REVIEW: ‘Teen Titans Academy,’ Issue #4

A mystery is afoot! The Bat Pack is on the case to determine the identity of the mysterious “Red X” who has infiltrated Teen Titans Academy! But will the trio of Bratgirl, Chupacabra, and Megabat discover the identity of the mysterious figure, or just manage to tick off their classmates? Teen Titans Academy #4 is written by Tim Sheridan, with art by Steve Lieber, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Rob Leigh, and cover by Rafa Sandoval and Alejandro Sanchez.

This issue is a hilarious romp. It’s a break from the seriousness of the previous issue, which introduced more mysteries for the academy, but the story Sheridan writes here is delightful. He has a keen emphasis on expanding the personalities of every member of Teen Titans Academy that he can. While I did find myself missing characters like Alinta (AKA Bolt) and Summer Zahid and hope we’ll have more time with them soon, I very much enjoyed getting to know these new characters, particularly Chupacabra, who seeks to be as great a detective as Batman. Through developing these characters, Sheridan does some great worldbuilding by showing the impact that the icons of the DC Universe have on burgeoning heroes.

While this is a mostly humorous issue of three inexperienced teens trying to figure out a mystery that even the older Titans can’t solve, it’s also a sweet one as we learn more about this trio of friends who look up to the older heroes. We can easily see ourselves in these prospective Teen Titans who are fans of Batman, Nightwing, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy, and the other heroes. They’re trying to prove themselves as best they can and have their own insecurities while doing so. Additionally, while some readers might initially find the issue to be a distracting side story, there are some intriguing developments that will lead to the next issue. It’s overall a fun and engaging read, and Sheridan knows how to keep readers roped in.

Lieber’s art is bright and engaging, as this more fun and the less serious issue would demand. He particularly does a great job distinguishing characters of color from one another and drawing their features correctly. The colors by Stewart compliment his art tremendously as he incorporates as much color as he can throughout the pages. In many ways, this issue feels like one of the more comedic episodes of the Teen Titans series, where brighter animation and color styling were typically used. It’s great to have that vibe in a comic issue.

Leigh’s lettering is fantastic. Through the use of notebook-style word boxes, he shows the reader what the Batpack is scribbling down and pondering as they try to figure out Red X’s identity. It’s a great style that engages the reader even more with this trio. 

Teen Titans Academy #4 is a great and fun story that introduces readers to new members of Teen Titans Academy who try to figure out a mystery that even the older Titans can’t solve. There’s so much humor and heart that it will have you feeling as though you’re watching an episode of the Teen Titans animated series. Sheridan continues to build a masterful story with this issue, and I’m even more excited for where it goes. 

Teen Titans Academy #4  is available now wherever comics are sold.