The Teen Titans are together again, for the very first time! Your Major Spoilers review of World’s Finest: Teen Titans #1 from DC Comics awaits!

WORLD’S FINEST: TEEN TITANS #1

Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Emanuela Lupacchino
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Steve Wands
Editor: Brittany Holzherr
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 11, 2023

Previously in World’s Finest: Teen Titans: When they’re not fighting alongside their Justice League mentors, they’re managing their image and cultivating the rabid fan base that helps them save the world. All the while, a danger from the shadows intends to tear these friends apart before they ever reach the big time.

Before they were the Titans of the DCU, they were the Teen Titans.

FOLLOW THE LEADER

On a remote cliffside in Maine, a group of hooded devil-worshippers are prepared to sacrifice innocents to their particular demon lord. But before they can finish their ritual, they’re interrupted by Kid Flash, who arrives in a blaze of lightning and remarks, “Not today, Satanists!” The rest of the Teen Titans team (Aqualad, Bumblebee, Speedy, Wonder Girl, and Robin) join him, and the would-be murders are quickly neutralized. In the aftermath, though, Speedy continually reviews the footage from his drone that he has posted online, causing a fight with Robin. The serious Boy Wonder can’t stand the Ace Archer’s constant grandstanding, which leads us to a truly wonderful sequence where each young hero checks in with their mentor and gets advice, support, or in Robin’s case, direct commands. When the team reunites to take on The Separated Man (an actual ’60s Titans villain), they once again work well together, but break down into conflict after the fighting is done. Elsewhere, a mysterious man in the shadows interviews a young henchman, claiming that he’s trying to build a better Teen Titans all his own.

AN INTERESTING TAKE

I have some theories about the identity of the mysterious villain, but I’m going to hold on to them until there’s more information. As for the Teen Titans themselves, this issue reassembles the Silver Age team with a few important changes: Bumblebee is active with the team well before she was created on Earth-1, and since this is a modern take, Charley “Golden Eagle” Parker is the team’s social media specialist, handling incoming calls and emergency requests. The Speedy/Robin head-butting in this issue is fun, and having Aqualad and Wonder Girl in a “situationship,” thanks to their shared backgrounds is just plain ingenious. Waid is a master of dialogue and character work, which combines with Samnee’s top-notch art. My only complaint, and it is a mild one, is what feels like an over-reliance on green in the backgrounds, probably to help balance the sheer amount of red in the heroes’ costumes

BOTTOM LINE: WORTH YOUR TIME

I wasn’t a regular reader of the previous World’s Finest series featuring Superman and Batman, but World’s Finest: Teen Titans #1 hits a sweet spot for me, combining a nicely balanced team of classic Titans with modern elements and the work of two favorite creators for a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars overall. I hope to see more Titans members in coming issues, and pit my theory of the mystery man against Waid and Samnee’s professional instincts. This is the kind of book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys comics, new, old, or otherwise.

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.