REVIEW: ‘Teen Titans Academy,’ Issue #2

Classes have only just begun, but not all is well at Teen Titans Academy. The mysterious Red X has appeared to cause havoc, and the new and old Titans must determine what Red X is planning and who among their new student body might have donned the mask. Teen Titans Academy #2 is written by Tim Sheridan, with pencils by Rafa Sandoval, colors Alejandro Sanchez, inks by Jordi Tarragona, and letters Rob Leigh.

The story is overall terrific. Having established a fantastic foundation in the first issue, Sheridan takes readers on a continuing journey through Teen Titans Academy through the lens of the new and older characters, and particularly through newcomer Alinta (AKA “Bolt”), who’s the heart of this issue. It’s so great to have a Black and disabled character who is also a Speedster become a key part of this series as she becomes embroiled in the mystery of the story. The results are very exciting to read.

Sheridan continues to do a great job at juggling so many characters at the academy while ensuring that everyone feels present and engaged in the narrative of this single issue. It’s no small feat, and he does it very well. There’s a particularly good balance of showing the older Titans, like Dick Grayson and Starfire, dealing with personal issues while trying to lead the academy, and the younger characters like Alinta, Matt, and other newer Teen Titans increasingly become part of the narrative. There’s an enthralling ending at the end of this issue that I won’t spoil here but leaves me very excited for where the story goes next.

The art by Sandoval is overall great. He does a good job at showcasing various scenes and environments, particularly showing different depths of these scenes. The best panels show students training or gathering together, and being able to see these wonderful new characters train to become superheroes is fantastic. Sandoval has also improved overall at portraying characters of color and their distinct facial features, especially when he does closeups of their faces.

He has also been doing better with hair textures. Alinta’s braids, for example, are more clearly defined than they were in the last issue. But he still has a way to go on this, as there are still a few panels where it looks as though her hair is just blended without any distinction, particularly when she’s shown at a distance. While I understand that it’s meant to be part of Sandoval’s impressionistic aspect of his art style, he must still improve on this.

The colors by Sanchez and the inks by Tarragona are overall fantastic, giving Sandoval’s art its trademark sheen. Virtually all the characters are lit well, and the colors and lighting accentuate the action scenes in some great ways. You’ll feel fully immersed while reading.

Leigh’s lettering remains superb. The text boxes never interfere with the action, and he does a great job at giving particular voices and sounds their own textures and volumes in writing. Again, it’ll have you feeling immersed in this excellent story.

Teen Titans Academy #2 is a great follow-up to the debut of this amazing series. Getting to see the older Titans mentor the new prospective Teen Titans remains as entertaining as ever, and seeing the mystery of Red X unfold makes for an exciting read. I’m glad to see this series continue to go strong and am excited for where it goes next.

Teen Titans Academy #2  is available now wherever comics are sold.