Teen Titans: Earth One Vol. 1 (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
I Finally got around to reading this yesterday... it was a pretty decent alternate take on the Wolfman-Perez Titans (where they are actual teens), but it really wasn't enough story for a self-contained one shot GN that may or may not ever have a future volume.Also, I hated Raven as a Native American... I felt like they were trying to be 'realistic'.Other than that, though it was pretty decent... I really like Gar as a super smart kid, but still with the same personality, and the Doom Patrol tie ins were intriguing. If this was a regular series, I'd definitely be in for a while, anyway. Teen Titans is a comic book that most readers aren't likely familiar with. Many people around my age watched the show as kids and teenagers, but it was a cartoon aimed at kids, so much of the darker material was excised from source to adaptation. The Earth 1 books are marketed as DC graphic novels aimed at general audiences, and the target audience is likely only to be familiar with the cartoon. Though I read comic books, I never read the classic series, though I did read some of Geoff Johns early work with the team, which was enjoyable. I also know of the pre New 52 Starfire primarily through DC's cult series 52, and she was fun to read. I haven't read Lobdell's softcore porn version of Starfire, though everything I've heard about her isn't good. But none of that really matters, since this book is a new take on old characters, or a reboot. If you've ever read Ultimate Marvel, that's basically what goes on here. A good reboot does new things with old characters and concepts, while still holding onto that familiarity of its source materials. Needless to say, these people using the names of old favorites aren't the same characters, but they do resemble them in some ways. Beast Boy is now one of those kids that skips grades, but he's still the most relaxed of the group. Cyborg is very different than any incarnation I'm familiar with, and more of an organic metal guy than half man half machine guy. Terra is basically the same, except she doesn't go rogue. I'm not familiar with the white haired guy, so I can't say how new he is. All of these characters were written competently. The only one I'm iffy on is Raven. Not only does she barely do anything, but she's now the mystical Injun cliche, which feels like a half-assed attempt to add diversity to the group.Compared to other superhero work that Lemire has written, I felt more engaged with the Titans. However, while the book is over 100 pages long, I didn't feel like I got 100 pages worth of story. That's the problem with superhero origin stories that are also tied into a good guy vs bad guy plot. You gotta write two stories at once, but only one usually feels complete compared to the other, and that's usually the origin. Take the first Spider-Man movie, which was about Peter Parker becoming a superhero and learning an important lesson from his uncle. The Green Goblin only serves to interrupt these moments. It happened again in Iron Man. You got this hilarious douche who learns he needs to take responsibility for what he puts on the market, gets kidnapped, escapes with a super suit, then rebrands himself as a superhero. His fight with Jeff Bridges was unnecessary for the character arc, which is why the third act of the film is mostly forgettable save for a hilariously over the top line delivered by Bridge's character. Likewise with Teen Titans, we've got these teens who suddenly develop superpowers and the teen angst that follows, but it's intertwined with a government conspiracy involving an alien (who it is should be really obvious), and that part of the plot doesn't really resolve any of the mystery, an inevitable lead-in to sequel books. The artwork from Terry Dodson is the least defined of any book I've read of his. He's a fairly big regular in the industry, so it seems to me like he was too busy working on bigger titles to give as much effort into this side project. Still, he is talented, and you could do a lot worse than somewhat rushed Dodson.A decently written book, but not enough story. Considering how slow these Earth 1 books come out, it's going to be a while before we get any resolution.
What do You think about Teen Titans: Earth One Vol. 1 (2014)?
I am liking these Earth One stories, but not the length of time between publishing!
—peace
I like this new take on The Teen Titian's and I get to share it with my kids.
—thanhtikeag2011
A fresh take on the New Teen Titans that mostly works pretty well.
—junior
It was amazing but short, I cant wait to read the next one
—Morgan
