Ahhh, prom. It’s been… quite some time since I went to prom, but what I mostly remember about it was that it cost a lot of money and I unfortunately dressed in a vest that matched the catering staff. That was hilarious.
Prom itself is seen as a necessary event in any teenager’s life, though, and there is no shortage of mass media to detail the experience. Now, Teen Titans Go! tries its hand at one of the most needlessly stressful nights of someone’s senior year of high school. And like most proms, it’s something I’m sure most of us are going to forget pretty quickly.
Usually, Sholly Fisch can be depended on to deliver some solid laughs, but they are few and far between here. The problem, I think, is that he just doesn’t go far enough with the concept of “superhero prom,” and pretty much every joke is a retread of a tired cliche. Starfire even gets the idea by watching a bunch of teenage coming-of-age movies which aren’t often wellsprings of creativity.
Seeing Robin rehearse his moves is pretty great, though.
He is summarily, accidentally shot down. It’s pretty funny. His bolo tie, on the other hand…
Jeremy Lawson’s style doesn’t do much for me here either. He’s always had a bit more broad, sketchier look that can work, but not here. He’s not allowed to do anything visually interesting, save for a funny little “dance” scene, so like the writing his visuals are just kind of there.
There’s nothing visually arresting, there aren’t any lines that stick out as quotable or particularly memorable, and it’s over before it even begins. I understand these digital issues are short, so a multi-act story isn’t practical or even necessary, but there’s lots of build-up to the prom and then the issue just ends. If you absolutely hate Speedy and want to see him get whacked over the head with a staff then this is for you. It’s a niche audience, but at least there’s a comic for them. For everyone else, this is an easy pass.
Recommended if:
- You absolutely hate Speedy and want to see him get whacked over the head with a staff.
- You like seeing Robin get shot down too, I guess.
- You’re a completist.
Overall: Forgettable in the extreme. It isn’t bad, it certainly isn’t good, it just… is. That’s it. I laughed maybe once, and while I can usually say this is at least a good read for kids, I don’t think there’s much here for them either. Nothing about this story is offensive, I just think kids would be bored too. “Boring” is bad enough for most properties, but for something as hyper-kinetic and crazy as Teen Titans Go! that’s on another level of inexcusable. Maybe Punk Rocket will bring some sweet riffs next month. Here’s hoping.
SCORE: 3.5/10
