Convergence: The New Teen Titans #1 “Opposing Truths”
Written by Marv Wolfman
Pencils by Nicola Scott
Inks by Marc Deering
Colors by Jeremy Cox
I was really eager to get my hands on this issue of Convergence. The biggest draw of the world hopping event is the return to early iterations of DC’s stable. This particular tie-in brought back a premier Titan squad and the man who penned their adventures–Marv Wolfman. Marv refers to the team as his babies so I knew he’d be excited and thrilled to deliver a decent outing for our young heroes. I was equally excited to view the pages of this issue.
With Wolfman at the helm, we dive into the story to see how things have been for the team while living under the dome. Donna Troy longs for her love, Terry. Dick and Koriand’r patrol the streets of Pre-Crisis Earth One Gotham City with their rocket-equipped jetpacks, while Garfield keeps an eye on his buddy Victor who’s health is deteriorating after living under the dome for a year. Another domed city, Central City, houses the other team opposite of the Titans, the Doom Patrol. This isn’t the same Doom Patrol that the team is familiar with, which is something Changeling (Beast Boy) comments on later. After the introductions to the players of this tale, the ominous speech is made and the domes drop. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
As the story unfolds, you’ll see there’s a few action scenes and enough teen drama to fulfill the cravings of any 90210 fan. Or Degrassi. The 90210 remake? I’m not too sure what the current teen drama is, but just know that the New Teen Titans packs enough material to start a new season of a show. Wolfman knows these characters. There’s always an overarching problem that the team faces, but within that is some sort of problem that each member is facing. Even though they’re heroes that put their lives on the line time after time, they still have these inner conflicts that many readers can relate or empathize with.
By now, I feel like we’re use to the Convergence formula, but I really enjoyed how this story flowed. As the dome is lifted the two teams are basically on a crash course towards one another if they want their world To survive. Seeing things from the Doom Patrol’s perspective offered great insight and an explanation as to why they’re driven to attack another city. They seem to have their own mission that is already placing them in a dire situation. Trying to figure out what exactly was going on felt organic as if I was discovering information right along with the two teams.
One thing that I’ve mentioned before with these group books such as the current Teen Titans or Justice League, is that it’s essential give personality to the group as a whole, but specifically to the members that form the team. The New Teen Titans has a great lineup that all feed off of each other in a fantastic way. From the comedic camaraderie of Changeling and Cyborg to the fiery passion of Nightwing and Starfire. Wonder Girl’s ability to empathize and offer advice to different members of the team, or the unrequited love that Kole feels for Mute Boy…er, excuse me, Jericho. The characters and their dilemmas move the story along while Convergence sort of happens in the background. The two teams eventually meet, but it’s more of a standoff than anything. The stakes are raised, however, with an injury to one of the Titans. More drama for our teenaged heroes and heroines. *cue dramatic music*
This is the part of the review where I heap large amounts of praise towards the art team. Since they returned to the Wolfman era of the Titans (fully equipped with Disco Dick), it made sense to give the issue a retro feel. Nicola Scott does this wonderfully in some very detailed panels. Scott who has previously worked on the Titans title was a terrific choice to bring this Convergence story to life. Even at times when the characters themselves aren’t as detailed as a previous panel, I found myself still admiring the background drops. This a credit not only to Nicola Scott, but to the inker and colorist Marc Deering and Jeremy Cox, respectively. Like I mentioned, in many of the panels, the detail is sharp. The colors really stand out, especially with the bright colors as seen on Gar and Koriand’r.
Recommended if:
- You love “Disco Dick” Nightwing
- You enjoy Wolfman’s work on anything Titan related
- You like the Convergence tie-ins
- You want to see some outstanding visuals
Overall:
I was pulled into the issue rather quickly as the story unfolded. I stated above that the Convergence aspect of the book seems to occur in the background as the Titans also deal with various conflicts that they’re facing. It worked in the books favor so that formula didn’t feel stale. This was only the beginning of the story so I’m interested to see how things develop from here. Off to a great start with the old…original, New Titans.
SCORE: 8/10
