Book Review: Teen Titans: Beast Boy | Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo

The Stats

📖 BOOK REVIEW⠀📚

BOOK: Teen Titans: Beast Boy

AUTHOR: Kami Garcia

ARTIST: Gabriel Picolo

@KamiGarcia @_picolo

Publisher: DC Ink @dccomics

 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Published: September 1st 2020

The Review

Anybody remember the old Teen Titans cartoon? Yeah, that was my introduction to Beast Boy. Wise-cracking, nothing gets under his skin, vegetarian Gar. He’s fun, he’s got hidden depths. So, when the opportunity to catch a new comic about him came up, I couldn’t turn it down.

This is an origin story, a bit updated. He’s stunted in his growth, socially awkward, and friends with a couple of awesome kids. One is a gamer that works at the animal shelter. She’s the smart one. The other is an athlete with a hobby for eating contests. He’s the level headed one. The three make a perfect trio. And they are the least popular kids in school. That’s when Gar makes a discovery. The “supplements” his parents have been giving him are blocking his pituitary gland. They’re the reason he’s not growing. So, he stops taking them. Super powers ensue. Teenage hijinks.

This is not an action-packed story filled with violence and outwitting bad guys. Don’t even try if that’s all you want. Yes, Deathstroke the Terminator is a part of the story. So is the villainous HIVE, but that’s not what things are about. This is about teenage struggles, coming of age, and being there for your friends. It’s a slice-of-life. Given that DC has been rather dark in the last few years (and I’m not complaining when I say that), I feel like we could use some more of these light hearted stories. Especially when they help us understand the characters. DC has a huge menagerie of heroes and villains, and those characters have had so many universal re-boots, that it’s nice to sometimes take a moment away from the action to let them be people.

The art is solid, with heavy lines to make everything feel like it has weight, and minimalist backgrounds so we focus on the characters.

You can see more in my video review:

*****

The Summary

Garfield Logan has spent his entire life being overlooked. Even in a small town like Eden, Georgia, the 17-year-old with green streaks in his hair can’t find a way to stand out–and the clock is ticking. Senior year is almost over. If Gar doesn’t find a way to impress the Chosen Ones–the social elite at Bull Creek High School–he will never know what it’s like to matter. Gar’s best friends, Stella and Tank, don’t understand why he cares what other people think. They miss their funny, pizza-loving, video game-obsessed best friend.

Then Gar accepts a wild dare out of the blue. It impresses the Chosen Ones and his social status soars. But other things are changing, too. Gar grows six inches overnight. His voice drops and, suddenly, he’s stronger and faster. He’s finally getting everything he wanted, but his newfound popularity comes at a price. Gar has to work harder to impress his new friends. The dares keep getting bigger and the stakes keep getting higher.

When Gar realizes the extent of his physical changes, he has to dig deep and face the truth about himself–and the people who truly matter–before his life spirals out of control.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.