Flash and Mal remain trapped in an alternate timeline. The sorcerer Jupiterius has offered to help if the Titans can pass two tests, Kid Flash successfully passes the first. Mal then must overcome his own fears to pass the second. When he successfully completes the test, Jupiterius sends the Titans back in time to the moment they changed history.

Mal and Kid Flash once again face an attack by an angry caveman. This time, they don't accidentally kill him. The Titans are then returned to their own time period, but the caveman comes with them. The Titans cage the caveman, dubbed Gnarrk, the only word he speaks. The team then works tirelessly to civilize the caveman and teach him to trust and communicate.

Lilith forms a special bond with Gnarrk. During a trip into the city, Gnarrk becomes separated from the Titans. Lilith finds him and brings him back, but while on his own, Gnarrk witnessed a criminal deal involving a city councilman. The Titans then work with Gnarrk to ensure his testimony will stand up in court. Gnarrk successfully testifies, and the councilman is convicted. This is not a great issue of TT. The story is lame, really lame and the artwork by Tuska and Cardy is a step below the pure Cardy of recent issues. The removal of Dick Giordano as editor is really taking its toll.  Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Teen Titans Vol. 2 TPB (2007).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Teen Titans #32

Teen Titans #32 (On Sale: January 19, 1971), has a nice cover by Nick Cardy.

The Teen Titans star in "A Mystical Realm, a World Gone Mad" by Steve Skeates and Nick Cardy. New editor Murray Boltinoff's attempt to add horror to the Titans was a huge mistake in my view. Mal is thrown back in time by an experiment conducted by Mr. Jupiter. Kid Flash uses the Cosmic Treadmill to rescue his teammate. While in the distant past, Mal encounters a tribe of neanderthals. One of the tribesmen attacks Mal. Kid Flash arrives in time to save his friend, but the caveman falls to his death. When Kid Flash and Mal try to return to their own time, they discover an alternate timeline.

Kid Flash hypothesizes that the timeline was created by the death of the caveman. The Titans seek help from a sorcerer who resembles Mr. Jupiter. Jupiterius puts the Titans through a test to earn his help. In the first test, Kid Flash must compete in archery against Trueshot, a doppelganger of Speedy. Kid Flash wins, but the test is not over. Continues next issue. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Teen Titans Vol. 2 TPB (2007).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Teen Titans #29

Teen Titans #29 (On Sale: July 16, 1970) has a cover by Nick Cardy.

 The book-length "Captives" is by Steve Skeates and Nick Cardy. Continuing from last issue, after Aqualad's failed encounter with Ocean Master, he is left for dead. Voting to forego their vow against using their powers and costumes for the duration of the present case, the Titans track down Aqualad in time to rescue him. 

Hawk and Dove pursue a lead on their own, returning to Sharon Tracy's apartment. When the thugs who had attacked Sharon earlier return. Dove recruits the other Titans to help out, but both Hawk and Dove are nevertheless captured by Ocean Master and held prisoner in his undersea headquarters. 

Hawk awakens in Ocean Master's hide-out, finding he and Dove are captives. Dove explains that Ocean Master is working with aliens. The brothers escape their bonds and start a fight with Ocean Master and his alien allies. The other Titans, who trail them to Ocean Master's hideaway,  help them overcome the invaders. 

The Titans agree to redon their costumes only in cases of extreme emergency, and Aqualad, reconciled with his teammates, returns to Atlantis. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Teen Titans Vol. 2 TPB.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Teen Titans #28

Teen Titans #28 (On Sale: May 12, 1970) has another great cover by Nick Cardy.

The book-length "Blindspot" is by Steve Skeates and Nick Cardy. Donna Troy's roommate, Sharon Tracy is out for a walk one night when she sees something she should not have and is shot at and chased by some men. She manages to lose them, but in doing so she also loses her purse with her ID. At around the same time Aqualad is looking for the Titans, having been unable to contact them for weeks. When the Titan's HQ is deserted, he heads for Donna's apartment, where Sharon mistakes him for the men who were shooting at her; the men who show up just after Aqualad.

A fight ensues and Aqualad takes care of business. When the bad guys scram, Sharon tells him what happened and how she saw something horrible, but she is unable to remember what it was. For her safety, Aqualad stashes Sharon at Titans headquarters and heads to Hudson University in search of Robin.

He finds him, fighting car thieves in an alley and joins in the fray. As they fight Aqualad tells Dick about fighting the thugs trying to harm Sharon and suddenly remembers that one of the men he fought in her apartment worked for Ocean Master. Now Aqualad needs the help of the Titans more than ever. Robin takes him to Mr. Jupiter's estate where the other Titans refuse to help. He tussles with the group, calling them chickens till Donna explains how they feel responsible for Dr. Swenson's death and how they vowed to never use their powers again.

He talks them into putting on their uniforms again and going to hear Sharon's story. They agree and Lilith goes into a trance and resurrects Sharon's missing memories. As Sharon walked though the park she saw three men talking and one of them shot another with a ray-gun that revealed the man's true form, that of a hideous alien. Aqualad asks for their help in finding the truth and stopping the killers coming after Sharon, but the team hesitates and Aqualad. Angry and alone,

Aqualad heads back to the park where Sharon was attacked in searching of clues. As he finds a paper with  scientific notations on it, he is assaulted by three men, one of whom is Ocean Master. A fight ensues and Aqualad is knocked out and tied to a tree where he will die in less than an hour without water. Continued next issue. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Teen Titans Vol. 2 TPB.

This is followed by a one-page Tiny Titan gag strip by Pete Costanza.

Edited by Dick Giordano.