We have a new creative team, a new direction, and a new number one. This issue was decent. My problem in reading this (and I blame myself mostly) was that I was taking everything too seriously. I was thinking too deeply, when really, I should have been soaking this in like a TV show. Just let them tell the story.
Pfeifer's writing is pretty decent. He brings up a villain that can be a continuing threat. He shows us the good teamwork that the crew has. And this can be read as a done in one issue, if you'd like.
Rocafort has been a polarizing artist for the last few years. Some loving what he does, while others hating it. I, however, definitely don't hate it, but I'm not sure if I'm in love with it. It's just ok, but I see where it could be great. His panel layouts are pretty unique. But if I could suggest something, it'd be to give his characters differing body types. Everyone looks like they are extremely skinny, even Superman looks skinny with this guy drawing him.
Spoilers ahead…
Our Titans are enjoying their time in New York under their personas, when a terrorist group hacks all electronics, threatening to drive a speeding school bus full of kids & bombs into STAR Labs. Cassie flies onto the roof of the bus, but Tim has her wait, so she doesn't cause harm to any of the kids. Tim sends Beast Boy to help Cassie, and Bunker to STAR Labs.
Cassie throws a man out just before he kills one of the girls, Tim catches another who was pushed out of the bus, and Beast Boy scares everyone by turning into a tiger. Where's Raven you ask, she's been hiding out on the bus, and sends several henchmen into the Nightmare Realm. The leader activates the bombs on the henchmen's chest. Beast Boy tries to get the bus under control, but something else is controlling it. Cassie gets the men out of the bus, where they explode, and die. Bunker stops the bus with his brick constructs.
Bunker then goes off on someone who is about to make a comment about his child being saved by a gay guy, and Beast Boy tells him to chill, because the world is watching. Hopefully they don't focus too much on Bunker being gay. It makes things weird when they draw too much attention to it. Play it like Batwoman.
Meanwhile, at STAR Labs, a guard is keeping watched when he is killed by our terrorist villain, as she says "It's not over… Not yet."
This issue was fun. Didn't take itself too seriously. But it didn't offer much either. Just average. Hopefully this will only get better.
Teen Titans #1:
Reviewed by Corbin Pool
