Okay. I know what you’re thinking. I was thinking it too.
A Titans synergy comic? Who the hell asked for this? That’d be like asking for a Superman comic written by the guy who wrote like, Holy Terror or something.
Me. I did. I’ve wanted to cover a Titans book for ages now. Regardless, you can relax. This issue is good. Like really good.
Titans Together Again
The lineup for this book is obviously going to be a draw for a lot of people, my self included, and they are fantastic here. Cavan Scott absolutely knocked it out of the part here. All the characters are written wonderfully, with defined characters that reminded me of why I love them. Every character is great, all of them made me laugh, and the dynamics within the team are damn near flawless. The dialogue is perfect. Here’s an example: Dick Grayson trying to keep a guy that’s randomly developed heat vision calm.
There’s just something so perfect about how much of a calming presence Dick tries to be while still very clearly internally panicking. He’s great, a soothing, level headed (or at least trying) leadership figure on the field. Compare and contrast that with Jason…
We’re in for a great book. I can tell.
Not only do the Titans sound and feel amazing, their looks are absolutely wonderful as well. The art for this series is simply fantastic. Jose Luis and Jonas Trindade make sure all the characters’ designs are on point, while Rex Lokus makes sure the colors leap off the page. And make no mistake, this is a book FULL of pretty colors.
There’s so many dynamic shots like this, and the book does a great job of making sure that the spotlight, both visually and narratively, doesn’t seem to linger too long on any individual Titan. Everyone gets some love, and that love is well-deserved. I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of Scott’s take on this group.
Titans’ Tough Luck
The characters aren’t the sole star of this show, however. The book also benefits from a fairly interesting mystery plot. It all kicks off when the Titans encounter a kid who randomly develops metahuman powers. Not just any powers, either. He gets all of theirs! No, seriously. This guy just spontaneously develops the powers of Superboy, Beast Boy, and Starfire, all at once! Absolutely terrifying. In fact, it seems a lot of people have been randomly getting powers, and it’s up to the Titans to find out what!
This issue takes most of its time for setup for this core premise, but boy does it make me excited for more. The plot hook is dangled just precisely enough that I legitimately can’t tell what’s going on yet. There’s a couple things I thought might have been happening, particularly in regards to Superboy’s adventures over in Suicide Squad, and that still might be a factor (see: the T-shirt look), but nothing is concrete enough for me to call it this early. I’m super pumped to read more, particularly in regards to Conner’s situation.
Recommended If…
- You love the Titans.
- You love Titans, the show. This is like that, but better.
- A fun, heartfelt team book is something you’ve been craving.
- Teen Titans Academy has been leaving a bad taste in your mouth (hi Corbin!).
Overall
It’s the first issue, and I don’t want to blindly jump to conclusions, but this series is shaping up to be great. I’m genuinely excited to be covering this.
Score: 9/10
Disclaimer: DC Comics provided Batman News with an advance copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
