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DC Comics
Written by: Marv Wolfman
Art by: Pop Mhan
In issue one of Raven, “The Girl With the Anime Eyes,” we get to see our girl in purple fly free. My first impression was that of sheer joy. I have always been a fan of Raven and fell that in most Teen Titan comics she gets pushed into the background. Marv Wolfman introduces us to a more personal side of Raven which given an already deep character even more personality. This is done through her conversations with non-super friends and the occasional memory. For an origin-ish issue, these things were done very well, but that is where my only problem is.
This is not an origin issue, not in the true sense, at least. This is a 12 issue arc that gives a well-known character her own story. I say that if you are going to do that, then do it. Let us jump right into the action and then sprinkle the past where it is needed. While I am okay with questions being left without answers, I did want a little more momentum on these 32 pages. If this ends up being the only issue to do this, I will retroactively look past my one fault in this premiere.
What helps this book more than anything is the gorgeous art. Raven is a dark character, and the pages reflect that without getting muddy. I have been thinking about how to describe the deep blues, purples, and blacks as bright, because in some odd way they are. The scenes where she is running away from hordes of zombie looking, creatures, are both hell-like and vibrant in a way I could not have imagined before. Pop Mhan is a name I am not familiar with yet, but I will be looking for more of his work in the future.
