I may be late to this party, but that doesn't mean I can't talk about this book!
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I the Shaman of Animation here once again. We're three days removed from Christmas and I feel a little bad. I actually had a review planned out that was going up on Christmas, but I never got around to doing it because I got distracted by one of my Christmas presents...
DAMN YOU KINGDOM HEARTS 2.5...which I'll probably play after this review goes up!!!!
Speaking of Christmas presents, I received a $50 gift card for Barnes and Noble, which allowed me to pick up some comics for reading. One of these, I'll be talking about today: Teen Titans Earth One: Volume One.
Now, when it comes to The Titans, my experience, like most people, comes mostly from the 2003 Animated Series. The only comics I actually read about them was the New 52 version written by Scott Lobdell...and the less I talk about that comic series, the better. But I heard a lot of good stuff about this book and I figured I'd give it a read; and after reading, I had to talk about it. I'll try my best not to spoil too much, because I feel like this is something that people need to read to really enjoy.
Teen Titans Earth One: Volume One is written by Jeff Lemire with art by Terry and Rachel Dodson, Brad Anderson, and Cam Smith. It is a modern take on the famed superhero team with a brand new origin of how they get together and how they get their powers. Teens Victor Stone, Garfield Logan, Tara Markov, and Joey Wilson were just ordinary kids until one day, things got very strange VERY quickly. Vic's skin started turning to metal, Tara could start earthquakes, Garfield could turn into animals, and Joey...well, we don't know what he does until the climax of the book (Unless you're a long time fan of the titans, then it's obvious what he does). The one thing that these kids all have in common are visions of a girl who throughout the book asks them for their help.
This is a hundred plus page Graphic Novel; something that writer Lemire takes full advantage of as he tells a great story with a beginning, middle, and end with room for more books. Something that I find great about it is that it really gives us an idea of who these kids are before they gain their powers. Believe it or not, writing teenagers is a bit of a difficult task in media. Every now and again, you'll get something genuinely good starring Teens, but the majority of the time, you'll get dumb sh*t like...
...Yeah. This is Teen Wolf for those blissfully unaware.
But the characters of TT Earth One feel like real genuine teenagers with situations that I'm sure any other teen could relate to. Victor's mom thinks he's wasting his potential in school and doesn't like the girl he's with, Tara's relationship with her mother is horrible, Garfield is a young boy moved ahead two grades, and Joey is a guy who doesn't like being around his peers and seems to be getting more distant from his father. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters before the plot really kicks in. Again, I really don't want to talk too much about the plot of this novel because the way the characters gain their powers and the story behind it all is one I feel people should read for themselves. Just know, there is a great twist to it.
Teen Titans Earth One is not just a recreation of the Titans, but it feels very much like a recreation of the DC Universe itself. Not only do we see a modern version of the characters I mentioned so far, but we also see a new take on some very familiar characters and staples of the DC Universe. As the cover of the book shows, we have a new take on Raven (Whose part in the book is rather small yet effective), Star Labs, and even the greatest assassin in DC Slade Wilson A.K.A Deathstroke along with more.
Another great trait this book has going for it is the fantastic art. It does a great job of modernizing the titans while making them feel familiar (Plus for me, the fact that Victor Stone has a Kid N Play High top fade is the greatest thing ever). In some sections of the book, I felt reminded of the art style of the legendary Bruce Timm (One of the men behind Batman The Animated Series, Superman The animated series, Justice League, and more). Plus the coloring of this book is great.
In case you couldn't figure out, Teen Titans Earth One: Volume One is a fantastic book. Jeff Lemire's re-imagining of these characters we know and love is one that I feel that any fan of the Teen Titans, whether you're a fan of the comics or the cartoon, should check out. Well written characters, great story and a beautiful art style; it's definitely a must read. The only negatives I could find with the book were that it had to end and I don't know when the next one will be. Everyone: Do yourselves a favor and pick this book up.
Till next time everyone, I'm the Shaman of Animation taking off to play some Kingdom Hearts 2.5 and read some Nightwing.
Take a Look at this cover. Dude looks Manly as F**K!!!
Take care...
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