Review: Teen Titans Vol. 3- The Return of Kid Flash

Quick Summary

Pros: The opening story arc is one of the best in the series. The entire volume has a great blend of excitement and character development. The artwork looks good and complements the storytelling.

Cons: Some of the smaller stories are pretty forgettable.

Overall: This is another win for this Teen Titans series. This volume tells a variety of stories filled with the heart and excitement one would expect. Though not all of them are excellent, the ones that are stand out and the entire volume is average at its very worst. Fans of previous volumes or fans of the individual members of the Teen Titans should consider checking this one out.

Story

Teen Titans Vol. 3: The Return of Kid Flash, by Benjamin Percy, continues the enjoyable level of quality found throughout this Teen Titans series. The volume collects three stories of varied quality, all of which bring something to the table. Together, these stories depict exciting adventures that allow the comic to further develop the Teen Titans as a team and as individuals. Some small pieces of the collection end up being forgettable but, for the most part, this is another worthwhile Teen Titans read.

(spoilers start here)

The opening story in The Return of Kid Flash is easily the best in the book and is possibly one of the best in this Teen Titans series thus far. It deals with the titular “Return of Kid Flash”, Robin’s attempt to recruit a new member to the team, and a fight against a supervillain. The entire arc is a great mix of fun action and unexpected twists, as the villain subverts the heroes’ expectations twice. However, the real draw here comes from the characters; as readers get to see moments of genuine empathy and even a little romantic embarrassment from Robin and get to see Kid Flash’s triumphant return.

The next story is a one-shot, written by Marv Wolfman, about Starfire. It has its moments and is unique in finally addressing the age gap between Starfire and her teammates. However, it is pretty forgettable and, ultimately, adds little to the appeal of the volume.

Finally, The Return of Kid Flash concludes with a Beast Boy-centric arc. The focus on Beast Boy is appreciated, especially considering the fact that he has been relegated to little more than comedic relief throughout this series. In addition, the arc has a few emotional moments from members of the Teen Titans. However, some of these moments, like Kid Flash and Raven’s kiss are approached clumsily, and the villain ends up being dismissed rather easily. In the end, this arc is alright for what it does for Beast Boy but does not stand out much besides that.

(spoilers end here)

Art

Like the story, the artwork in The Return of Kid Flash is a bit varied but still manages to be positive as a whole. The volume opens with its most visually impressive chapters. Here, Khoi Pham’s pencils look incredible and are paired with colors that really help capture the variety of mood present throughout this arc. Then, the volume transitions to an alright looking chapter, penciled by Tom Derenick, that works as an interlude between larger arcs. Finally, the volume closes with another impressive arc where imaginative designs help bring out the unique nature of the story being told. Here, Scot Eaton’s pencils and Wayne Faucher’s inks work well together and are complemented by Jim Charalampidis’ consistently impressive colors. In general, the visuals in this book are positive and make the book better.

Continuity

Teen Titans Vol. 3: The Return of Kid Flash continues the story from Teen Titans Vol. 2: The Rise of Aqualad (Review).

The story here continues in Teen Titans Vol. 1: Full Throttle.

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• The general events of Dark Nights: Metal (Review) (Reading Order) are mentioned. Specifically, the Teen Titans’ participation in the Dark Nights: Metal: Gotham Resistance (Review) tie-in is referred to.
• Kid Flash briefly partnered with a team of heroes assembled by Deathstroke. His time with this team is told across Deathstroke Vol. 4: Defiance (Review).
• The Super Sons of Tomorrow crossover event takes place between Teen Titans #14 and #16. The aftermath of the event is seen in Teen Titans #17.