Review: TEEN TITANS #5

TEEN TITANS #5
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Khoi Pham, Wade von Grawbadger, and Jim Charalampidis
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: February 22, 2017

I don’t know what the future holds, but one thing’s for certain…we’re in this together.

The Teen Titans have come to save they’re leader, Damian, from the terrible clutches of Ra’s Al Ghul, but will they make it out of the Black Citadel alive? Find out in this exciting issue of Teen Titans Rebirth!

Percy makes me fall in love again with the Teen Titans with every new issue. He’s chosen a perfect arc to bring the Titans back together. The Teen Titans are always at their best when converging to aid a member in danger or to go against a foe with familial ties, and this arc combined the two.

The dialogue is wonderful and offers some great wit to a pretty dire situation, creating a lighter mood than one would expect while in the belly of the beast. While I love most of the dialogue, it sometimes feels like an instant funny aneurysm moment, which can be a bit of a double-edged sword. How well rounded each character felt after only five issues speaks volumes to Percy’s ability as a writer and I look forward to reading the next arc.

Pham and von Grawbadger’s art is captivating. They bring movement to action scenes, create panels where a 300-esque group of scrappy kids must battle an army of ninjas that feels otherworldly. My favorite panels, though, are the more somber, darker ones. The ones where it’s evident that Damian is much smaller than everyone around him, where you can see it in his eyes where he doubts himself, that he feels smaller than those around him, trying to control his destiny as if a person could control a comet barreling through space with a destination unknown.

Those moments where he stares up to the almost monstrously tall Batman who seems so godly compared to him, this small, ever-shrinking human. I’m engrossed in how they portray Damian.

Charalampidis’ coloring makes every scene even better. Each Titan has its own color palette that makes them instantly stand out, especially in the dark and bleak tones and shades in the Black Citadel. I appreciate the attention to detail Charalampidis puts into his work.

I love a good Teen Titans story. Some of my favorite comic arcs are from the 80s version of the New Teen Titans. This harkens back to what I love about the Titans while injecting freshness into the concept. I can’t wait for the next issue!

The Verdict: 10/10

 

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