Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I reading a comic book for kids?” If you have, then you clearly don’t love cartoons nor do you understand these things contain humor for everyone. I check out the latest from Teen Titans Go! to answer the question: is it good?
Teen Titans Go! #17 (DC Comics)
So what’s it about? This DC summary reads:
When Starfire comes down with a case of the dreaded Tamaranian flu, the Teen Titans go to another dimension to find the rare medicine she needs. But is the cure worse than the disease?
Why does this book matter?
This comic contains two stories with a cartoon vibe (hell, it has the Cartoon Network logo right on the cover) so you know it’s a good way to inject a little harmless humor into your day.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Ugh, potty humor.
And it’s actually pretty darn good too! While the first page offers up a fart joke, making me quite scared I was in for something too childish for my tastes, it turns out to be a sweet and goofy good time. The first story written by Ivan Cohen with art by Marcelo DiChiara has the team attempting to cure Starfire of a cold. Robin is way too over anxious to figure out how to cure her in dramatic ways which is good for quite a few laughs. The characters all have a little kid look and feel (though why Cyborg is with them when he’s so much older is beyond me) which is quite effective with the visual gags and comedic timing. There are plenty of fun cut aways (like the crayon drawing above) that effectively mix things up too.
The second story written and drawn by Derek Fridolfs is jam packed with plot which keeps the comedy coming even if some jokes don’t land. The characters are wooed into eating and drinking things that make them big and small which allows Fridolfs to use plenty of visual humor. His style, while simple, has a pop art vibe due to the cel shading and vivid colors by Jeremy Lawson. While the art may not be as detailed as the first story, it’s very effective at nailing the facial expressions to bring on the laughs.
It can’t be perfect can it?
I was a little surprised how dark the first story gets and if it wasn’t a cartoony book it’d be an incredibly disturbing ending. It’s played for laughs though so it’s pretty much a pass for all ages.
Generally both stories are goofy and just plain fun, but the second story was a little too much so and lacked the strong characters of the first story. When the characters use their powers they’re certainly defined as themselves, but their character outside of that isn’t used quite enough.
Now that’s cool!
Is It Good?
Try Teen Titans Go and you’ll be rewarded with plenty of laughs and a keen sense of fun.
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