Written by Eric Tremblay
Teen Titans Rebirth #1 has finally put this iconic team back into the right direction. DCs New 52 decided to change-up the dynamic of the Titans, which ended up as a whole pile of wasted potential. The creative team of Percy and Meyers bring back many of the core members including Beast Boy, Starfire, Raven, along with Kid Flash. Each characters gets their own moment to shine but mostly through their own internal struggle, and have yet to be assembled by their new mysterious leader.
This may be a strong start for the Titans, however the book gradually loses interest in its own characters as they are all dealing with (Spoilers!!) Tim Drake’s apparent death. Beast Boy is by far the most compelling of the bunch as he really finds himself in a dark place with his denial of Tim’s death. Starfire seems to still be Starfire, as she is trying to stop human trafficking and find her place in this alien world. The new Kid Flash is trying to discover who he really is, as he tries to do the right thing, but also thinks that running can solve his mistakes…as that has always worked in every speedsters past. Raven does not show much change from her original backstory, as she loves being alone with her thoughts and afraid of her future as Trigon’s successor, however compared to New 52, it is a welcome return to form for her.
With every incarnation of Titans there must always be a Robin, considered to some as the backbone of the team. This time around, the prodigal son of the Bat, Damian Wayne takes up the mantle as he covertly kidnaps everyone through the story. It seems that he is looking for their help, most likely to deal with his grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul, but I can already guess that holding people against their will is never a good way to start a friendship.
Meyers really encompasses what a Teen Titans comic should look like, with his more cartoonish style, but yet has immense attention to detail of facial expressions, as well as body language.
Overall, I am excited to see the future dynamic of the Titans as all team members will have to overcome their own grief, faults, and also learn to live with their new intense leader. While not everything is refreshing, it is nice to see many of the characters return to their origins, with a nice twist.
