suspiciouspinecone's review against another edition
1.0
A lot of this is going to be incoherent rambling about why I hated this, but to preface: I was here for a superhero comic, and this wasn't that. That's my main issue. If you just want to read about some dude with body image issues, you'll probably like this. Anyway, back to the rant. >>>>>>
The dialogue felt weird and forced, like an exposition dump that didn't really have anything to say. The plot felt...meandering? Like this is meant to be read as the first issue of series, and not a whole book in its own right. I didn't really like the characterisation, particularly of the girls.
Stella is apparently still going through her 'not like other girls' phase, and is majoring in bashing girls with traditionally feminine interests. She mocks one of the 'cool girls,' Destiny, behind her back, when Stella has to read Pride and Prejudice (a fantastic book, fyi) for a class project and Destiny gets to read War of the Worlds. "I bet she can't even spell science fiction." And I bet that you're an insecure jerk who's incapable of recognising other people's interests as valuable as your own.
Alana, the girl Gar has a crush on, is treated as a bad person by the narrative. Not by Gar, and not by most of the characters (except Stella), but the narrative acts like she's a bad person. Why? Well, she likes physically attractive guys and watches silly reality shows. Oh no. What a monster. How dare she. Of course Stella looks down at her the entire book, because, say it with me, Stella isn't like 'other girls.'
Gar bored me. He's usually one of my favourite characters, but something about this guy felt annoying. He had a decent internal narration, but not one that made him likeable. It was just kind of pathetic.
Plus, P.E.T.A. I know it was only one panel. I know it was barely relevant. But that organisation is sketchy as anything, and it's kind of suss that in a book which only really has political awareness going for it, they would promote something like that.
CW: body image issue, animal testing, mild swearing, underage drinking
The dialogue felt weird and forced, like an exposition dump that didn't really have anything to say. The plot felt...meandering? Like this is meant to be read as the first issue of series, and not a whole book in its own right. I didn't really like the characterisation, particularly of the girls.
Stella is apparently still going through her 'not like other girls' phase, and is majoring in bashing girls with traditionally feminine interests. She mocks one of the 'cool girls,' Destiny, behind her back, when Stella has to read Pride and Prejudice (a fantastic book, fyi) for a class project and Destiny gets to read War of the Worlds. "I bet she can't even spell science fiction." And I bet that you're an insecure jerk who's incapable of recognising other people's interests as valuable as your own.
Alana, the girl Gar has a crush on, is treated as a bad person by the narrative. Not by Gar, and not by most of the characters (except Stella), but the narrative acts like she's a bad person. Why? Well, she likes physically attractive guys and watches silly reality shows. Oh no. What a monster. How dare she. Of course Stella looks down at her the entire book, because, say it with me, Stella isn't like 'other girls.'
Spoiler
I love the casual dyslexia representation, but it didn't add anything. I mean, the book desperately needed a threat or problem, but instead the possibility of Tank failing English just joined in the myriad of semi-issues that were bouncing around. It wasn't bad, it didn't take anything away from the story, but didn't it add anything either.Gar bored me. He's usually one of my favourite characters, but something about this guy felt annoying. He had a decent internal narration, but not one that made him likeable. It was just kind of pathetic.
Plus, P.E.T.A. I know it was only one panel. I know it was barely relevant. But that organisation is sketchy as anything, and it's kind of suss that in a book which only really has political awareness going for it, they would promote something like that.
CW: body image issue, animal testing, mild swearing, underage drinking
ijill14's review against another edition
3.0
eARC provided by Random House & DC Comics on Edelweiss. This has had no baring on my rating.
carm_furio's review against another edition
4.0
I remember losing it when the Teen Titans YA graphic novel series was announced years ago, especially when Gabriel Picolo, my favorite illustrator, signed on to do it. Fast forward and I’ve finally gotten around to reading Beast Boy and let me tell you, Kami Garcia and Picolo have a way of bringing your childhood characters to life in ways that make you feel like a kid discovering storytelling again.
Garfield Logan finally gets his time to shine! Everyone loves Beast Boy, but sometimes it feels like comic and TV writers just don’t give him the attention he deserves. One of the first things I noticed about this book was the nuance Garcia and Picolo gave to Gar. They even talk about it in the foreword! Gar is tired of being ignored and mocked, but will still play into the jokes made about him to at least try and reclaim some part of them. At the end of the day, his character really just wants to be seen and appreciated for who he is. It’s a nice depth to see from him, especially since so many people know him from his happy-go-lucky character in the 2003 TV show. In addition Gar, we get new characters in his friends Stella and Tank. I loved seeing them dealing with their own problems alongside their concern for Gar, and vice-versa with Gar too. At first, I was concerned about Stella being written as “not-like-other-girls”, but that was quickly resolved once it was shown her dislike of them stemmed from shallow relationships and passivity, not femininity. The inclusion of Tank’s journey with discovering he has dyslexia was also a nice touch and added depth to his character. DC tends to be hit or miss in how it represents teens (ex. the success of Young Justice (1998) versus the 2019 run), but Garcia gets it right with this one.
You can’t talk about graphic novels without discussing the art. And, oh my god, the ART! Like I’ve said before, I’ve been a fan of Picolo for a while, ever since I first followed his Icarus and the Sun series on Instagram, but he really brings a sense of modernity and youth to the story with his character designs and illustration style. I think the part that blew me away the most was how he and Garcia chose to depict Gar’s transformations. The DNA and general anatomy imagery was super interesting and delved more into the sci-fi aspects of his character origins. It’s a great contrast to the first book, which centers on Raven and her more fantastical powers.
The only drawback to this book is that it’s a set-up narrative. Much like its predecessor, Teen Titans: Raven, we’re spending most of the time getting introduced to Gar and his life before superheroing. The long-term plot is still developing, so the story we get here, while interesting and impactful, doesn’t have stakes that tie into the overarching narrative, which is dealing with Slade/Deathstroke and H.I.V.E. The storyline really picks up in the next volume, Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven, so this book and the first one are basically prologues. There’s nothing wrong with that, but for readers who’re more in a series for its long-form narratives, this book may feel more like a filler episode.
Kami Garcia is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author. She is the coauthor of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, which has been published in 51 countries and 37 languages, with over 10 million copies in print. In 2013, Beautiful Creatures released as a feature film from Warner Brothers. Kami is a cofounder of the YALLFEST kid lit book festival and the author of five solo novels, including her Bram Stoker Award-nominated novels Unbreakable and Unmarked (THE LEGION series) and The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos. Kami’s first graphic novel Teen Titans: Raven, with artist Gabriel Picolo, is the first book in her TEEN TITANS series for DC Comics and the adult series JOKER/HARLEY: CRIMINAL SANITY, from DC Black Label.
Gabriel Picolo is a Brazilian comic artist and illustrator based in Sao Paulo. His work has become known for its strong storytelling and atmospheric colors. Picolo has developed projects for clients such as Blizzard, BOOM! Studios, Harper Collins, and DeviantART.
Garcia and Picolo’s next book, Teen Titans: Robin, is slated for release in spring of 2023.
Garfield Logan finally gets his time to shine! Everyone loves Beast Boy, but sometimes it feels like comic and TV writers just don’t give him the attention he deserves. One of the first things I noticed about this book was the nuance Garcia and Picolo gave to Gar. They even talk about it in the foreword! Gar is tired of being ignored and mocked, but will still play into the jokes made about him to at least try and reclaim some part of them. At the end of the day, his character really just wants to be seen and appreciated for who he is. It’s a nice depth to see from him, especially since so many people know him from his happy-go-lucky character in the 2003 TV show. In addition Gar, we get new characters in his friends Stella and Tank. I loved seeing them dealing with their own problems alongside their concern for Gar, and vice-versa with Gar too. At first, I was concerned about Stella being written as “not-like-other-girls”, but that was quickly resolved once it was shown her dislike of them stemmed from shallow relationships and passivity, not femininity. The inclusion of Tank’s journey with discovering he has dyslexia was also a nice touch and added depth to his character. DC tends to be hit or miss in how it represents teens (ex. the success of Young Justice (1998) versus the 2019 run), but Garcia gets it right with this one.
You can’t talk about graphic novels without discussing the art. And, oh my god, the ART! Like I’ve said before, I’ve been a fan of Picolo for a while, ever since I first followed his Icarus and the Sun series on Instagram, but he really brings a sense of modernity and youth to the story with his character designs and illustration style. I think the part that blew me away the most was how he and Garcia chose to depict Gar’s transformations. The DNA and general anatomy imagery was super interesting and delved more into the sci-fi aspects of his character origins. It’s a great contrast to the first book, which centers on Raven and her more fantastical powers.
The only drawback to this book is that it’s a set-up narrative. Much like its predecessor, Teen Titans: Raven, we’re spending most of the time getting introduced to Gar and his life before superheroing. The long-term plot is still developing, so the story we get here, while interesting and impactful, doesn’t have stakes that tie into the overarching narrative, which is dealing with Slade/Deathstroke and H.I.V.E. The storyline really picks up in the next volume, Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven, so this book and the first one are basically prologues. There’s nothing wrong with that, but for readers who’re more in a series for its long-form narratives, this book may feel more like a filler episode.
Kami Garcia is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author. She is the coauthor of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, which has been published in 51 countries and 37 languages, with over 10 million copies in print. In 2013, Beautiful Creatures released as a feature film from Warner Brothers. Kami is a cofounder of the YALLFEST kid lit book festival and the author of five solo novels, including her Bram Stoker Award-nominated novels Unbreakable and Unmarked (THE LEGION series) and The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos. Kami’s first graphic novel Teen Titans: Raven, with artist Gabriel Picolo, is the first book in her TEEN TITANS series for DC Comics and the adult series JOKER/HARLEY: CRIMINAL SANITY, from DC Black Label.
Gabriel Picolo is a Brazilian comic artist and illustrator based in Sao Paulo. His work has become known for its strong storytelling and atmospheric colors. Picolo has developed projects for clients such as Blizzard, BOOM! Studios, Harper Collins, and DeviantART.
Garcia and Picolo’s next book, Teen Titans: Robin, is slated for release in spring of 2023.
ellena91's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
drag0nstung's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this one more than the first one. Much more fluid chapter to chapter.
danithezombie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abinthebooks's review against another edition
4.0
I think I enjoyed this a little more than Ravens story. The art style is so good, and I really liked this origin story for Beast Boy. Excited to read book 3
anxiousbi's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tohfu's review against another edition
2.0
liked the 1st half but the 2nd half seemed rushed. doesn't add anything to canon but love the animation