Titans #3
Titans vol. 2 #3 (August 2008) marks the first appearance of the Sons of Trigon — Jared, Jesse, and Jacob — Raven's half-brothers, each empowered to embody one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Their introduction permanently expanded Trigon's mythology beyond a single recurring villain, giving Raven a family dynamic freighted with demonic inheritance that writers have returned to across multiple continuities. The concept proved durable enough that DC rebuilt it for the New 52 (replacing these three brothers with Belial, Ruskoff, and Suge) and adapted it in the DC Universe Online game's self-titled DLC, the Smallville Season 11 tie-in comic, and the animated Teen Titans Go! series. As the narrative engine of the 'Family Affair' arc, the issue also introduced the storytelling device of Trigon's influence manifesting through the sins themselves — each Titan subconsciously acting out a deadly sin before the brothers reveal themselves — a clever structural conceit that bridged superhero action with character-study.
In "Family Affair, Part 2: Sins of the Father," the Titans grapple with a personal crisis that echoes through their pasts, as Michael Siglain crafts a tense, character-driven story brought to life by Kelley Jones’s moody, expressive art and Michelle Madsen’s atmospheric coloring. The issue continues the emotional weight of the series’ early arc, with Joe Benitez and Victor Llamas delivering a striking cover that hints at the storm brewing within the team.
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The Titans vol. 2 series launched in June 2008, written by Judd Winick and intended to run alongside Teen Titans vol. 3, reuniting the classic New Teen Titans roster — Nightwing, Starfire, Donna Troy, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, Flash, and Red Arrow. Ian Churchill drew the first issue, but a shoulder injury requiring surgery forced him off the book; Joe Benitez and Victor Llamas stepped in as the art team for issues #2 through at least #4, meaning #3 is the first full-issue showcase for Benitez and Llamas on the title. The Sons of Trigon are formally credited as creations of Judd Winick and Joe Benitez, making this issue a co-creative milestone for Benitez, who was otherwise best known at the time for his work on DC's Supergirl.
Trivia · 9 facts
- First appearance of the Sons of Trigon (Jared/Wrath, Jesse/Envy, Jacob/Lust) — three of Raven's half-brothers, each channeling one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
- The Sons were created by writer Judd Winick and artist Joe Benitez, with Victor Llamas on inks.
- Cover date: August 2008; on-sale date: June 11, 2008 (per DC Database).
- Story title: 'Family Affair (Part II) – Sins of the Father'; second chapter of the opening arc of Titans vol. 2.
- Ian Churchill — the series' intended regular penciller — had already departed due to a shoulder injury requiring surgery, making Joe Benitez the de facto artist of record through the arc.
- The issue is the first to reveal that Cyborg has identified three women who may have borne children by Trigon, directly setting up the Sons' origin.
- The 'seven Titans acting out seven deadly sins' plot device is centered here: the team realizes their erratic behavior (random hook-ups, internal fighting, envy) maps directly onto Trigon's influence.
- The Sons of Trigon were later erased from continuity by Flashpoint; the New 52 replaced them with three different half-brothers (Belial, Ruskoff, Suge), underscoring how significant the original concept was considered.
- The opening story arc, including this issue, was collected in the hardcover/trade paperback Titans Vol. 1: Old Friends.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Titans: Old Friends #[nn] (2009), Titans #1 (2018)
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