REVIEW: ‘Teen Titans: Endless Winter Special,’ Issue #1

Teen Titans: Endless Winter Special #1 is a comic published by DC Comics. Written by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz. Pencils by Jesus Merino and inks by Cam Smith. Colors by HI-Fi with letters from Rob Leigh. For the flashback sequence, art is by Marco Santucci, colors by Arif Prianto, and letters by Troy Peteri. This is part 6 of Endless Winter.

The Frost King is free, released by Stagg Industries. Fueled by millennia of rage and boosted by Kryptonian crystals left behind by the Fortress of Solitude, the Frost King plunges the globe into a freezing blizzard. The Justice League and Earth’s heroes are stretched thin, trying to hold the forces of evil at bay.

Through flashback sequences, we have learned that the Frost King used to be human. In a Viking community, he learned he had cryokinetic abilities. Terrified of his power, his village burned his house down, his child dying in the aftermath.

The Viking Prince, Hippolyta, Swamp Thing, and Black Adam allied to stop him. The most unpredictable of the four, Black Adam placed the Frost King’s family in front of him to attempt to slow his rampage. Adam then attacked, sparking a huge fight, with the innocents still nearby. In this issue, we learn about their fate.

The main story starts in Titans Tower, opening with the younger members of the team. With the storm raging outside, the Tower has become a shelter for the community. Still being punished over incidents within the last Teen Titans series, the teenagers are on kitchen and babysitting duties. Donna Troy and Beast Boy return from outside, and the bored Titans take their frustrations out on them. But a call comes out regarding civilians trapped on Brooklyn Bridge, requiring the whole team. And Donna Troy’s ancestry connects her to The Frost King’s own past.

The plot has a lot of threads in it, with several subplots and storylines within. The issue is split into several parts, starting with the opening. This was interesting as it is an example of what other heroes are doing during the snowstorms, as well as how people are being taken care of. The links to the previous issues of Teen Titans are great at informing the reader of the mindset the younger generation of Titans are and why they are being forced into serving food and child-minding. However, it could be argued that there is slightly too much of it.

The battle itself is exhilarating and fun, with every one of the heroes getting a moment and being useful. Within the fight, a brand new character is introduced. This is fascinating as they could impact the rest of the event and potentially have a lingering presence in the future. This is the biggest surprise of the issue. The third part of the issue brings other Titans into the story, such as Wally West and Cyborg, as Lanning and Marz start to create cliffhangers for later issues. Overall, the plot is exciting and packed with content but slightly too exposition-heavy at points.

There are a lot of voices and characters involved in Teen Titans: Endless Winter Special #1. For most of the issue, the action centers around the younger team, plus Donna and Beast Boy. The writers make each voice sound distinct, the personalities and strength of each character coming through. Crush, though only sparingly, has some brilliant dialogue that matches her built-in rage. Out of all of them, Donna is probably the best written. She is a fantastic leader with strength and compassion that commands respect from those in her charge. Other notable mentions are Kid Flash and Roundhouse, both great voices in the room. 

The new character looks pivotal to what may come before the Titans and looks like they possess huge potential.

The art is clean and fantastic. Each figure has a different body shape, resulting in diversity in the panels. Even characters like Kid Flash and Beast Boy, two famously lean builds, are unique in how they look. Each Titan is in their costumes and looks great in them, the inks from Smith help fill in small details. Merino does an excellent job at showing that Beast Boy and Donna are than the teenagers. While it isn’t as much, it highlights how people change over a short period of time. 

Outside, the battle is simple to follow and epic. The powers each Titan exhibits are dynamic and brilliantly displayed. Beast Boy, a personal favorite, takes several animal forms that all look amazing. A subtle detail that perfectly fits the situation they are in is the lines that streak across the panels to insinuate the bitterly cold wind and rain. It reminds the reader of just what the heroes are stepping into every time they leave the building. 

The colors by Hi-Fi are vibrant and resemble classic Titans comics. The bright hue of the green on Beast Boy’s skin is an example of this, as is Kid Flash’s yellow and red outfit. The new hero has skin that changes color. When it does, Hi-Fi somehow manages to suggest a whole new texture, just from the alterations in the shade.

The art team in the flashback section are as fantastic as they were in the first issue. The blue that fills the panels, a consequence of the Frost King and the ice and the constant snow, is overpowering and uncomfortable, but that is intentional from Prianto. The cold that emanates from him is supposed to be intense and never-ending. 

Both letterers have different styles but are very good at making the word balloons easy and fun to read.

Teen Titans: Endless Winter Special #1 is another important comic in the crossover. Though there may be too much exposition at times, the book shines due to its fantastic characters. This new character that has been introduced hasn’t had a chance to show themselves off yet, but the first impressions are excellent. It was interesting to see how the Titans were involved in the event, and it will be interesting to see what impact they have on the crossover in future issues…

Teen Titans: Endless Winter Special #1 is available where comics are sold.