[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artists: Scot Eaton, Wayne Faucher
Colors: Jim Charalampidis
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Summary
“The Fearsome Five” – Robin trains the Teen Titans as the Disruptor recruits new allies for his next attack!
Also included in this issue are reprints of Teen Titans Vol. 3 #2 – “Child’s Play”, Super Sons #2 – “When I Grow Up… Part 2: Lex and Friends”, and Sideways #2 – “Ouch”.
Positives
As someone who hasn’t read very many Teen Titans stories, these 100-page Giant-Sized issues are a great way to get into these characters that I was only really familiar with from the animated shows. This is a very different Teen Titans from what I’m used to, even though the line up is pretty much the same (just subbing in Tim Drake for Dick Grayson and leaving out Cyborg). They are older, more mature, and way more badass.
I loved the opening of this issue, seeing Tim and the gang competing in a War Room exercise. At first, I wasn’t sure what was happening, as it seemed like Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy were trying to take out Robin. But then finding out it was all a game was a nice touch and instantly put on display the camaraderie that exists between these characters.
We got to meet this series’ version of H.I.V.E., and also learned what H.I.V.E. stood for (Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination), something I was unaware of. There were actually a couple of members I knew from watching the cartoons, so that gave a sense of familiarity which helped stay invested in the story.
The story itself, along with the dialogue, was very well written, which is no surprise coming from a vet like Dan Jurgens. He’s a fantastic storyteller, and his tales are only made better with the aid of some fantastic artists like Scot Eaton (pencils), Wayne Faucher (inks), Jim Charalampidis (colors), and Tom Napolitano (letters). The art is absolutely gorgeous in this issue as Eaton and Faucher are a great team. and Charalampidis’ colors just pop off the page. It’s mesmerizing. And I can’t forget to mention Tom Napolitano, who is one of my favorite letterers in comics. Letterers tend to get over looked, but a great one, like Tom, can really bring an added level to the artwork. I love the way he gives Raven a different style of text bubble, and the thought boxes for Robin really stand out. It’s definitely an under appreciated artform.
Negatives
The only downside to these new stories are that they’re half the length of a normal issue. They end so suddenly that I feel it will be a hindrance to really great month-to-month storytelling.
Verdict
Overall, I really enjoyed this issue and am looking forward to the next chapter of this story. These 100-page Giant-Sized issues are a fantastic way to bring in new readers, not just to comics in general, but to specific characters as well.
