REVIEW: ‘Titans,’ Issue #1

Titans #1 has arrived. After prepping the team in Nightwing, DC‘s newest global protectors head into their latest series. Tom Taylor is the series writer, with magnificent art by Nicola Scott, glorious colors by Annette Kwok, and elegant lettering by Wes Abbott. You know the story. After choosing to disband at the end of Dark Crisis, the Justice League is no more. In its place, however, will be the Titans, once the cute kids, the rebellious teens who started a movement. Now, they’re the world’s heroes, and that comes with its own perks and new threats.

But first off, the story opens with tragedy for the Flash, which did two things for me. One, it pulled me in. Second, I felt like Wally has been going through this sort of thing lately since Rebirth. He’s here. Wally’s gone. He’s in; he’s out. Not bad, and it did make the beginning riveting, but much like I groaned when hell always struck Nightwing, right behind him is Wally West. But we have a mystery from the jump. Great opening.

On another positive, the new Titans Tower in Bludhaven, Nightwing’s stomping grounds, is a tree-hugging, solarpunk wonder. That’s the first nugget of goodness in this issue. After that, Taylor lays down some individual pieces for certain Titans members. I never thought I would care for Beast Boy or Raven. They were never characters I enjoyed. A single scene with them showcased their growth, their love, and I was sold. We are given smatterings of character for Cyborg, Donna Troy, Starfire, and the public opening of the Tower to the public. Then, things get destructive.

Taylor paced the issue well and gave it his all. Suspense. Characterization. An epic action sequence. Tension. A good deal of setups for later. And a touch of humor. Right off the bat, he showed this is a family and not a team. The Titans are closer than blood; they can read each other and have open empathy. The difference in feels from any other team book is apparent. Nightwing possesses a natural, easy-going leadership quality, and the strengths of each hero are well represented.

Scott’s artwork is phenomenal. From hairstyles to poses to the all-around perfect method of using the exact amount of lines in any figure, nothing is out of whack. She excels in facial profiles, and with Kwok’s brilliance in coloring, this is an upbeat looking comic. Good grief, just check out Starfire’s glow, face, and hair for but one example. Abbott gets to pull out all the balloons and lettering FX this issue. Considering what gets set up by the end of the issue, the whole thing felt buoyant and effervescent. Definitely not the Justice League, and all the better for it. Because this isn’t them, this is a group who learned to master their mentors’ strengths while overcoming their flaws. Titans #1 is aces.

Titans #1 is a cool read with heroes you can relate to, who look out for each other 24/7, not just during the next weekly meeting. This feels like character growth, not to mention growth for the DCU all around. Our original teen heroes get the promotion we’ve waited decades for, and it’s making all the right moves under a brilliant team. I really hope you’ll get this. If you’ve been loving Nightwing, then this should be a no-brainer. If you love team comics, you’ll find this a bit familial, but it contains the usual stuff a fan of such books craves: big action, team dynamics, and revelations of threats to come.

So good.

Titans #1 is available wherever comic books are sold.