Teen Titans: Raven by Garcia and Picolo (review and spoilers)

[kjn]

I had first intended to post this to the Raven appreciation thread, but there isn't any open right now. So here goes.

Teen Titans: Raven is the third installment in what used to be DC's Ink imprint. Despite the imprint disappearing, this fits very well creatively into the previous two stories about Mera and Catwoman. A focus on young adult female protagonists who have to deal with unfamiliar or dangerous situations and an art style heavy on inks and with a limited palette of colours, far from the current ultra-detailed and ultra-colourful style of superhero comics.

There are a lot of things to like in this story. It is clearly positioned as what I call a "fantasy of friendship" (see My Little Pony or lots of Mercedes Lackey stories) where a misunderstood lonely young protagonist finds new friends who appreciates her and helps her find her worth. However, it escapes more than a few of the more tired elements of that type of story, in that Raven is not afraid to ask for help from her new family, and the help she receives from them is both considerate of her and effective.

I'm not that familiar with New Orleans, but I were there a week a few years ago, and especially Picolo does a very good job of situating the story in the city. Main quibble was Tallulah Saint's House of Spirits, which was far too roomy compared to how I remember the similar shop in the French Quarter that we visited. It also does a good job of creating a diverse cast and showing a teen culture on its own merits, at least from my understanding.

Plot-wise, it gets the job done, but there are some unexplained coincidendes, primarily that Slade had apparently infiltrated his agent Tommy into the same high school that Raven ended up with, before Raven got there. And then he immediately had another plan B to snare Raven in. Compared to Under the Moon, it doesn't carry the same emotional punch or give the protagonist as much agency, but it's a great feelgood tale about finding friends.

Very much recommended for Raven fen or people who like teenage protagonists.

[king81992]

Its probably the best comic associated with the Titans franchise that we've had in a while. Raven's adopted sister was like a retooled version of Empress.

[Robanker]

I haven't had much time to read it yet, but I thumbed through it when I got home because I was curious at how the art would be and it's phenomenal. I'm glad to see Picolo can keep his art consistent and his storytelling looks solid.