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:
- Action Comics
- All-Star Western
- Animal Man
- Aquaman
- Batgirl
- Batman
- Batman and Robin
- Batman: The Dark Knight
- Batwing
- Batwoman
- Birds of Prey
- Blackhawks
- Blue Beetle
- Captain Atom
- Catwoman
- DC Universe Presents
- Deathstroke
- Demon Knights
- Detective Comics
- The Flash
- Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
- The Fury of Firestorm
- Green Arrow
- Green Lantern
- Green Lantern Corps
- Green Lantern: New Guardians
- Grifter
- Hawk and Dove
- I, Vampire
- Justice League
- Justice League Dark
- Justice League International
- Legion Lost
- Legion of Super-Heroes
- Men of War
- Mister Terrific
- Nightwing
- O.M.A.C.
- Red Hood and the Outlaws
- Red Lanterns
- Resurrection Man
- The Savage Hawkman
- Static Shock
- Stormwatch
- Suicide Squad
- Superboy
- Supergirl
- Superman
- Swamp Thing
- Teen Titans
- Voodoo
- Wonder Woman