Teen Titans #1 Review – A Familiar Yet Fresh Reinvention
I’ll admit, I’m not typically a Titans fan, Teen or otherwise. A large part of that is the standard Titans characters, who feel largely stuck in a DCU that’s moved on from them, and the fact that Beast Boy is simply the worst. I think this is why this specific era of Titans comics, starting with Tate Bromdal’s New Titans relaunch and continuing here with Kyle Higgins and Daniele Di Nicuolo’s Teen Titans has worked for me, they don’t feel like desperate attempts to capture existing Titans fans, be that the older fans from New Teen Titans or the slightly less old, but still too old to be talking about a cartoon this much, fans of the Teen Titans show. These books feel like actual new directions for the group, especially Teen Titans.
While Titans writers have tried reinventions before, it always holds on to an anchor, like a legacy character (typically a Robin), and while this book does have a few familiar faces, they’re still characters with very little history. Cheshire Cat and Fairplay may both have ties to existing characters, but they’re still recent enough characters, at least in reinvention if not creation, to feel new and unburdened from years of continuity while still providing a draw for existing readers. The other members are a pair of new characters created for the book, and while it’s too soon to properly judge them they’ve certainly made fun first impressions, especially with their powersets. Wildcard basically has the powers of Scarlet Witch before she became an all-powerful magic lady, which is actually quite fun to see that powerset return since genuine chaos as a power has a lot of potential, especially in a teen. Proxy is a low-level telekinetic whose powers depend on people being near him. Overall, it’s a refreshingly low-power team, something we rarely see in comics these days with increasing universe-wide powercreep. There’s a lot of potential in these kids, and Teen Titans #1 sets them up in an interesting direction.
Speaking of power creep, the antagonists of this book aren’t an unfamiliar type of threat but are one that fits this specific group of teens, and their generation in general, really well. With a mysterious group called Ascendnon the rise, whose mission seems to involve moving past the need for superpowered people and being able to protect themselves. Of course, they’re also tied to some missing kids. It’s a good initial struggle for the team to go up against, with their origin being tied to a larger group of kids, powered and not, who have joined this Teen Titans server, a fitting mix of nostalgia and kids wanting to make a difference fighting low-level crime. The Discord server itself is something that could come across as very “fellow kids” if not done correctly, but it’s integrated pretty well, it’s not given too much focus and just treated as a realistic way that modern teens could meet.
Then of course, there is Red Hood, a character whose inclusion in this book has left most people confused. With the team including Mister Terrific’s son, obviously they get an invitation to the Titans themselves as soon as the team is formed. Fitting for a group their age, they’re quick to turn down working alongside the structure and mentoring that they’re offered, instead wanting to go on their own way and turning to the mysterious badass that’s crossed their paths: already on the path to saving their friends before they realised they were in danger. This proactive push fits this team, and sets them up as something more unique. It also makes it make a lot more sense that Red Hood would mentor them, with it being something he doesn’t really get a choice in and instead be more of a means to an end he will inevitably see as something more. Also, it’s fun that he largely agrees to do it to annoy his brother. This isn’t going to be the book that wins over Red Hood haters but as someone who likes him a little more antiheroic, I enjoyed it a lot.
The real reason this book works as well as it does is Daniele Di Nicuolo, whose art is absolutely perfect for the vibe of the book. Like the team itself, it feels new and fresh and modern, with Di Nicuolo’s anime influences really shining through, especially in the character designs. The team has a fun streetwear aesthetic that hits that same feel and separates them from other Titan relaunches really well. He does some fantastic fight scenes too, there’s a particular vertical scene going up a fire-escape and series of rooftops that really sells the dynamism of the art and is a great showcase for this new team’s power-sets too. Marcelo Costa’s colours fit perfectly too with their vibrant and fun feel.
Overall Teen Titans #1 feels like the start of a fun and fresh relaunch of the team for a whole new generation. It’s exactly what a book that’s been held back by its past for so long needs and there’s a lot of potential in this new dynamic. Di Nicuolo’s art is the real star of the book and I can’t wait to see his talent develop even further alongside this team of new heroes entering the DCU for the first time.
View on Kindle Store
Buy from Third Eye
This post contains affiliate links. We receive a small commission if you buy through this link.
One Comment