Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Review | Tagged: aqualad, Beast Boy, Benjamin Percy, damian wayne, dc comics, jim charalampidis, Kid Flash, raven, robin, Scot Eaton, starfire, superheroees, teen titans, wally west, Wayne Faucher

Teen Titans #19 Review: Why Do the Teen Titans Stay Together?

Joran has taken over Beast Boy and is flying off with Gar in a giant bat-like form. Robin soon pursues with the help of Goliath. Meanwhile, Kid Flash, Raven, Aqualad, and Starfire try to control the crowd driven mad by Joran's NeVRland technology.

This is my first excursion with the Teen Titans, unless you count Dan Abnett's Titans, since the Lazarus Contract story.

I was pleasantly surprised by how complex the themes of this installment were, even if it's debatable whether it resolves some of the interpersonal issues to which it draws attention.

The crux of the story relates to Beast Boy feeling abused by Damian. That's an interesting place to start from, as Damian's behavior often borders on outright abuse. The reason Gar rejects Joran is a need to face reality as well as his love for the Teen Titans.

Where this gets a little squirrely, at least for me, is that Beast Boy concludes that he should just deal with it as opposed to Robin doing anything to change his treatment of the team. Damian can be an outright bastard most of the time, so it's a little troubling that the comic implies that the abused should just get over it as opposed to the abuser needing to change his behavior.

This conclusion feels a little thin too, as things seem to speed to a conclusion from page one. Not a whole lot seems to happen, even if the bit that is here does go to some interesting places.

Scot Eaton's artwork is quite good. The detailing is excellent, and it's done with as little linework as necessary. Each character is given unique features, and the motion is well-displayed. Wayne Faucher's inking is rock solid. Jim Charalampidis' color art is contrasting, well-balanced, and looks quite good itself.

Teen Titans #19 is an enjoyable and emotionally reflective book which looks at what holds the Titans together as a group. While the resolution could have used more self-observation on the part of Robin, I quite enjoy it when a team book becomes introspective about its members, and I don't think it's resolution is outright harmful. Plus, the art is very good. As such, this one earns a recommendation. Check it out.

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