New 52 Review – “Teen Titans #1”

This is it: the 52nd review of the New 52 #1 issues. To follow: a summary article compiling my final thoughts, grouping and categorizing the titles. After that, there will be a guide to finding the hooded woman in each issue (assuming I can find her when I go back to find her in the first two weeks, before I knew to look.)

General Information

Title: Teen Titans #1

Author: Scott Lobdell

Illustrator(s): Brett Booth (pencils), Norm Rapmund (inks) and Andrew Dalhouse (colours)

Cover Date: November 2011

Cover Price: $2.99

Buy the digital edition.

Premise

N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is out in the world, rounding up superpowered teenagers, and Tim Drake spots the trend. He decides to take actions needed to protect his kin.

High Point

Backdraft.

Low Point

The scheduling. I think this would have packed more punch had we read this first and Superboy second instead of the other way around.

The Scores

This is an original reason to form a team. Nobody seems to want to be on a team as much as they need to be on a team. I give it 5 out of 6.

The artwork is the best part of the issue. Clear, emotive characters, dynamic viewpoints, and the right mix of panel sizes and placements. Brett Booth did a great job. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story starts out with a great introduction to Kid Flash, and then to Tim Drake and Cassie Sandsmark. By the time we get the Superboy reveal, it’s tapered off a lot, particularly since it ends with the same “shocking” ending we saw two weeks ago. What I really don’t get is the sequential set of actions by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. If you’ve got the resources to find Tim Drake, you’ve got the resources to move on multiple targets at once, or at least to leave people outside the damn building in case the target tries to escape! I give it 3 out of 6.

The characterization of Tim, Cassie and Kid Flash are all clear and concise. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response was undermined by the recycled material in a pretty big way. I give it 4 out of 6.

The flow was smooth enough. The story does move from scene to scene, interrupted only by a jarring “why did that escape work?” moment that drove me out of the story. I give it 4 out of 6.

Overall, it’s not too bad, but there are much better titles in the line. I give it 4 out of 6.

The New 52

Here are handy links for the reviews of all 52 new #1 issues:

  1. Action Comics
  2. All-Star Western
  3. Animal Man
  4. Aquaman
  5. Batgirl
  6. Batman
  7. Batman and Robin
  8. Batman: The Dark Knight
  9. Batwing
  10. Batwoman
  11. Birds of Prey
  12. Blackhawks
  13. Blue Beetle
  14. Captain Atom
  15. Catwoman
  16. DC Universe Presents
  17. Deathstroke
  18. Demon Knights
  19. Detective Comics
  20. The Flash
  21. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
  22. The Fury of Firestorm
  23. Green Arrow
  24. Green Lantern
  25. Green Lantern Corps
  26. Green Lantern: New Guardians
  27. Grifter
  28. Hawk and Dove
  29. I, Vampire
  30. Justice League
  31. Justice League Dark
  32. Justice League International
  33. Legion Lost
  34. Legion of Super-Heroes
  35. Men of War
  36. Mister Terrific
  37. Nightwing
  38. O.M.A.C.
  39. Red Hood and the Outlaws
  40. Red Lanterns
  41. Resurrection Man
  42. The Savage Hawkman
  43. Static Shock
  44. Stormwatch
  45. Suicide Squad
  46. Superboy
  47. Supergirl
  48. Superman
  49. Swamp Thing
  50. Teen Titans
  51. Voodoo
  52. Wonder Woman