Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: Raven, Daughter of Darkness #1 of 12

By Philip Schweier
May 1, 2018 - 13:06

Marv Wolfman returns to a character he co-created, though she is somewhat different than when introduced in 1979. I followed the New Teen Titans from when they were introduced, so I’m happy to see an old favorite back. Raven is still a teenager, but rather than a new arrival from Azar, she is a teen with a secret identity, living with her aunt an uncle and inter-acting with “normal” teenagers.

 

I don’t mind the subtle changes; I consider them a refinement to meet the taste of modern audiences. Her costume is more akin to that from the Teen Titans Go! animated series, which seems more suitable than the evening gown look she sported in the ‘80s. In a civilian environment, she adopts a bit of a goth look, which makes sense. However, her speech and demeanor seem a bit…off. Perhaps it’s a misplaced bid to make her seem other-worldly, but it doesn’t work for me. Sure, she grew up in a nether dimension, but even after all this time on an earthly region, she doesn’t know from Santa Claus?

 

As for story, the board is still being set, so this issure is a bit of an introduction. While navigating the perils of high school, something is a little off in Raven’s world. A mysterious being held by a government think tank seems to call to her. Raven feels a connection, but how or why is yet to be discovered.

 

Meanwhile, Baron Winters (look him up) may have an agenda of his own – one that may mean Raven’s destruction. Time will tell.

 

Rating: 6/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12