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Titans #1
- Writer:
- Tom Taylor
- Artist:
- Nicola Scott
- Letterer:
- Wes Abbott
- Cover Artist:
- Nicola Scott
- Publisher:
- DC
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-05-16
- Colorist:
- Annette Kwok
After Nightwing's heroic actions in Dark Crisis, it's officially a new era and the rise of the Dawn of DC. In Titans #1 -- written by Tom Taylor, drawn by Nicola Scott, colored by Annette Kwok, and lettered by Wes Abbott -- the world's greatest superhero sidekicks have now become the primary team. Of course, change is never easy, and there will be questions asked if they have what it takes to take over from their mentors.
The Justice League is over, and now the Titans are DC's main heroes. Nightwing brings together the gang, even reaching out to older members to explain the importance of their group in this post-Dark Crisis world. In typical fashion, there are other forces that aren't too pleased about the Titans and operate in the shadows for their own nefarious purposes. Almost immediately, the team is dealt a major blow as Wally West receives a bullet to the chest.
Much like Taylor has done in the Nightwing series, the writer brings the same hopefulness and optimism to Dick Grayson in Titans #1. Even in moments of difficulty or where others are concerned about the future, he writes the character as the beacon of light. He believes in the team and their ability to cope, even promising the doubters that he will help them out too. Despite the character being so intrinsically associated with Batman, Nightwing takes on more of a Superman-like mantle in this book.
Taylor also lays the groundwork for numerous storylines and subplots in the first issue. The first surrounds the specific member who passed on the Titans' overture to return, while the second centers on another DC team that isn't too pleased about the group and the third deals with the identity of who shot Wally and why. Yet, despite so much happening in the first issue, it doesn't come across as overwhelming or at a breakneck speed. Instead, it's fluid, exciting, and keeps the reader entertained on every page.
Scott's art pays specific attention to the detail, much like her work on Wonder Woman. However, there is also a playfulness to the designs that's a callback to the lighthearted moments of previous Titans series -- both from comics and television. There's a scene, in particular, where Titano attacks a nuclear power plant and Beast Boy changes into a kaiju-like creature to battle the gargantuan gorilla. It's the perfect homage to 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong here and feels like something that fans would see in Teen Titans Go!.
Much like most of the series since Dawn of the DC, Kwok's colors venture into the bright and colorful. There's certainly a concerted company-wide effort to get back to the color schemes of the past, and Titans #1 embraces the same kind of vivaciousness as Adrienne Roy's colors in the New Teen Titans series from the '80s. Abbott also receives the chance to play and bolster up the sound effects on the page with loud and lively lettering.
If readers are familiar with Taylor's Nightwing run, they will know exactly what to expect from Titans #1. It's full of heart and confidence like a bygone era of comic books. While the fate of Wally is unlikely to be what is posited here, it does start off the series with a bang.