“Teen Titans” #20 is the start of a new era of the title. However, the new direction appears similar in tone. Damian Wayne even retains his position in the starring role. Will this installment be able to stand out from previous incarnations of the title? What do the New 52 “Suicide Squad” creator Adam Glass and “Batman Beyond” artist Bernard Change bring to the book? Hopefully, the brand new entry of the series will shed some light on the comic and return readers to the greatness of past incarnations of the Titans.
Written by Adam Glass
Illustrated by Bernard Chang
Colored by Marcelo Maiolo
Lettered by Rob LeighBatman has no idea what he’s doing. Superman? Not a clue. Wonder Woman? Whatever. Damian Wayne is Robin, and he’s done with the bleeding-heart approach favored by the heroes of the senior circuit. New plan of action: recruit a new Teen Titans. Kid Flash, Red Arrow and newbies Roundhouse, D’jinn and…wait, Lobo has a daughter? That’ll end well. And then build something in secret deep beneath the new Teen Titans HQ. Secret from his teammates, secret from even Batman. It’s a secret that will change the way you look at Robin forever!
Sometimes the invisible hand of comics is too visible. When the big status quo shifts don’t seem to change much, reading Big Two comics can feel formulaic and clinical. “Teen Titans” #20 continues exploring the same core concept the series has been mining since the debut. Damian Wayne is still leading the team. Wayne imbues the issue with a tone pushing the envelope of the “Teen Titans” just about as far as it can go. Wayne has a string of violence and a bad attitude giving the tale a sinister attitude. The finale to the issue really cements the more serious direction new writer Adam Glass is going for.
Bernard Chang delivers solid artwork to the issue. At times, his art really shines through with interesting page layouts and panel construction. Chang is exceptional at conveying movement. One scene where the antagonist catches an arrow feels exceptionally fluid. The issue features really strong expressions from each cast member as well. The flashbacks with white backgrounds can break up the pacing of the title too much, making the page feel fragmented. Chang is a great artist even if the interiors for the issue don’t match up to his full potential as a creator.
The script starts to take a formulaic nose-dive halfway through. Each member of the team gets their individual moment in the sun. Several pages focus on a different hero extending the dull fight sequence longer than it should have gone. The structure is cheesy as well. With a much lighter plot and darker tone coming from Damian’s leadership, the comic does not have a pleasant demeanor. The issue tries to have a personality but integrates youth culture in a way that feels exploitative. There is an awkward YouTube reference and a selfie here. The title features everything you would expect from a creator searching for obvious, Millennial-based humor. Unfortunately, the issue only examines these concepts on a surface-level capturing the action itself. There’s no truth or underlying concept behind the inclusion of these elements.
There is also a large trend in comics right now featuring younger teen superheroes causing the issue to feel more generic than ever. Both sides of the Big Two have a large roster of similar titles, cementing the idea this direction is not going to stand out from the pack. Adding insult to injury, Glass only gives a cursory characterization to Brother Blood, the major villain in this issue. Having a pushover villain for a debut chapter is another well-worn comic book cliche this script dives into headfirst.
Damian’s vendetta and agenda towards crime offer a few interesting moments, but moments we have already seen before with the last creative team. The new additions to the roster including Roundhouse, Djinn, Crush and Red Arrow do not provide enough depth. Most of the backstory behind the team members joining the roster carries a grim call-to-action that blends each scene together in a disappointingly bland fashion.
“Teen Titans” #20 fails to bring a unique reason for the team to come together. The new title also falls too closely into the tone of the last series. The property could definitely benefit from fresh ideas. Without a strong vision or direction for the team, it is pretty hard to recommend “Teen Titans” #20 to anyone. Worse still, the issue is almost a cynical parody of youth culture that doesn’t have anything to say. The dour final moments with Damian Wayne gives the issue an oddly negative connotation not lining up with why people like this property in the first place. If you are going to take a darker edge with younger heroes, the reasoning and execution should be worth the risk.
Final Verdict: 2.9 – “Teen Titans” #20 is a troubled, generic and cynical start to a new era of the title.
