M's Reviews > World's Finest: Teen Titans

Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino team up to update the sidekicks into the modern era with their World’s Finest: Teen Titans graphic novel. The six-issue miniseries places Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash, Bumblebee, Wonder Girl, and Aqualad in a more contemporary setting; all of the nostalgia now with smart phones, hashtags, and angst. The book deals with an overarching threat made up of former Titan tryout Haywire, who is assembling his own team as a means of embarrassing the kids who kicked him out months ago. However, the primary focus of the issues is in handling the drama each teenager faces on a daily basis. Robin is forbidden by a Batman from revealing anything about his past, causing distrust amongst his allies. Kid Flash feels like a sidekick among sidekicks, while the absentee mentorship of Green Arrow has Speedy constantly vying for attention. The relationship between Aqualad and Wonder Girl is built on similar upbringings, but his tranquil nature and her wild enthusiasm threatens to break them apart. Even Bumblebee feels the need to take on problems bigger than herself to make up for her own self-doubt. Since this is a feel-good book, things eventually work themselves out for the Teen Titans. Mark Waid has the unenviable task of sifting through nearly eighty years of classic characters and giving them a trendy coat of paint. His handle on the team interactions shows his respect for the genre, but Waid’s plot pacing falls inconsistently short across the tale’s scope. The art from Emanuela Lupacchino is impressive, mixing character studies and facial expressions with layered background panels and design work. The action sequences are more classic than current, but it fits with the theme. World’s Finest: Teen Titans gives new fans a look at favorite characters while giving older fans a chance to reminisce.