Teen Titans Go! #1 is a new go-around of putting the longest-running DC animated series into comic book form. Sholly Fisch returns as the writer, having written another Teen Titans Go! series a decade ago. He doesn’t skip a beat, capturing the show’s overall vibe to a tee. Each character speaks exactly how you’d expect them to from the show, from Starfire’s avoidance of using contractions to Beast Boy’s use of slang. Dario Brizuela pairs up well as the artist, capturing the look of the show one-to-one. He also gets a lot of room to play here, as the plot of the comic takes the art style to different places, tributing iconic artists in comic history from George Perez to Dave Gibbons.
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The story starts at the DC offices, with the team being told that their comic book is cancelled. This feels like a playful jab at not only Teen Titans Go! but also the team as a whole, being underrepresented after a big push during the Dark Crisis event. The team gets kicked out back to Titans Tower, where they’re dejected that the public (comic book readers) doesn’t want them. Robin then gets the idea to keep reinventing themselves until they become relevant to the public’s desires.
This is where the fun begins. The comic changes to look like how George Perez first drew the Titans back in the ’60s, complete with dialogue that reflects that era, with fun alliterations and inner monologues. Afterward, it shifts into Robert Kirkman-esque black and white visuals. There are other winks and nods that I recommend you check out by yourself if you’re into this sort of comedy.
To be honest, I’m a sucker for all things meta. Fourth wall breaks and self-aware comics give way to some of the smartest and funniest moments of the medium. And this first issue of Teen Titans Go! is no exception. This comic becomes a creative outlet for these DC characters to critique the habits of their home company, all delivered through quick-witted jokes, like commenting on the overabundance of Batman-related media. There are other heroes included as well, with Wonder Woman, in particular, having surprisingly on-point characterization.
This could be a fresh series for all ages, full of humor and wit, but we’ll have to see whether or not they can keep the quality consistent.
Teen Titans Go! #1 feels right at home as one of the better episodes of the animated series. If you like the show, then this is for you. If you’ve never watched it, this is a great barometer to find out if you should. But if you don’t like the show, this probably won’t win you over.
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