Early Reader Review: Teen Titans Raven by Kami Garcia

Source: From Netgalley and DC Ink in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia / Illustrated by Gabriel Picolo
Series: Teen Titans #1
Publisher: DC Ink
Publication Date: July 2, 2019 

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:







Goodreads Synopsis: 

When a tragic accident takes the life of seventeen-year-old Raven Roth's foster mom--and Raven's memory--she moves to New Orleans to live with her foster mother's family and finish her senior year of high school.

Starting over isn't easy. Raven remembers how to solve math equations and make pasta, but she can't remember her favorite song or who she was before the accident. When strange things start happening--impossible things--Raven starts to think it might be better not to know who she was in her previous life.

But as she grows closer to her foster sister, Max, her new friends, and Tommy Torres, a guy who accepts her for who she is now, Raven has to decide if she's ready to face what's buried in the past...and the darkness building inside her. 

Review: 
I have not followed the Teen Titans comics in the past, and I know there have been a few iterations, but I was very excited to see this new series with Kami Garcia. I have watched the cartoons, and I like Raven's dreary, emotional presence, even in the kids cartoons, and I wanted to learn more about her past before Teen Titans. 

Kami Garcia does a great job telling Raven's story and Gabrial Picolo does a wonderful job depicting her angst and anger about life.  What made this story great was the mystery in it. I am kind of aware of Raven and her powers and background, but not really so it was really a great read to learn about her. 

Both the artist and the writer worked well together to tell Raven's story without too much writing and text, which I appreciate. I like some but really like a graphic novel to be told through the images, because when an artist can do that I think it shows a lot of skill. 

Raven, if you don't know, is pretty dark. There is a lot of mystery about her past and a lot of death in her life right now and she is just trying to figure it all out and it is difficult. Now she is dreaming weird things too and she is trying to re-learn who she is. I think this a great starting point for anyone looking to get into the Teen Titan series. I hope that they have these for all the characters and build them and the world together... we will see.

*image previews provided by the publisher.