THIS WEEK: Reviews of Teen Titans #2, Legion #2, Doom Patrol #2, and Batman and Robin year one: Dynamic Duoes #3!
Note: the review below contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.
Teen Titans #2
Writer: Kyle Higgins
Artist: Daniele Di Nicuolo
Colorist: Marcelo Costa
Letterer:Becca Carey
I was curious to see how Teen Titans would hold up one month after its debut. Online discussions among the Teen Titans fan base had me wondering about the comic’s future and where the series would go next. After such a strong introduction, I wanted to see whether the creative team could maintain that momentum while giving readers a better sense of what this new team would look like in action.
I’m happy to say this issue continues the fun and character-driven storytelling that the series established in its first issue. This time, we follow the Titans on their first outing since forming the team, and kudos to Higgins for making it an absolute mess. It needed to be messy. Jason is out of his depth, at least when it comes to working with these kids. He says as much in the first issue, and now we see that setup pay off as the Titans come together. These are young heroes with different personalities, motivations and ways of handling danger, so expecting them to work together perfectly from the start would feel dishonest.
The story needs this conflict. It’s not just about giving readers a deus ex machina, although Jason coming in to save the day falls a bit flat. Readers already know things are rocky for this crew of misfits, and now someone has taken one of their own. That development gives the team a more immediate reason to come together, even if they are still figuring out what being a team actually means. The situation also highlights Jason’s complicated position as someone expected to guide these young heroes despite struggling to keep everything under control himself.
Once again, I feel the dialogue carries the story. Not much happens in this issue beyond building toward a larger part of the narrative, and readers looking for a major turning point might find the pacing a little slow. However, watching these kids bond and grow closer despite their different personalities is the real highlight. Their conversations give the characters room to stand out as individuals rather than simply functioning as a group of superheroes waiting for the next fight. That sense of personality is important for a series like this, especially when its appeal depends on readers wanting to spend time with these characters beyond their superhero identities.
More to that point, I like that Higgins isn’t making Nightwing or Mr. Terrific the “bad guys.” Although Terrific is scared, and rightfully so, Nightwing is giving Jason room to work with the kids. He’s keeping a watchful eye on them while understanding that these kids need to find their own way. I’d argue that same understanding extends to Jason. In that case, I’m glad Grayson isn’t characterized as an adult who forgot what it was like to be a teen, to be a Titan.
Higgins and Di Nicuolo invite readers into the Titans’ world, and I can’t help but feel they do a good job of appealing to younger readers while giving adults enough to keep them invested in the series. The humor and character interactions help make the team approachable, while the conflict gives the story enough weight to keep things from feeling too easy. There’s a natural awkwardness to watching these young heroes figure out how to work together, and that makes their developing relationships feel more meaningful. They aren’t instantly a perfect family, and the comic is better for it.
Ultimately, this issue reinforces what made the first installment promising: the characters and the relationships developing between them. While the story feels more like a stepping stone than a major turning point, the team’s growing bond gives readers a reason to stick around. There is still room for the series to improve, particularly when it comes to making its bigger story developments land with the same strength as its character moments. Still, Teen Titans understands that a team isn’t built in a single issue. It takes time, mistakes and a few disasters along the way. If Higgins and Di Nicuolo can maintain that balance of humor, character development and messy team dynamics, this series has the potential to deliver something worth following.
Verdict: Buy
Legion of Super-Heroes #2 delivers a jam-packed and visually stunning issue. Once again, we follow Tenzil Kem, Brainiac Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl through four very different storylines that gradually intertwine in a larger galactic sci-fi mystery. Writer Josh Williamson does a great job giving each character their own space to shine while keeping readers invested in the bigger picture, a bigger messed-up picture. You can’t help but feel the dark underlying tones of what shadows this galaxy has hidden away. Meanwhile, Hayden Sherman’s artwork brings the futuristic setting to life just as it did in the first issue, with striking visuals that capture the scale, energy and strangeness of this universe. There is plenty to take in, and the issue leaves readers with more questions than answers, making the wait to see where Williamson and Sherman take this story next all the more exciting. If the first issue laid the groundwork for this cosmic mystery, the second proves there is plenty of ambition behind it, and I can’t wait to see how these separate threads come together.
The Doom Patrol #2 takes the absurd and fantastic stories surrounding the Doom Patrol and lets Darcy Van Poelgeest and Nico Henrichon bring them to life in the best way possible. It’s fantastic to look at, but more importantly, it keeps you enthralled page after page. In this case, it leaves you wondering just what is going through the minds and memories of our peculiar heroes. It’s a good read that’s building toward something big, and with Poelgeest’s immersive writing and Henrichon’s explosive art, there’s so much to look forward to.
Batman and Robin Year One: Dynamic Duos #3: continues to take its time getting the story moving, but Mark Waid and Chris Samnee still bring plenty to the table. While the issue raises more questions than it answers, there’s something compelling about watching their work come together, even when the story feels like it’s treading water. The pacing makes it difficult to get a sense of where everything is heading, but Waid keeps things interesting enough to make you curious about what comes next. The issue may feel like filler at times, yet Samnee’s artwork makes every page worth examining. His expressive characters, dynamic paneling and attention to visual detail give the story a life of its own, making even the quieter moments worth sitting with. There’s so much happening in his art that one read hardly feels like enough to take it all in. While this chapter might not offer the biggest developments, it still shows how much a talented creative team can bring to a story, leaving plenty of room for the series to build toward something more!
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