Teen Titans: Raven – Comic Book Review

Teen Titans: Raven by author Kami Garcia, Illustrations Gabriel Picolo

Teen Titans: Raven is a manga like comic book in a series of young adult oriented standalones for DC’s Teen Titans line. It’s more book-like than a standard comic book trade floppy and the art is simplistic but endearing. There are additional Teen Titan companion books including ones for Beast Boy, Robin, and Starfire with more likely to come.

This series takes place before they unite as the Teen Titans. It allows them to build their individual characters before becoming a team. The series has been very well received with existing fans of Teen Titans as well as newcomers like me.

Raven is a high schooler who has just lost her mother and her memory in a terrible car accident. She goes to live with an old friend of her mother’s and the friend’s teenage daughter. Amnesia is a strangely common trope used in books considering I’ve never once come across it in real life. It’s serves as an easy story telling narrative that also allows the author to get out of a lot of exposition.

She knows how to do a bunch of the basic things in life like cook and do her homework but she can’t remember core things about her personality like what her favorite song is. Raven attempts to remember who she is and starts to realize that she has some kind of telekinetic powers. She’s an empath and can read people’s thoughts and feelings as well as control some actions with her mind.

She has a dark family history that will be uncovered as the book goes on. She also finds out the interesting secrets of her adopted family. It’s hard not to discover secrets when you can read people’s thoughts. This obviously makes relationships difficult to maintain, what with the trust issues and all.

Along the way she is protected by a raven shadow, a manifestation of her soul power. Which just looks very cool. Honestly, I love her aesthetic in general.

With all of this supernatural craziness going on Raven still manages to find time for boy drama. She starts to develop feelings and he seems to like her back! Of course nothing is ever that cut and dry in high school.

Teen Titans: Raven is a story about discovering who you are during the age you are truly the most vulnerable. Raven has the advantage of not fully remembering who she was already or what path she was on so she gets to start somewhat fresh.

The direction she is heading now though is solid. She is strong. She understands the importance of independence from toxic relationships and strengthening the good ones. She is a great role model for young women (and men and anyone else) everywhere.

With all of that said, I am no longer the target demographic for this book. It is definitely aimed for a younger audience than me and I believe I would have loved it when I was goth teenager but as an adult it’s just alright.

I definitely recommend Teen Titans: Raven for the younger audience, I think it will strongly resonate with teens and young adults. If you’re not a teen or a young adult it is still worth a read and it’s a nice quick one at that.

Enjoy this story about a woman who discovers that her emotions shouldn’t have to be repressed, they are way more powerful when they’re experienced.

3/5 penguins, wanted ravens but this emoji panel only has so many birds so penguins it is 🐧🐧🐧

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