Teen Titans: Earth One Review

By Julian Hayden

I’m back after a hiatus and ready to review many more graphic novels. Allow me to get back into the swing of things with a review about a reimagining of everybody’s favorite teenage superheroes.

Teen Titans: Earth One was written by Jeff Lemire (Essex County Trilogy), penciled by Terry Dodson (Harley Quinn, Uncanny X-Men), inked by Rachel Dodson (Avenging Spider-Man) and Cam Smith (The Incredible Hulk), and colored by Brad Anderson (Supergirl, Action Comics). It is part of the Earth One line of DC Comics where classic DC Comics characters are given a contemporary reimagining. The story is about Victor Stone, Tara Markov, Gar Logan, and Joey Wilson, a group of high school students who when they get a telepathic distress call from an alien named Starfire who is being held captive and tested on by Star Labs, discover their parents aren’t who they say they are and discover their latent superpowers. After discovering their powers the group decides to go rescue Starfire, which is easier said than done. They have to master their budding superpowers as well as deal with Star Labs most dangerous operative, Joey’s father, Slade Wilson (ya know, Deathstroke). Eventually though through teamwork and determination, and some help from a Navajo girl named Raven, the group is able to overcome obstacles and save the day.

This is a very entertaining graphic novel. It manages to take a new spin on the Teen Titans, while staying true to the spirit of the characters and the original comic. There are some elements to the story that since they are used so frequently in other comics that they feel a little overused and a bit unoriginal. The story is entertaining enough though where you forget about discrepancies and just enjoy the ride. I loved the dynamic between the four main characters, especially when they are figuring out their powers. For those of you who don’t know who is who, Victor Stone is Cyborg, Tara Markov is Terra, Gar Logan is Beast Boy, and Joey Wilson is Jericho. Hopefully in a sequel they introduce other characters like Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash.

The artwork is very is a style that I can’t really put my finger on. There is a cartoon quality to it, which makes sense because Teen Titans wasn’t a very serious or dark comic book in the first place. What the style of art this is, I’m just going to label it for now as really god damn cool. 

In conclusion this comic is perfect for people who are looking for a new spin on classic characters, or who are just looking for a fun graphic novel to read while they’re baking a cake or something. I don’t know what you all like to do while reading graphic novel, and I’m not here to judge. Come to think of it, cake would go really well with Teen Titans: Earth One.

Rating: 7.9/10

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