Normal teen angst is nothing compared to what Raven has to go through! With co-creator Marv Wolfman taking the lead on the story, Raven #1 is bringing her back to her beginnings. ‘The White Carnival Part 1’ takes place in between Teen Titans #24 and Teen Titans: Rebirth #1. We get to see Raven reunite with some of her mother’s family as she tries to find her place away from the Titans. Raven is discovering more about herself and her place. If that isn’t enough, she also gets to learn about an even more challenging part of human life: high school. Is it good?
Raven #1 (DC Comics)
Taking a new look at the character herself, the story line is built off of Raven being a lone character. After a long run with the Teen Titans it’s very interesting to see her work on herself and manage things on her own. The contrast between her and her recently reunited family is portrayed amazingly well. They seem completely oblivious to the fact that she’s not fully human. You can tell that they notice a few odd characteristics but they’re sweet and welcoming. I really hope they turn out to be a big force of positivity for her. The story is basically the beginning of a “coming of age” or “finding out who you are” chapter in a teen’s life–plus the whole “being the devil’s daughter” thing. I love the idea of putting her in a normal high school setting. The inner monologue she has is delightfully dry and sarcastic–very well written.
The art by Alisson Borges and Blond overall is done really well. The dark and light variations from Raven’s mind to the real world are really direct. Their vision of “Hell”–I would guess that’s what it is anyway–is pretty bad ass and Raven herself is extremely good. They’ve almost given her some approachability but she’s still got the mysterious vibe happening.
There’s nothing really big jumping out as an issue with the story. There are a few times where it bounces around a bit, though. There are a lot of scene changes that can get a bit cluttered. I noticed a few thought panels (I guess that’s what I’ll call them) that seemed oddly out of place. They happen in mid conversation between Raven and another character. I’m assuming they’re meant to be what she’s thinking about at the time. It’s more so the shapes of the panels that seem off, little blobs of information.
Is It Good?
This is a great issue for teen readers to start. I think the ability to relate has been included really well and the supernatural side is always intriguing. It’s a great start to the series.
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