Teen Titans Volume 2: Family Lost

By Geoff Johns (W), Mike McKone, Ivan Reis and Tom Grummett (A)

Cover price $9.99. Published by DC Comics. Originally printed as Teen Titans # 8-12.

Plot: The Teen Titans set out to rescue a reborn Raven from the new Brother Blood and receive an unlikely assist from Deathstroke the Terminator and the new Ravager.

Strengths: Geoff Johns is known for having a great respect for what’s come before him. He’s able to utilize existing stories to his advantage to tell more compelling ones today. And somehow, he makes it easy to understand what’s come before even if you’ve never read comics featuring these characters before. In this arc Johns tied in previous Titans stories, tales from Young Justice and even issues from Impulse and Robin. Yet, as a relative DC newbie, it didn’t seem overwhelming.

Above all else, Teen Titans is a fun read. These are kids, after all. In one scene, Robin “borrows” a Batmobile from Gotham without telling Bruce and goes for a joyride with Kid Flash at the wheel. This new version of Teen Titans is more like a club than a superteam, with the younger heroes only making it out to Titans Tower on the weekends. They joke around while giving each other the unique support that they just can’t get from Batman or Ma & Pa Kent or Jay Garrick.

Weaknesses: Mike McKone is a great artist. Tom Grummett is a great artist. But they have two very different art styles, and changing between Mike’s art and Tom’s art can be a little bit of a shock to the system.

Also, the storyline ties in heavily with the previous Teen Titans trade, which tied in heavily with an arc from the Marv Wolfman/George Perez New Teen Titans days from twenty years ago. That could certainly be off-putting to a new reader unfamiliar with previous Teen Titans stories.

Grade: B-. As is often the case with Geoff Johns, his superb writing is more than enough to overcome any art inconsistencies or unfamiliarity with the history of the characters he’s writing. It’s not the best jumping on point for new readers, but Teen Titans: Family Lost is a strong addition to the Library of Doom.