More than half finished World’s Finest: Teen Titans, a blast from the past that intensively revisits the dynamics of the original Teen Titans. So far, we’ve seen how well they work as a team, how they’re trying to figure out their identity, and how they’re dealing with fame. But what we haven’t explored deeply is whether they are good friends with each other. The Golden Age Teen Titans are considered to be the tightest Titans. They grew up together and have seen each other every step of the way. But does that mean they were good friends with each other? Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacino explore this and the pitfalls we all fall into when having a group of friends.
The story is relatively basic at a surface level. Wally has a slumber party with Roy and Garth while Mal and Karen team up. Given the ambiguity surrounding Garth and Donna’s relationship, Wally decides it’s time for a classic sleepover between friends. And who could be a closer and more loyal friend to Garth than Roy Harper? Beulah… Beulah… anyone? Meanwhile, Karen decides to give Mal a quick introduction to what it means to be a Titan, in a sweet gesture that prepares her for her upcoming superhero debut.
Mark Waid has shown time and time again why he completely understands the Titans, and this series serves as a shining example of how well he understands what Teen Titans means. This miniseries finds strength in touching on important social issues that reach a variety of audiences in an accessible way. That’s been the main focus of the Teen Titans since their inception. This issue can be very helpful in finding compassion for those who feel left out in life or who are trying to overcompensate for peer pressure. I think this is probably one of the strongest parts of this issue, but pages 14 and 15 summarize this pretty well.
That being said, I was disappointed in the misleading solicitations that described this as a story where “Aqualad opens up about his fluid sexuality” when this was never mentioned. You can recognize it from Garth’s idiosyncratic speech bubbles, but I don’t think that’s enough. Given that this series has educated and informed its readers well on a variety of topics, it’s no surprise that its previous blurb was misguided regarding something as important as discovering one’s sexual identity. It’s a shame that this is happening. Comic book solicitations often include misdirection that misleads readers from the true intent of the story (much like movie trailers), and it’s sad to see this apply here as well. Hopefully, this series will find time to show Garth further explore his identity in a more candid way.
Emanuela Luppacchino and Jordie Bellaire do a great job on this issue. I appreciated how emotional Luppachino’s art was in this series. Each key moment was memorable because everyone was so expressive. This animated art his style perfectly fits the aesthetic of the series and therefore takes the story to a higher level. Similarly, Bellaire fills this issue with enough vibrant colors to almost brighten up a room. Overall, the art in this story is great.
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #4 is a good issue that depicts the challenges some people face during their most intense formative years. When you are worried, it is important to rely on your friends. Wide expresses this importance pretty well by showing us the benefits and risks of opening up to our friends, even if they are different from us.
‘World’s Finest: Teen Titans’ #4 delves into social pressures
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #4
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #4 is a good issue that depicts the challenges some people face during their most intense developmental years. When you are worried, it is important to rely on your friends. Wide expresses this importance pretty well by showing us the benefits and risks of opening up to our friends, even if they are different from us.
The story has beautiful art with much-needed vibrancy
This problem does a great job of showing how important it is to rely on friends when life gets tough.
The groundwork for the second half of the series is being laid very subtly.
A misdirected premise somewhat ruins an otherwise successful story
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