The Teen Titans first appeared in July of 1964 in The Brave and the Bold #64 with a roster of Robin (Dick Grayson), Kid Flash (Wally West), and Aqualad (Garth). Since then, there have been countless iterations of the Teen Titans, who later reformed as simply The Titans. However, their most popular roster was created by Marv Wolfram and George Perez in the iconic series The New Teen Titans: Robin (Dick Grayson), Kid Flash (Wally West), Wonder Girl (Donna Troy), Starfire (Koriand’r), Cyborg (Victor Stone), Raven (Rachel Roth), and Beast Boy (Garfield Logan). This iconic lineup, to my knowledge, has only been recreated one other time (with the addition of Roy Harper as Red Arrow), in 2008’s Titans by Judd Winnick, Ian Churchill, Joe Benitez, Julian Lopez, and Howard Porter.
Since then, we’ve seen countless other iterations of the team overcome huge obstacles. However, they’ve never had a line-wide event. There have been a handful of Titans stories such as JLA/Titans: The Technis Imperative, Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day, The Lazarus Contract, and even The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans (yep, you read that right), which have all had an impact on the greater DC Universe (or at least The Justice League, Young Justice, and the Teen Titans). However, this is the very first Titans Event to affect every corner of the DC Universe. So, what’s this event about? And, is it worth the read?
In the pages of Titans, the Church of Blood, now rebranded Brother Eternity, has once again attempted to gain global popularity. This time, they have the help of the former founding Titan: Tempest (Garth) to help persuade people to trust them. However, as we saw recently in Titans: #5, not all is as it seems. But in Titans: Beast World #1, we see Brother Eternity make his big move as some of his loyal followers go into the great beyond and explore the unexplored. Writer Tom Taylor has often referenced social issues that are ongoing in our modern society, and Brother Eternity is the epitome of the threats we face. He is a persuasive and charismatic leader who is no stranger to fear-mongering. Unfortunately, this makes for the perfect salvation for people to put their trust in. He may not be Lex Luthor, but he’s awfully good at gaining the trust of everyday citizens.
Through the first few pages of this issue, we see his grand schemes begin to unfold as he live-streams his mission statement to the world. Brother Eternity has a plan for his faithful followers, one of hope, inspiration, and triumph in the face of despair. Similar to the heroes of the DC Universe, all he wants is to save the world. So what gives? Well, things aren’t that simple. Typically villains who want to save the world have a more twisted version of salvation. As we learn exactly what Brother Eternity has planned, triumph begins to look a lot more like defeat. The chain of events that unfold throughout the issue is successfully weaved into a continuous story that has a strong sense of urgency to it. This not only creates an engaging issue, but it also ends on a great cliffhanger. Furthermore, the overall tone of the story is very captivating and makes for an enjoyable read.
Ivan Reis is no stranger to massive DC events, as he was one of the artistic giants involved in Infinite Crisis. However, Reis has also worked on a handful of issues for the Teen Titans/Titans, and last drew them in 2003 and 2004 for a handful of issues. Simply put, he is a masterclass artist who is well known for his skill, and this issue is a perfect example of why. Not only are the characters beautifully drawn, but frankly the entire issue is stellar. Backgrounds and foregrounds merge in a brilliant manner that makes the story feel like an animated movie.
However, this couldn’t be done without the help of Inker Danny Miki and colorist Brad Anderson. Together, Miki and Anderson fill the story with depth and color that help make it dazzling. A perfect example of this is when what could be considered the second act of the story picks up (I’d say there are about three acts to this issue), where everyone included is beautifully drawn and the intensity of the story picks up. The paneling works perfectly to help guide the reader through the story in a linear progression. Additionally, the coloring practically radiates off the page. Overall, the art in this issue perfectly encapsulates the severity of the story.
From start to finish, Titans: Beast World #1 feels like the start of an epic event. The buildup to this story in the mainline Titans issue, although not needed, certainly helps explain why this event is happening in the first place. However, this issue could be read on its own and be a very captivating story. For the Titans’ first event, the pressure placed on them is felt from the start. The Justice League isn’t going to save the day. With that, the story genuinely feels more interesting, as we’ve had a fair amount of Justice League events in the past few years, because of the added pressure. Furthermore, this is a great first issue for Titans: Beast World that ends on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger to set up the next issue.
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