Teen Titans Academy Vol. 1: X Marks the Spot
by Tim Sheridan & Robbie Thompson; ill. Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona, Steve Lieber, et al. (DC Comics, 2022)
Cluttered art, storytelling by narrative collage. Individual characters do eventually emerge from the chaos, but for the most part Teen Titans Academy just throws vignettes at the wall to see what sticks. The mystery element isn’t so much obfuscated as perpetually sidelined.
Teen Titans: Beast Boy
by Kami Garcia; ill. Gabriel Picolo (DC Comics, 2020)
A perfectly respectable exploration of school social pressures and YA problems, though Gar is a bit cringeworthy (ameliorated, thankfully, by Stella and Tank) and his Beast Boy aspect comes late on the scene. Picolo’s art captures the mood without over-cluttering the story.
Teen Titans: Raven
by Kami Garcia; ill. Gabriel Picolo (DC Comics, 2019)
Straightforward storytelling with more focus on everyday(ish) teen life than Raven’s dark powers. Picolo’s artwork complements this approach. Raven and Max exude personality, and the washed-out colour scheme (almost black-and-white) is very effective, affording Raven extra character through occasional splashes of purple.