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shaunaxx's review
adventurous
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
geekwayne's review
4.0
'Teen Titans, Volume 1: Damian Knows Best' by Benjamin Percy with art by Jonboy Meyers is the start of a new Teen Titans team led by a pretty unlikely Robin.
After losing the Robin known as Tim, the Titans are coping with it in their own way. Each one is captured and taken to a secret location. By Damian Wayne, who knows this team is in danger. The team feels a bit out of sorts with this little upstart, but it soon becomes apparent that Damian might be right. It also becomes apparent that he could probably use a few friends.
I like this Damian. He's got a messed up family tree, and he is a pretty dark character, but there is something I like there. Rounding out the team is Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire and Kid Flash. I hope Damian's awesome pet shows up every now and then. The art is great, and I really liked this story to kick off a new era.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
After losing the Robin known as Tim, the Titans are coping with it in their own way. Each one is captured and taken to a secret location. By Damian Wayne, who knows this team is in danger. The team feels a bit out of sorts with this little upstart, but it soon becomes apparent that Damian might be right. It also becomes apparent that he could probably use a few friends.
I like this Damian. He's got a messed up family tree, and he is a pretty dark character, but there is something I like there. Rounding out the team is Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire and Kid Flash. I hope Damian's awesome pet shows up every now and then. The art is great, and I really liked this story to kick off a new era.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
marvelmerlin's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
colindalaska's review
3.0
"If we put aside our differences we can achieve more as a team" is the mantra here, and in case you missed it, it's a message rammed home repeatedly.
It's not bad I just expected something more.
It's not bad I just expected something more.
chapterswithkyle's review
2.0
Found myself really bored while reading this. I was expecting so much because I absolutely love the Teen Titans tv show as a kid and adore some of the characters from other comic books, but this one fell flat. It seemed like Damien bitched a lot but didn't do much, and that the overall story seemed really weak. I don't know if I will continue with this series, but I hope something pops out to me that the sequel volume will be much better.
helpfulsnowman's review
2.0
I mean, damn, this one was okay, but I was already in Damian overload before this one. I don't know what it is with this character. He's in like half the Rebirth books! Okay, that's an exaggeration, but so far I've seen as much Damian as Batman and Superman combined. Damian is in the Superman book at one point!
The problem with Damian, as a character, is that he's completely Bat-capable and completely a Bat-jerk about it. It's not very engaging to watch a super capable character unless he's doing something really interesting or figuring a way to be out of his depth.
This book kinda plays the "Damian just wants friends card," which I totally don't buy. He's a jerk. He talks down to everyone. He spends a lot of time telling everyone how superior he is. And, well, he IS pretty advanced. He wrote his first letter to the editor when he was 2, and he was qualified for a degree in geology when he was 3. Not to mention being raised to be a deadly assassin from birth.
The thing that doesn't work for me is that I'm not entirely sure why Damian wants friends. For why? He seems wholly uninterested in hanging out with kids, and I can't say I blame him. He seems completely bored with almost every activity outside of Batman-ing, which also seems to mean he would be uninterested in chums.
I think there's a good story in it, this kid who didn't have a childhood trying to have one, going about it totally wrong, all that stuff. But I just don't feel sadness for Damian because I don't buy the sadness FROM him. The general idea of a kid wanting friends and trying to make them all wrong, that's sad. The idea of Damian trying to make friends and failing, that's a shrugger for me because I just don't think he actually would want friends his own age.
And the flipside, I don't buy the other Teen Titans' sort of, "Ain't he a stinker" response to being drugged and kidnapped and whatnot. They make fast friends, too-fast friends, and it makes the whole thing kinda flat.
There's a character who can make this story work, but I don't think it's Damian. And that might be my problem with most of the Damian-centric stories in DC Rebirth.
You can have a story about a kid who is in this bad situation and is now trying to be a kid. But you need that character to be sweeter. You need to feel bad for him when he fails at making friends because he did the only thing he can think of.
I think Damian is more interesting as this hyper-capable, very weird kid. I think the kid trying to fit in is something we've seen before, but the kid who has no interest in fitting in is a lot more interesting to me. I think other heroes being creeped out by him, both his demeanor and ability, is more fun than them making short jokes all the time. I think the idea that he's very trapped by the circumstances of his growing up, and that he'll have to manage until his appearance catches up with him, is more fertile ground.
The problem with Damian, as a character, is that he's completely Bat-capable and completely a Bat-jerk about it. It's not very engaging to watch a super capable character unless he's doing something really interesting or figuring a way to be out of his depth.
This book kinda plays the "Damian just wants friends card," which I totally don't buy. He's a jerk. He talks down to everyone. He spends a lot of time telling everyone how superior he is. And, well, he IS pretty advanced. He wrote his first letter to the editor when he was 2, and he was qualified for a degree in geology when he was 3. Not to mention being raised to be a deadly assassin from birth.
The thing that doesn't work for me is that I'm not entirely sure why Damian wants friends. For why? He seems wholly uninterested in hanging out with kids, and I can't say I blame him. He seems completely bored with almost every activity outside of Batman-ing, which also seems to mean he would be uninterested in chums.
I think there's a good story in it, this kid who didn't have a childhood trying to have one, going about it totally wrong, all that stuff. But I just don't feel sadness for Damian because I don't buy the sadness FROM him. The general idea of a kid wanting friends and trying to make them all wrong, that's sad. The idea of Damian trying to make friends and failing, that's a shrugger for me because I just don't think he actually would want friends his own age.
And the flipside, I don't buy the other Teen Titans' sort of, "Ain't he a stinker" response to being drugged and kidnapped and whatnot. They make fast friends, too-fast friends, and it makes the whole thing kinda flat.
There's a character who can make this story work, but I don't think it's Damian. And that might be my problem with most of the Damian-centric stories in DC Rebirth.
You can have a story about a kid who is in this bad situation and is now trying to be a kid. But you need that character to be sweeter. You need to feel bad for him when he fails at making friends because he did the only thing he can think of.
I think Damian is more interesting as this hyper-capable, very weird kid. I think the kid trying to fit in is something we've seen before, but the kid who has no interest in fitting in is a lot more interesting to me. I think other heroes being creeped out by him, both his demeanor and ability, is more fun than them making short jokes all the time. I think the idea that he's very trapped by the circumstances of his growing up, and that he'll have to manage until his appearance catches up with him, is more fertile ground.
kiralovesreading's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
shadowofadoubt89's review against another edition
4.0
A fun story that was a good way to get used to the characters I've only seen on TV before.
nolo42's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0