The Good

It hasn't been that long since the previous volume ended. If you're not too sure how it ended or where things left off, you don't need to worry too much about it. We start out with the team ready for action. The Titans are in New York City and find themselves forced to jump into action when a threat arises and lives are at risk. Will Pfeifer sets the tone right away. These may be "teens," but they're not playing around when it comes to protecting the innocent.

The way the story plays out, we get a chance to see each team member in action. Part of this is due to Red Robin wanting to see what the bad guys are all about and what they're capable of. The other part is to let new readers know who these Titans are. It's not just a simple "stop the bad guys" story. There is an underlying subplot with a certain place/organization known in the DCU. If you've read future solicits, you probably have an idea what I'm talking about. How this will involve the Titans is something we'll be looking forward to.

Kenneth Rocafort makes the world a pretty place. Along with Dan Brown's colors, the art is very crisp and clean. The characters have an incredible amount of detail to them. It's great to see the detail and design in Red Robin's costume and expressions on faces.

The Bad

There might still be some longing for the Teen Titans from before the New 52. What we've seen so far and in the previous volume is the DCU can be a dangerous place for these young heroes. Because of that, the members have hardened a little. You can't blame them for that but as they're going about their mission of stopping the bad guys, it feels like they're very cold and taking everything in a matter-of-fact manner. This isn't saying they should be cracking jokes or talking about throwing a party. There was just a slight disconnect from the innocents they were trying to save. The villains shouldn't be shown a lot of mercy but it felt like there was no concern with their lives or actually bringing them to justice.

As much as I dig Rocafort's art, sometimes the backgrounds were too clean. The streets of New York City looked too new and empty. This isn't suggesting we should see cracks all over the streets or litter strewn about. There was just a little distraction at how pretty everything was.

The Verdict

The Teen Titans have returned after a brief break. Innocent lives are in danger and the team jumps into the action to put a stop to the bad guys. The team comes across as a little cold and calculated but we get to see each member in action in order to fully gauge what they're capable of. This first issue gives us a glimpse at a bigger story. Your curiosity will be aroused as you try to figure out how the pieces will fit together. Kenneth Rocafort does a great job pouring detain into the characters but the backgrounds feel a little sparse at times. It may not be the Teen Titans from before but you should have accepted that by now. This book shows the team is not playing around at being heroes and it should be interesting to see how they continue their fight against evil. The Teen Titans are back and ready to take on the world.

I didn't like Tim's view on bad guys dying, but other than that a fun issue.

This came out today?

I really hope that this book stays more on Earth than the last one. Love that cover though, Rocafort did an amazing job

@dagmar_merrill: Yes.

@mucklefluga: Yeah, it seems weird how cold they are. You can't blame them in some ways but still. We'll see.

Howd Beast Boy go from red to green? is this explained?

That was wierd but understandable after future trip and other very pleasent experience.
Green Beastboy on the other hand wasn't that understandable.

Glad to hear that this series starts off well, can't wait to pick it up

I'm curious to this myself, I dropped TT awhile ago, but the last I saw of BB was in Ravagers, which, I believe he was still red.

Anyway, I can't wait to read this, it can't possibly be worse that Lobdell's mess.

@g_man:

I have to be honest and say I don't really get why this is a problem considering he's been mentored by Batman (who is a realist and will have said at one point or another that they cant save everyone) and is from Gotham, where the henchman mortality rate is quite a lot higher than it is normally.

All that said, I thought it was a great issue, first TT regular issue I've enjoyed in years, as a matter of fact. The characters came across as real with distinct personalities and handled themselves competently, also things that were mostly absent in the previous run. The villain... hard to say anything, but at least there was a little humor to her, but I have to say Rocafort drew her so I couldn't tell it was a woman before other people say it is. Speaking of... I still don't get why people love Kenneth and his style so much, but I suppose it could be worse.

Bonus appearances: effing Manchester Black and Josiah Power.

Looks good, I will be picking it up. :)

Cool. Looks good.

I like the cold, calculating, ruthless approach to the team. But they could lighten up just a bit.

I will definitely be picking this up, I would like some explanation why beast boy is green though.

@g_man: So...is the team pretty much the same from the last volume?

I gotta say that I'm still not a fan of Tim and Cassie.

That art though. This is definitely the reason why Rocafort is my favorite comic artist.

This was fun but one it seems morality is kinda out the window and i seriously hate that and two that speech by bunker was so forced!! OMG please can someone explain to me why that was needed in the context we got it in.

This issue needed more jokes.The entire thing was basically just a massive bland waste of time with no personality. One star.

Might have to check this out. I need something to fill the hole left by Thor.

I was really really hoping for something great, I'm such a big Titans fan. This wasn't quite great, but it was fun, and I'm willing to follow it awhile and see where it goes. I haven't read Teen Titans since The Culling wrapped up, so I may have missed some character development, but I don't remember Bunker being so angry. That part with him at the end felt a little out of left field. I will also say, that although I was one of the people defending the cover to this issue back when that whole controversy started up, the interior page where Cassie is undressing into her uniform was a little on the sexist/jail-baity exploitation side.

Not sure if I missed something but, no Superboy?

Kon is "dead", and Jon Lane Kent is off doing Jon Lane Kent things.

Yeah, I thought that about Miguel too, but when you consider that was the first thing this a-hole had to say after they saved those kids and how Miguel's boyfriend was recently in the hospital, probably testing the limits of how nice he is. Frankly, I woulda done much worse.

I guess an annual issue is in order to explain Beast Boy's transformation.

@the_tree: thanks for the update, I lost complete interest on the Superboy title when Lobdell was writing it.

I agree. I didn't like the art either.

Very dissapointed.

I didn't mind the comic at all, I thought it was pretty good. Except for the part with bunker smashing that civilian against the wall, because the man was probably going to say something that would have offended bunker. Beast boy did a good job telling him to knock it off and let go of the man, because bunker was doing something heroes should normally not do. And that something was responding violently to a civilian making fun of him.

What Bunker did is really going to effect him in a lot of negative ways, he could've avoided that conflict by simply not even acknowledging what the man said and just focus on positives of saving someone's life, even if that someone isn't to grateful for it.

People have to understand that this is not a retcon. I Bealive the reason they are all so angry is beacause everything they when through with The Culling, Harvest and Forever Evil.

I thought it was pretty average, not bad but also not really good. I was expecting a bit more for the first issue. I would give it 2,5 stars or 3 but not 4.

Despite trying to be a fun issue I find it irritating that DC insists on coating their new 52 books with a dark and dreary tone. In this issue we have criminals terrorizing kids on a school bus, then Tim's out of character ambivalent response to the henchmen getting killed. Aside from that this new Titans book seems to be pointed in a better direction character wise (except Tim right now). And the art was pretty stunning.

I enjoyed the art work done for Beast Boy, but for the issue itself, it was okay. Nothing special but nothing too bad that I'm not going to keeping this book on the list.

@knightofsteel: wut shud the villains have done? robbed banks and fell over each other with bumbling antics? JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING ISN'T SUPERFRIENDS DOESN'T MAKE IT DARK!!!!

Jesus Christ, comic fans probably cry themselves to sleep if they see their own shadow...........

Could someone tell me the roster.

@kingares109: Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy, Raven, Bunker.

It was pretty good. Not great but good. The writer seems like he needs to just get a little more practice writing dialog for younger characters, so I hope by like issue 5 he's more in the swing of it.

Kon is part of Gen 13 now

Would anyone say this is a good starting point? I kind of want to get into TT, but I don't want to buy the vols of the cancelled series.

I'm on the fence with this. I did enjoy it but there were some forced parts that threw me out of the story a few times.

It's brand new so it deserves some leeway. Also, the cover seems somewhat fixed but seriously, the scene with Cassie undressing felt incredibly unnecessary.

Maybe nitpicking but one thing I did not like is that Raven had the same speech bubbles as everyone else as opposed to her trademark ones, but at least her costume is improving. Other than that I am looking forward to this new reduced-numbers dynamic.