Teen Titans Academy #1 Review

“We are here to save lives and to stand for something larger than ourselves. Something GOOD--in an agethat, for those who are different, can feel as if it is not very good at all.” Ms. Starfire

Tom Sheridan--Writer

Rafa Sandoval--Penciller

Jordi Tarragona--Inker

Alejandro Sanchez--Colorist

Rob Leigh--Letterer

Sandoval,Tarragona & Sanchez--Cover

Jamal Campbell--Variant Cover

Deigo Lopez--Associate Editor

Mike Cotton--Editor

Jamie S. Rich--Group Editor

DC Comics--Publisher

Since time immemorial, anything that is successful is immediately copied by another group hoping to cash in. Comics are no different. Even dating back to 1938 with Action Comics #1 with the dawn of Superman over at DC Comics, there was a mad dash trying to replicate that. Some were successful, like Batman and Captain America (at least for a while, when Cap was frozen in ice, then a comeback years later) and some were not as successful, like the Yank. 

That is certainly the case with Teen Titans Academy #1. Fresh off the heels of the immensely well-written, well-thought out, and beautifully illustrated Strange Academy over at Marvel, DC Comics felt they needed to cash in on that popularity. I feel like Teen Titans Academy is not going to be as successful. 

One reason that Strange Academy is successful, you do not have an overwhelming focus on the more notable characters, like Doctor Strange, Doctor Voodoo, and the rest of the famous staff. They are there in the background but the students at Strange Academy certainly rise to the forefront. Teen Titans Academy, on the other hand, feels like it is just another Titans story with the focus on Nightwing, Starfire, and the rest of the group, with a few additional characters added in for some flair. Even in this story, the dedication of the Roy Harper Titans Academy falls flat. 

Those that didn’t read Future State (which was hailed as a more one off story) in fact has some consequences here in this story with a certain costumed hero returning as the Red X, even though the academy is named after him. If you aren’t exactly up to speed with Future State, you aren’t going to have much to go off and you will have to go back and buy those books to catch up if you are interested. Another cash grab in other words. While there are a few decent, and well-timed quips in this book, such as a certain Easter egg to a famous author that is in the news for the wrong reasons, the story itself just isn’t well executed.

One good thing that I can say about this book is the art by Sandoval,Tarragona, and Sanchez. That artwork is beautifully executed. You can tell this team gets the characters and are enjoying putting this book together. I really hope to see this team on a better book going forward because I love looking at their art. 

Overall, unless you are just a hugely dedicated Teen Titans fan, I would pass on this and pick up Strange Academy instead.