Garfield Logan is being overlooked. He’s 17, athletic but despite eating continually, can’t gain an ounce, nor a second look. This week, I take a look at DC’s Teen Titans Beast Boy, an original Graphic Novel.
Garfield is in his senior year of high school, and something’s gotta give. He wants to get into the ‘cool kids’ group at school. Little does Garfield know, but he’s about to go through ‘changes’, and more than usual for a 17-year-old! Beast Boy!!
Writer Kami Garcia, a New York Times Bestselling author of Beautiful Creatures novels, gives us a good look into the teenage mind. Her writing experience shows here. Yes, the book proceeds a little slowly, but Garcia takes the time to give us the emotional temperature, set us among the surroundings, and show us the characters. The main players emerge nicely from stereotype; that is, perhaps they seem a bit flat and nondetailed to start, but Garcia builds them layer by layer, so we know we are watching young people in the midst of change and development. There are lessons here for the students to learn, about life. And about Beasts!
Gabriel Picolo gives the reader a wel=crafted visual experience. Aided by Rob Haynes and colourist David Calderon, Picolo demonstrates a line quality that is easily accessible. It’s a somewhat cartoon style, but a little more subdued in expression and gesture. It’s not ‘big reaction’ stuff, there is subtlety here. Picolo keeps the panel layouts varied, breaks up visual space in a way that is ‘open’, and free. Calderon’s colours are very limited, tending toward greens. greys and browns. With a title like ‘Beast Boy,’ we can guess why, but there are times when we wish the entire palette would break open, to live and breathe fully, to accompany the liberated drawing style.
Teen Titans: Beast Boy is solid, with lots of drama and interesting moments of growth and growling.
DC Teen Titans: Beast Boy, $16.99 for 186 pages of content. Teen
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