Teen Titans #1 Review

 

Teen Titans #1 Review

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artist: Daniele Di Nicuolo

Colorist: Marcelo Costa

Letterer: Becca Carey

Cover Artists: Daniele Di Nicuolo & Marcelo Costa

Variant Cover Artists: Dan Mora; Jim Cheung & Jay David Ramos

1:25 Variant Cover Artist: Sanford Greene

Next Level Variant Cover Artist: Hayden Sherman

Foil Variant Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Also Available: Blank Sketch Cover

Editors: Marquis Draper & Brittany Holzherr

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: September 2, 2026

 

Adults think they have all the answers. Sometimes, they do. But your ability to protect the world isn't defined by your age. And when Darkseid threatens to take over reality, even kids can band together to fight him. The Omega Tournament may be over. Still, that doesn't mean the kids want to return to the sidelines.

 

As a new generation of heroes arises, what types of dangers will they face? And can they prove that their first victory wasn't a fluke? Let’s leap into Teen Titans #1 and see!

 

Story

Greg Harmon and his wife are desperate. Even though their son has been missing for nine days, the police seem disinclined to look for him. So, Greg appeals to someone he doesn't know. His wife wonders if her husband has made a bad situation worse. When Red Hood arrives, the stressed couple tells him that Cole spent a lot of time on a relay server called Teen Titans before he went missing.

 

Teen Titans #1 introduces a group of potential heroes. Cheshire Cat is the daughter of Arsenal and Cheshire. Eugene Choi is a former Shazam. Wildcard can manipulate chaos. Proxy has proximity-based telekinesis. Fairplay, Mr Terrific's son, started a forum to discuss the issues facing young people following Darkseid's recent assault on reality. After engaging online, some began to meet in person. When they observed dangers in their community, the teens decided to see what they could do together.

 

Kyle Higgins divides his story principally between Red Hood, Nightwing, and the young heroes. Cole Harmon's disappearance unites them and illuminates dangers Fairplay was unaware of. Yet, Red Hood and the teens have different ways of investigating the couple’s missing son.

 

Red Hood doesn’t want the responsibility of leading this young band of heroes. Yet he recognizes that they will throw themselves into danger regardless. So, he reaches out to the person he believes is best suited to help them. But while the adults ponder the dangers facing the young heroes and how best to mentor them, the teens must decide how they wish to continue protecting the world in Teen Titans #1.

 

Art

After a silhouette comes between the camera and Big Belly Burger, the light rays follow Red Hood, making him glow as he sits in the Harmons' booth. In an arcade, Wildcard plays a game, while Cheshire Cat, Eugene Choi, and Proxy watch. While his teammates have fun together, Fairplay leans against a stool studying his cellphone. When he announces tonight’s potential missions, most of his teammates turn to face him. But Wildcard continues playing his game and yawns.

 

As Daniele Di Nicuolo packs pages with action and drama, Marcelo Costa uses bright colors to help the young heroes shine. The Big Belly Burgers sign, colored in red, blue, and yellow, suggests the Harmons' hopes that they can find a superhero to help them. While his friends identify themselves using a mix of orange, yellow, violet, green, red, and blue, Fairplay wears blue and red. Yet when presented with a choice of mentors, he and his team must choose between two rivals who identify themselves by only one color in Teen Titans #1.

 

Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters as the young heroes embark on another night mission together. Lowercase white letters in black boxes introduce the characters and reveal their online communication. The letters grow bold for intonation, while enlarged letters link Wildcard's boredom threshold with people in peril and expressions of pain. Sound effects accompany a battle between heroes and villains, Wildcard's anticipation of an exciting night, and Red Hood's realization that, like Nightwing, his future is anything but certain. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Teens view situations differently from adults. And just because adults have more experience doesn't mean they have everything figured out. All too often, adults hamper their effectiveness by fighting among their colleagues or working alone instead of participating in something greater. Cheshire Cat, Eugene Choi, Wildcard, Fairplay, and Proxy face many pitfalls on the road to becoming superheroes. The adults could share what they know with them. Still, the teens want to call the shots while not adopting the adults’ weaknesses in Teen Titans #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see Teen Titans #1 Preview. 

 

 

 

 

For more background, see DC K.O.: The Kids are All Fight Special #1 Preview. 

 

 

 

 

For another kid-powered series from artist Daniele Di Nicuolo, see C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #1 Review.