I long for the days of ‘Teen Titans’ being the number 1 book, not just at DC Comics, but in all of comic book-dom. Will this new Teen Titans bring the team of super-teens back to the glory days of yore?
In the world of the New 52 superheroes are still relatively new, so the birth of the super-teen is just terrifying to most folks. In the first couple of pages writer Scott Lobdell manages to do a good job of showing just how destructive these heroes are.
The first Teen Titan we meet in this issue is Kid Flash, and wow is he a D-bag! He starts with an Opie & Anthony style “Assault on the Media” by taking over poor Kim Wilks live report. When the firefighters tell him to move along, Kid Flash then worries about his online reputation. He then proceeds to rush in without thinking, turning a controlled fire into a wild blaze. For his troubles he winds up unconscious in a field.
I have to say the re-introduction of Tim Drake in the New 52 Teen Titans was pretty cool. Yes, he was Robin. Now he is Red Robin, and you can rest easy, the wings you see on the cover are actually a function of his cape, so he’s not walking around like that all the time. He is a super genius for sure and is monitoring all of the teen age heroes via the web and news feeds. He also seems to feel responsible for this outbreak of teen crime fighters.
N.O.W.H.E.R.E. makes another appearance in the New 52, you may remember them from Superboy #1, they are a mysterious organization that is rounding up super-teens. The question is why? I like setting up a villain before the Titans are formed, it will make the impact of the team that much more.
Artist Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund and Andrew Dalhouse do a pretty great job at redesigning these characters. Kid Flash’s homemade costume at the beginning was what you would expect from a kid with super speed looking up to the Flash. Red Robin’s look and costume are much better in action; it’s very slick and professional, the mark of a hero who has been at this for a while. The other big introduction, Cassie Sandsmark, and while Donna Troy may or may not exist in this new DC Universe, they certainly do a great job with Wonder Girl’s costume and paying homage to the first Wonder Girl.
Will this new Teen Titans book rocket to the top of the sales charts? Probably not, but it is good to see DC rebuilding this group from the ground up. I’m coming away from this first issue of Teen Titans excited, while this book is not perfect it warrants further exploration into who and what this team will become. Plus you don’t want to miss next month and the addition of… Superboy!
Teen Titans #1
Written by: Scott Lobdell
Penciles by: Brett Booth
Inks by: Norm Rapmund
Colors by: Andrew Dalhouse
Cover by: Booth, Rapmund and Dalhouse