Beware The Power Of Green — Reviewing ‘Titans: Beast World’ #1

Hope can be one of the greatest helpers but also the greatest of deceivers, especially in the hands of villains. The Earth faces numerous crises, some of humanity’s own doing, and the world’s premiere hero team could be the planet’s saviors or its destruction.

At last, the found family team of former sidekicks turned biggest hero team has their own massive story event. Titans: Beast World #1 kicks off one of the biggest modern Titans stories from Tom Taylor, Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Brad Anderson, and Wes Abbott.

Big is certainly a word that can describe much of this event.

When some people think of superhero stories, there is a certain kind of look they might envision. What Reis, Miki, and Anderson create together epitomizes that look.

Don’t worry, this is not a bad thing at all. What Reis does on the page is very slick, smooth, detailed, and energetic. There is an epic sense of scale to many of the aspects, which is perfect for a story where Beast Boy becomes a giant Starro clone. There are some very emotional moments to be found, especially near the end of this debut issue, and Reis nails those emotions so well. Always being paired with inker Miki means that the work comes with weight and that sense of depth really hits hard.

Matching the levels of the artwork are colors that are just as bold, big, and bright. Many of the colors of the setting are semi-toned down, providing a grounding aspect. Doing so allows the more vibrant bits room to breathe and stand out. Beast Boy is one of the stars of this event of course and his being a striking shade of green is important. That’s just one of many colors in this palette that pop and take control in whatever space they appear.

There are plenty of characters and elements to play with in such a way. All have presence and purpose. Even if that purpose is to be part of a massive super gathering, it reminds us how much life this universe truly has.

Titans: Beast World is a superhero event. It has all the beats and scope that most modern-day events have. There is a threat, a gathering of heroes, plans formed, revelations made, and a moment that kicks whatever the actual event focus will be into gear. Formulas are not a bad thing; they exist for a reason in many cases. Taylor does a solid job of following those beats and giving us a bit to chew on.

Most of my judgment will be reserved for where things go after this. I don’t tend to let even a formulaic story, whether I enjoy it or not, decide how I’ll feel about an entire story arc. Especially as a massive Titans fan. While I had my issues, and my likes, with the main Titans series that led into this event I’m still on board. I’ve been waiting for the day when the Titans became premiere heroes of the DC Universe, and it’s time to ride that wave as far as possible.

Gotta say, there was one thing that made me sigh quite a bit. Comic books are full of characters who are a big mystery, their identity strung along as something that will be revealed at some unknown (to us) future point. Often those moments comes with them revealing themselves (off panel) to a protagonist character, who recognizes them, teasing us even more. While I love comic books, I do not like this trope one bit.

It’s not about whether the reveal pays off or is actually shocking. My issue is just that I’m sort of tired of seeing it. Quite a number of big events at DC and Marvel have featured a character like this new Doctor Hate over the years. Some reveals happen quickly, and some are dragged out for so long that the actual reveal will always be a bit of a letdown. We’ll see where this one ends up.

Nailing voices, rife with emotion and personality, is something Abbott just does so well. People often speak about how well certain writers and artists work when paired together. The same can be said of a writer and a letterer, as Abbott does such a solid job of turning what Taylor writes into its fullest form. Alongside nailing the tone, volume, and impact of a moment, there are plenty of fun aspects in play. Colorful bubbles or fonts, shifts to boxes or other aspects.

These elements all work to present things in the best format, allowing the words to flow through the panels and framing the action in a way that helps guide the eye on the right path.

Titans: Beast World #1 is now available from DC Comics.