In the recent year or so, DC Comics has come out with a series of graphic novels revolving around a popular yet highly unappreciated set of characters, the Teen Titans. Particularly on 2 characters that don’t get quite the same hype as Robin and Starfire. If you watched the 2003-2006 “Teen Titans” animated series on Cartoon Network, you probably know the pair I’m referring to, Beast Boy and Raven.
The first book in the series focuses on Beast Boy’s own origin story, placing him in a modern teenage world at a high school. He of course still has his shape shifting powers, but these powers are unknown to him. In the beginning, he is portrayed as a regular kid, but he feels less than this.
Beast Boy, aka Gar Logan, feels insecure as he is the smallest kid in his graduating class, despite trying to gain athleticism. He is also the funny and silly one amongst his friends and fears “it’s all he’ll ever be known for.” Over the course of his story he tries everything to make himself “better” and “popular” from taking double dares to stopping his daily supplements. This causes him to get taller and stronger, but it also has a side effect.
He can shapeshift into different animals. It is a real inconvenience when you are constantly ripping out of your clothes to change into a bear. His close friends are the ones that accept him, not the popular kids. In the end, you can only impress so many people.
The second book in the series focuses on Raven, the daughter of the evil demon Trigon. Raven loses her memories of who she is in a car crash. Luckily, there are people to help her out, like her stepsister.
Together, they unveil the mystery of Raven’s past and why Raven is experiencing things like hearing others thoughts by accidentally reading their minds. After all, being an “empath” is one thing.
But imagine hearing everyone’s inside thoughts. It’s enough to make a teenage girl go nuts. Despite Raven being so puzzled on who she was before her memory got lost, the people around her make her believe she is still who she is.
Both these stories set up these two characters for meeting each other. After all, they both need to figure out what is happening with them and their newfound super powers. That’s where Slade Wilson comes in. He has been spying on them both.
After Beast Boy and Raven had tragic backstories of their own and reasons not to trust each other, they take the leap of faith. One can look at the past and see logical reasons to avoid others, but in the end, gut feeling can be more powerful than any super power or evil intent the world has to throw out.
This series of books is a great coming of age story for people who love the Teen Titans.