“Teen Titans Volume 1: It’s Our Right to Fight” Graphic Novel Review

DC Comics knows how to pull in readers of all fans of their different super heroes to other books. They have the recipe down by now. You spread stories out over different titles and put characters relating to them in new books to attract them. “Teen Titans Volume 1: It’s Our Right to Fight” is the perfect example of one of those strategies.

The team is made up of Red Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl. Those ingredients practically guarantee that any reader loyal to Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman is at some point is going to pick the series up. In order to keep them coming back, you have to provide an engaging storyline. Teen Titans is doing just that and more.

Tim Drake spent years at Batman’s side as Robin, the Teen Wonder. When an evil international organization named N.O.W.H.E.R.E begins capturing and killing super-powered teens, Drake takes on the costumed identity of Red Robin to battle them. He soon realizes it’s going to take a team of super heroes to battle this deadly and gigantic threat. Red Robin is joined by Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and a few other meta-human youth to do battle with N.O.W.H.E.R.E.’s ultimate weapon: Superboy.

Each of the characters in the book is given a chance to shine. Red Robin, Superboy, and Kid Flash get more face time, but the other characters are given enough to do to make them interesting as well. One of the big things that garnered attention from many press outlets when Teen Titans was relaunched for the New 52 was the announcement that there would be a gay character. Strangely, the super hero named Bunker professes this in two panels of a 160-page graphic novel. It kind of makes you wonder what the point of the big announcement was.

Writer Scott Lobdell takes these different characters from their different walks of life and pits them against enemies that force them to pool their unique talents together to fight for the greater good. That’s one of the points made in the book. Different people from all walks of life must ban together to battle a common foe or problem. It’s a nice thought even if it is naïve. That’s what comic books are for. They’re to give us an escape from a world where things don’t work the way they should and do on the illustrated page.

Artist Brett Booth takes great care in drawing every hero and villain in the book as intricately as he can. This gives the characters a fleshed out and realistic look. Booth’s work is at the same time detailed and sparing. His full page panels are dramatic pieces of art that would look at home on the wall of any modern gallery.

The graphic novel collection features seven pages of bonus material. They include promotional images, character designs, cover sketches, and page layouts. It’s interesting to see the process of creating a comic book. I think it gives readers a sense of respect for artists and writers.

“Teen Titans Volume 1: It’s Our Right to Fight” is an entertaining read. It gives fans of the extended Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash families another outlet to enjoy every month. Writer Scott Lobdell and artist Brett Booth do a great job complementing each other’s work on the book.

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