Multiversity: Teen Justice #1 – Ivan Cohen/Danny Lore, Writers; Marco Faila, Artist; Enrica Eren Angiolini, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Spinning out of a short story from last year’s DC holiday special that introduces us to the Teen Justice team of Earth-11, this Pride-themed miniseries is another take on the Teen Titans—a franchise that has been struggling for a long time. But this one has a twist—taking place in the multiverse, it’s gender-swapped all the characters. The roster consists of Aquagirl as leader, on her way to the Justice League, alongside Supergirl, Robin, Klarienne, male versions of Troia and Raven, and the non-binary Kid Quick—the breakout character of the group. The team is mostly off on their own adventures, bickering and trying to find a good rhythm as a unit, but the story is bookended by the tale of Gigi, a young woman who makes her way to the big city for college. And after being saved by Teen Justice right after her arrival, she gets pulled into a mysterious cult—led by a creepy individual named Sister Blood.
The plot involving the cult is just starting to build, but this issue ends with a very surprising reveal that brings in maybe the last two characters I would have expected to be the villains here. It’s out of nowhere, but in a good way. However, that’s only a small part of this issue, and the main narrative gets something very right—it’s fun. This actually feels like a team, and it feels like a group of teenagers. Some of them are friends—the banter between Supergirl and Robin is genuinely funny, and will make Super-Sons fans very happy. The tension with Aquagirl as she prepares to move on to the next stage of her life feels very genuine as well, as does the slow-burn potential relationship between Troy and Raven. It’s a good start, and the issue also includes the original story from the anthology to make sure everyone is caught up. This could be a good blueprint for a potential future TT revival.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
