Warning: SPOILERS for Titans #2After decades of facing off against the Titans, the team's classic enemy Brother Blood is getting a brand-new codename and mission. With just one television appearance, the Titans' formidable foe has gotten a lot more insidiously dangerous.
Brother Blood makes a surprise appearance on a talk show in Titans #2 by Tom Taylor, Nicola Scott, Annette Kwok, and Wes Abbott. The twist, however, is that this version of the classic Titans villain no longer wants to be called by "Brother Blood." The Titans are surprised to spot their old nemesis on a late-night talk show, where he discusses, on national television, the Church of Blood's "rebranding," which includes a new name as well as a brand-new goal.
From here on out, Brother Blood is part of the "Church of Eternity," which makes his new name "Brother Eternity." Along with this new title, the Church apparently wants to save humanity from the ongoing ecological crisis: "The world is ending. But we don't have to end with it." Brother Eternity and his Church are "crowdfunding" the search for another habitable planet.
The New Church of Blood Is Up to No Good
They may have rebranded, but the Church of Blood will always be one of the Titans' most dangerous enemies. Brother Blood and his cult-like Church have been manipulating their followers since the 1980s when the villain debuted in the classic New Teen Titans series by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. The Church of Blood and its leader have gone through a few permutations since then, including this "rebrand" as the Church of Eternity, but Brother Blood's main power has always remained the same: his ability, supernatural and otherwise, to manipulate public opinion in his favor. Whether through mind control or charming TV appearances, Brother Blood — now Brother Eternity — knows how to work a crowd.
That's certainly true of his appearance in Titans #2. While this may technically be a reinvention of the classic New Teen Titans character, the roots of the villain remain true. Brother Eternity is using his natural charisma (and the power of national network television) to control the tides of public opinion. Talking about "rebranding" and "crowdfunding," while extremely contemporary language, is the perfect next step for this kind of villain. It doesn't hurt that he's using real-world fears about the ongoing ecological crisis to spur action in his favor. The Titans will certainly have a difficult time fighting such a charming and well-spoken villain — especially considering the issue's shocking twist ending.
Does Tempest Agree with "Brother Eternity"?
The issue's final page reveals that Tempest — an original member of the Teen Titans — has ed up with the Church of Eternity, apparently lending his to the Church's "humanity-saving" cause. It's difficult to say whether Tempest is working with Brother Eternity willingly or if he's under some kind of mind control. But the Titans will certainly be confronting their old friend and this new version of an old enemy sooner rather than later.
Check out Titans #2, available now from DC Comics!
