Of all the Batman-related titles the New 52 has to offer, I was most curious -- and worried -- about
TEEN TITANS. Tim Drake is one of my favorite characters in the entire DC Universe, and I’ve really enjoyed following his titles over the years, from
ROBIN to
RED ROBIN and everything in between. So, you can imagine my concerns upon hearing that the “Robins,” Drake in particular, were going to be altered a bit. According to DC, Robins are part of an “intensive internship process” which is supposed to explain how Batman could go through four sidekicks in five years.
In addition to the status quo adjustments, I had some reservations about what writer Scott Lobdell would bring to the table. He’s writing three titles for DC’s relaunch (including TT, which is the last to arrive). His SUPERBOY left a lot to be desired and RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS sparked some controversy that turned many readers off the title completely. Add in the fact that this is the only book in which Tim Drake is featured and you can see the potential train wreck in the making for fans of the character.
That was until I cracked open this issue and began reading. It’s fantastic.
The issue opens with a fun introduction to Kid Flash. Metahuman teenagers have been appearing all around the world -- and they’re not always helpful. Case in point -- Kid Flash races into a burning building to save anyone trapped inside -- but he rushes in too fast and causes a backdraft. Not exactly the most heroic thing, is it?
Tim Drake (aka Red Robin) is thinking exactly the same thing. He has to figure out a way to band together these emerging superheroes-in-the-making before they go down the wrong path. The only trouble is that the mysterious Project N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is thinking exactly the same thing. There’s a spectacular sequence in which Drake blows up his penthouse in order to escape some Nowhere agents.
The rest of the issue follows in a similar fashion to the JUSTICE LEAGUE relaunch. Tim tracks down Wonder Girl (whose new costume looks very Donny Troy-ish) before Nowhere agents are able to capture her. And finally, we get a glimpse at Nowhere’s biggest weapon: Superboy.
I’d imagine the rest of this introductory arc will involve Tim forming his team, one member at a time. In my opinion, this kind of pace works much better here than in JUSTICE LEAGUEbecause the members of the Teen Titans have been altered enough to warrant getting to know them all over again. And speaking of alterations, I still don’t like Tim’s new Red Robin suit. It’s just too “Hawkboy,” if you get my drift. Still, it looks much better on the page than I thought it would, thanks to Brett Booth’s clean and dynamic artwork.
So, this new TEEN TITANS really surprised me and it’s off to a great start. However, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it starts trailing off in a few months but I really hope that’s not the case. If you’ve been following the potential “controversies” some of the New 52 titles have been causing, you may have heard that one of the upcoming members of the Teen Titans is homosexual. My only comment about that is that whatever Scott Lobdell has in store for this title, it had better focus on a good story first and foremost. I don’t want any blatant controversial events going on that don’t have a purpose in the narrative (like Lobdell’s own RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS or Judd Winick’s CATWOMAN). To sum things up, the absolute best part about this first issue is that Tim Drake was the star of the show. All of the interior monologue was Tim’s, and it worked wonders. As long as Tim Drake continues to headline this series, I think it’ll be successful.
SYNOPSIS: Tim Drake, Batman's former sidekick, is back in action when an international organization seeks to capture, kill or co-opt super-powered teenagers. As Red Robin, he's going to have to team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl and the hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash to stand any chance at all against a living, breathing weapon with roots in another world!