Scan barcode
A review by captwinghead
Teen Titans, Volume 1: Damian Knows Best by Benjamin Percy
4.0
3.5 stars but I'm rounding up because I quite liked this.
So, this novel is kind of like a sequel to Robin: Son of Batman. He's up front and center on the cover, the plot is driven by Damian and this is by and large his story. The team targeting the Titans have history with Damian and this ties into Son of Batman quite nicely. So, if that's not what you picked up this book for, you probably didn't enjoy it.
I know very little about the Teen Titans. I watched a few episodes of the old show and stayed clear of the Teen Titans Go! show. That being said, there were aspects of this book that seemed straight out of the Teen Titans v. Justice League movie where Damian meets the Titans. Everything from Starfire being the older sister type of character trying to keep the peace with Damian to Damian being a little shit and learning what it means to be on a team. Oddly enough, he's learning this lesson concurrently with Super Sons where he's learning it again... strange. However, I love my son and I'm not complaining.
This opens on Damian's thirteenth birthday. He's alone except for Alfred and that broke my heart. This series and Super Sons are painting Bruce as a rather absent and kind of neglectful father. I just feel so sorry for Damian. I mean jeez, not even Dick showed up? Alfred mentions that Dick had the Teen Titans and Robin gets an idea in his head. So... he kidnaps the Titans and tells them they're all in danger. Perhaps I missed something but I'm not sure how Damian knew the League of Training Assassins singled out the Titans or why he waited so long to meet up with the team if he knew. Anyway, he tries to force them into being a team with him and then the League of Training Assassins shows up.
There's a match for everyone:
Blank: a shapeshifter that matches up with Beast Boy
Stone: a superstrong "earth-mover" who matches up with Starfire
Nightstorm: basically Storm who matches up with Kid Flash
Plague: who spreads diseases with her touch and matches up with Raven
Mara: Damian's cousin who has the same skills as Damian
They're after the Teen Titans as part of a quest to be accepted into the League of Shadows or for fun? I'm not entirely sure. Mara has a vendetta against Damian because, in his early years, he was an asshole towards her and he was the one meant to inherit leadership of the League of Shadows. Honestly, if she wasn't trying to kill my son, I would sympathize with her because Damian left and she's still being treated like shit.
Anyway, Damian's an ass to his team until there's a Degrassi moment where Damian admits that he's still learning to be good and he doesn't know how to ask for help. Everyone talks about their less than stellar relatives, Kid Flash's father was Reverse Flash (which was news to me), Starfire's sister imprisoned her, Raven's father is a demon and Beast Boy talks about his bad past. Damian has a come to Jesus moment and
There are my usual pet peeves in this series:
- calling team members friends when you've known them for a matter of hours and by connection: slightly unbelievable development of relationships between characters for the sake of the plot
I kind of see past them because I enjoyed reading this book. I wish more was done with the other team members because I feel like Starfire's the only one I really got to know anything about. I like that her story is about agency though and that came across in her six panels.
The art was fine. I'm not sure why everyone has super thick outlines but it didn't bother me. There was one unfortunate panel where Starfire was angled in such a way that I felt like I was staring into her vagina. That wasn't pleasant but there wasn't a lot of T & A shots in this book so kudos for that. Overall, I haven't hated anything Benjamin Percy has written. I might even call myself a fan at this point.
So, if you like Damian Wayne, this is a recommend.
"Damian, Listen... Dick talks about you all the time. And you know what he says? That you are impossibly arrogant. But that it is almost excusable... because someone who is destined for great things deserves to believe in himself."
So, this novel is kind of like a sequel to Robin: Son of Batman. He's up front and center on the cover, the plot is driven by Damian and this is by and large his story. The team targeting the Titans have history with Damian and this ties into Son of Batman quite nicely. So, if that's not what you picked up this book for, you probably didn't enjoy it.
I know very little about the Teen Titans. I watched a few episodes of the old show and stayed clear of the Teen Titans Go! show. That being said, there were aspects of this book that seemed straight out of the Teen Titans v. Justice League movie where Damian meets the Titans. Everything from Starfire being the older sister type of character trying to keep the peace with Damian to Damian being a little shit and learning what it means to be on a team. Oddly enough, he's learning this lesson concurrently with Super Sons where he's learning it again... strange. However, I love my son and I'm not complaining.
This opens on Damian's thirteenth birthday. He's alone except for Alfred and that broke my heart. This series and Super Sons are painting Bruce as a rather absent and kind of neglectful father. I just feel so sorry for Damian. I mean jeez, not even Dick showed up? Alfred mentions that Dick had the Teen Titans and Robin gets an idea in his head. So... he kidnaps the Titans and tells them they're all in danger. Perhaps I missed something but I'm not sure how Damian knew the League of Training Assassins singled out the Titans or why he waited so long to meet up with the team if he knew. Anyway, he tries to force them into being a team with him and then the League of Training Assassins shows up.
There's a match for everyone:
Blank: a shapeshifter that matches up with Beast Boy
Stone: a superstrong "earth-mover" who matches up with Starfire
Nightstorm: basically Storm who matches up with Kid Flash
Plague: who spreads diseases with her touch and matches up with Raven
Mara: Damian's cousin who has the same skills as Damian
They're after the Teen Titans as part of a quest to be accepted into the League of Shadows or for fun? I'm not entirely sure. Mara has a vendetta against Damian because, in his early years, he was an asshole towards her and he was the one meant to inherit leadership of the League of Shadows. Honestly, if she wasn't trying to kill my son, I would sympathize with her because Damian left and she's still being treated like shit.
Anyway, Damian's an ass to his team until there's a Degrassi moment where Damian admits that he's still learning to be good and he doesn't know how to ask for help. Everyone talks about their less than stellar relatives, Kid Flash's father was Reverse Flash (which was news to me), Starfire's sister imprisoned her, Raven's father is a demon and Beast Boy talks about his bad past. Damian has a come to Jesus moment and
Spoiler
decides to sacrifice himself. The team runs off to stop him and we have a final battle where everyone takes on R'as al Ghul for their lives and freedom.There are my usual pet peeves in this series:
- calling team members friends when you've known them for a matter of hours and by connection: slightly unbelievable development of relationships between characters for the sake of the plot
I kind of see past them because I enjoyed reading this book. I wish more was done with the other team members because I feel like Starfire's the only one I really got to know anything about. I like that her story is about agency though and that came across in her six panels.
The art was fine. I'm not sure why everyone has super thick outlines but it didn't bother me. There was one unfortunate panel where Starfire was angled in such a way that I felt like I was staring into her vagina. That wasn't pleasant but there wasn't a lot of T & A shots in this book so kudos for that. Overall, I haven't hated anything Benjamin Percy has written. I might even call myself a fan at this point.
So, if you like Damian Wayne, this is a recommend.
Beast Boy: So Damian, do you prefer the title of "Fearless Leader" or "Ruthless Overlord"?
Damian: How about "Work-In-Progress"? That goes for us all. I don't know what the future holds, but one thing's for certain... we're in this together."