Titans: Beast World #1
Sebastien Cabrera
Recap
THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE DC UNIVERSE IS…BEAST BOY?! CAN THE TITANS SAVE THE WORLD AND THEIR TEAMMATE? SUPERSTARS TOM TAYLOR AND IVAN REIS TEAM UP FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED TITANS CROSSOVER! Clawing its way out of the pages of Titans comes an unprecedented threat to the DC Universe. Superman, Wonder Woman, Starfire—all are powerless to stop the Necrostar from ending all life on Earth. The only hero who can save the world is…Beast Boy?! With Nightwing, Raven, Cyborg, and the Titans beside him, can Garfield Logan rise to battle an ancient evil? What will Amanda Waller do to take advantage of the situation as millions of people are changed into rampaging creatures? Can humanity survive all-powerful heroes and villains transformed into ferocious beasts? Friends will fall. Heroes will rise. And nothing will ever be the same again. Earth is about to become…Beast World. DC proudly presents the Titans’ first crossover as the world’s premier superhero team, with universe-shattering repercussions. Brought to you by the all-star creative team of writer Tom Taylor and artist Ivan Reis, this story promises to be an epic one that sets the stage for what’s to come for the DCU!
Review
Perception to the Titans replacing the Justice League has been mixed among fans. How can this group of sidekicks, now independent adults, help save the world from a series of crises fans have yet to see? Tom Taylor’s first issue of the universal event, Beast World, looks to answer that question while also giving readers reasonable trust or doubt that putting the Titans on a pedestal was the right move.
If you’ve been keeping up with Tom Taylor’s Titans saga, then you’ll remember in the last issue how the leader of the Church of Eternity said it was time to begin, after his parasites and initial plans were halted. The issue begins with him making an announcement, denouncing the horrors that are to follow climate change while also preaching for the continuation of humanity, just far away from Earth and what it will be in the far, far future.
Already, a big problem arises from these first couple pages, as Eternity astronauts land on a moon called Titan. These astronauts find themselves standing in front of a temple until everything around them begins to collapse.
This is where Taylor’s saga breaks away from the Church of Eternity and shifts focus on a brand new evil that not just challenges the Titans, but heroes from all over the DC universe, from Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman to even Jay Garrick and Alan Scott.
While the Titans still have the spotlight on them, from Starfire sharing fictional lore to Raven grappling attitudes’ with a disgraced Batman, Beast Boy ends up fighting a cosmic evil that leads to the twenty issue event that spans across major cities, such as Gotham and Metropolis.
It’s the aftermath of Beast Boy’s epic battle with Necrostar that defines the event, as Beast Boy awakens Dr. Hate, a new adversary whose name seems too lazy to even compare with that of Dr. Fate. Garfield’s mind is seemingly wiped, Cyborg is shut off, and small pieces of Beast Boy are presumably still fighting the Necrostar’s parasites.
Final Thoughts
While the first issue of the event was big, it manages to set up aftermath which I believe will have the heroes cleaning up for months. Taylor seemed to quickly lose track of everything the his Titans series has been setting up and will have to spend the next issues of the event trying to regain, or shift the focus on again.
Titans Beast World #1: One Small Step
- Writing - 6/106/10
- Storyline - 6/106/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 7/107/10
