Teen Titans #88 from new creative team JT Krul and Nicola Scott is a breath of fresh air. In a current landscape where team books at DC are less than stellar (Secret Six not withstanding), holding an issue like this one in my hands is like gold.
I’ve never been the biggest follower of the Teen Titans, but perhaps that speaks for this issue’s accessibility. No matter your level of familiarity with these characters, Krul makes them instantly likable and presents their drama, relationships, and powers without ever having to use exposition or other cheap methods of setup. More importantly, Krul shows why each member is important, giving them their own distinct roles on the team. Wonder Girl is the leader, Superboy is the power house, Ravager is the hardened badass, etc. Everyone has their place, and even in his first issue Krul is forging ground to explore how their roles within the team affect their relationships with one another. Teen Titans #88 is a perfect balancing act of character drama and superheroics.
The newest flavor that Krul brings to the table in Teen TItans #88 is the introduction of Damian to the Titans equation. There’s a great scene between Dick and Damian that is reminiscent of the early days of their relationship, in which Damian reminds Dick that he’s nothing like Bruce, to which Dick replies that he knows, and it’s because he had one thing Bruce didn’t have -- friends. Using that conversation as an instigation, Damian doesn’t wait long to show up at Titans Tower and deliver his unique brand of cockiness. Including Damian in Teen Titans will add a whole other side to the character that’s rapidly becoming one of the best in the DCU.
The artwork from Nicola Scott is enjoyable as expected. Her action is brutally severe, her attention to detail on her character work and backgrounds is phenomenal; look no further than the two page spread on pages 8 and 9 that showcase the aftermath of the opening battle and the streets of San Fransisco. Scott includes the wacky architecture of the city and presents a nice variety in terms of the cars on the street. It’s a small detail in the end, but adds to the depth of the enjoyment of her work. Scott also gets her characters to emote very well, helping to deliver on the emotional impact of certain scenes like the developing lovers drama between Wonder Girl and Superboy.
Teen Titans #88 is a solid start to an exciting new run from two talents that are still within the first ten years of their comics career. It’s rare that a team book can get me so amped up and drooling for the next issue, but Teen Titans #88 did it.
