I know that the DC Ink titles are supposed to be their own little universe, but it's fairly frustrating to have all these characters that people already love and then to have the companies just keep retconning their stories. I enjoyed Teen Titans: Raven, but knowing Raven from previous DC comics and TV shows, I just didn't love this new version of her "origin." I'm sure that DC wants the name recognition of these characters for their new imprints, but this book would have been truly fantastic if the main character had been a completely new creation and not based around Raven.

I really enjoyed this book as a graphic novel and felt that it was a good way to introduce the characters and set up for a series about Raven. Not being someone familiar with all of the characters in the DC realm, I did not feel like I was missing information when I picked this book up and started reading. As an educator, I think this book is a great novel to get girls interested in DC and reading books about superheroes. Strong female characters who do not rely on a man to help them, but rather the females around them promotes a strong message to girls growing up and finding themselves in the world around them. Raven is a relatable character and has the right amount of snark for teenagers to connect with as they read.

This illustrations were well-done and I am eager to read more in the future and find out what happens to Raven and Maxine. I would also love a novel about Maxine to dive into her history as well.

I was so lucky enough to get my hands on an ebook of this and I had to read it right away. Didn’t care if I was on Christmas vacation away from home. It had to be done.

One day, Raven and her foster mother are in the car. Her mother becomes distracted by talking and a tragic accident happens. Killing her mother and wiping Raven’s memory clean.

Raven moves to New Orleans and into the home of her mother’s foster family. Strange things start to happen. A Raven is always in her shadows. But once prom comes around, secrets come out to play. Is Raven strong enough to fight these secrets and make her memory return? Or is she doomed forever?

Raven and I are cut from the same cloth. We love all things macabre and black is our favorite everything. And this doesn’t disappoint.

Kami does a fantastic job of bringing you into Ravens life and filling in the gaps of what we didn’t know. And this was so freaking amazing. Holy ****!! Between the beautiful and eye catching illustrations and the heart-stopping story, you never want this to end. And now I’m desperate for more.

I think fans and non-fans will love this. You need no prior knowledge of who Raven is to love this. But super fans will be swept away by this magnificent story and gorgeous illustrations.

”Azarath... Metrion... ZINTHOS!"

As instructed, this review will not be public until the book is released.



I didn't know much about this book by Kami Garcia except the I really liked Teen Titans and that I really liked Kami Garcia. First, let me say that this book was beautifully illustrated. I have found that the more interested I am in the illustrations of a Graphic Novel, the longer it'll take me to read it because I was to take in each panel individually and appreciate it's contribution to the whole story.

The beginning of Raven's story finds us with Raven and her foster mother driving down a stormy road. Raven has just learned some frightening truths about herself and is struggling to adapt. As her foster mother does what she can to provide Raven with comfort, tragedy strikes. While trying to emerge herself in a new life, as well as trying to remember the old one, Raven begins to have frightening dreams, hear voices, and is followed by a strange shadow. With Raven's memory loss and these strange encounters, Raven struggles a bit to form bonds with those around her, except for Max, her new foster sister. It's when Raven opens up to Max that we really being to see bits of Raven's story unfold. We also begin to see that Max and her mother are full of secrets as well. By the time we finish this Kami Garcia title, we're struggling to trust those around us.

For those of us who watched Teen Titans (or read the comics I assume) we already knows Raven's big secret, but this graphic novel takes us on a journey different from what we were use to and full of fun and splendor. I loved seeing Raven gush over the boy who really wanted to get to know her, and Max struggle to take a friendship to the next level. I loved watching the girls pick out prom dresses and get to know each other. It was also interested to see New Orleans culture mentioned throughout the book. There were some great side characters and moments that fleshed out the book, and made it new and different, as opposed to and exact replica of what we already know about Raven.

I look forward to re-reading this book when it is released to take in the final illustrations and pass it along to the avid teen readers who make regular visits to the Graphic Novel section of my library!

This was really basic and filled with boring tropes. I can appreciate the themes Garcia was going for, they just weren’t done well here. I think she recently watched American Horror Story Coven. I will say that the art is really pretty and there’s one or two cute moments; also some great diversity among the cast of characters. 3/5 Stars.

Fantastic! What a wonderful take on Raven! I expected nothing less from Kami Garcia, of course, since she's a legend, but it was a relief nonetheless to see my favorite Teen Titan receive a great novel dedicated to her!

I loved this story! It included mystery, romance, teen angst... I couldn't get through it fast enough. This is my first Teen Titans graphic novel so I am not familiar with Raven's backstory. Having said that, I think New Orleans is a perfect setting and loved the voodoo tie-in. I can't wait to read the next book.

My Thoughts
In the world of comic book aficionado, I am not even a wannabe. I like graphic novels because I like the power of sequential art and sparse dialogue to tell a powerful story. It is probably why I actually like the manga Batman and The Justice League. The art style makes it feel fresh and new.

This is another DC based comic that feels new because they are using a YA author and the art looks more like a YA graphic novel than a DC produced comic. The original Teen Titans started in the 60's as a gathering of sidekicks like Robin, however, in the 80s they were brought back and included characters like Raven and Cyborg who are not known as former or future sidekicks for established heroes or heroines.

This newest iteration of Teen Titans is about Raven Roth's origin story. After she loses her foster mother in a tragic accident and she loses her memory, Raven goes to New Orleans to live with her foster mother's family and finish her senior year in high school.

This is also the story of her awakening, or reawakening as a person with powers, in her case, supernatural powers, that she must learn to control while also learning a little about herself. How can it be that she knows how to solve math equations but she is not sure what kind of music she likes? In this new Teen Titans, and under the pen of veteran YA author Kami Garcia, this scenario seems more plausible than far fetched.

Maybe it will not impress hardcore DC readers, however, I think the feel of Picolo's art and Garcia's text will bring new readers to Teen Titans who really are looking for a more relationship forward storyline.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publishers for an honest review.

I love Gabriel Picolo's art and am super excited to see it in this graphic novel. That aside, the story is a little haphazard and lacking, but still entertaining.

I liked the illustrator of "Teen Titans: Raven," I follow his work on Instagram and was very excited when he announced he'd be illustrating this. Other that than, I can't give more info because of the review embargo.

3.5 stars.

This was an interesting take on Raven - having had an accident that killed her adoptive mother, Raven loses all of her memory and doesn't remember who - or more importantly, what - she is. She goes on to live with her adoptive aunt and cousin, who are very receptive and kind while Raven works through her memory loss. Her aunt is keeping secrets, however, that would greatly help Raven in her recovery.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It follows Rachel aka Raven who, following a car accident, is left with no memory. She goes to live with family she does not know, and strange things keep happening around her. She must figure out what's going on and uncover her past before it's too late. I'm familiar with Raven from Teen Titans, but this was a nice refreshing story for her with new characters. I liked the school setting and character development for Raven. It was a very engaging read, and I hope there are more volumes after this. I highly recommend this, whether you follow Teen Titans or are brand new to the character.

I received this graphic novel as an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Teen Titans Raven is a graphic novel written by Kami Garcia and illustrated by Gabriel Picolo. It will hit stores on July 2nd, 2019.
Rachel Roth (also called Raven) is a 17-year-old high school sophomore who was involved in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) with her adoptive mother. This results in a chain of events that leads Raven to her aunt, who is a voodoo priestess, and her cousin Max, who also possesses supernatural powers.
Raven suffers unfortunate side effects from the MVA that result in her questioning who she is. The novel takes us from the MVA into a journey where Raven begins to understand her past and make plans for her future.
The story also takes us through the development of Raven’s relationship with a boy from her local high school named Tommy. This relationship is not what it seems and results in conflict.
The novel starts with a bang (literally) and keeps my attention until chapter 15. I greatly appreciate the diversity inclusion throughout the novel. We see illustrations of Latina, lesbian, and African American women (i.e., army of ghosts). I also appreciated the integration of Dracula, the 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.
The main characters are likable and relatable. The dialogue and interactions between the teenagers are appropriate and developmentally correct. The illustrations are on point with cool trendy clothing, hairstyles, and electronic gadgets.
On a side note, for Saga readers, the cat in the tarot reader’s room reminds me of Lying Cat from Saga!
The reason this graphic novel did not earn five stars begins on chapter 15. Raven just has too many powers and they are introduced too quickly. She can read minds, make things happen, and now has astral projection! We also find out who her biological father is, and that is also surprising. All of this made the story muddy for me and slightly rushed. Although, I greatly appreciate the inclusion of diverse characters, I would have made the illustrations of the army of ghosts a bit ghostlier. I clearly saw and felt the historical context, but it wasn’t eerie enough for my liking.
Overall, I enjoyed this graphic novel so much that I will include it on my monthly subscription at my local comic book store. This a good read for young girls and women who are unsure about reading graphic novels.

With no previous experience with the character of Raven outside of watching episodes of Teen Titans, Kami Garcia’s take on the character does a wonderful job of introducing us to her. Even though these YA books have their own continuity separate from DC Comics proper, I thoroughly enjoyed this take on Raven’s origin story and felt it worked perfectly for her character.

Where both Mera and Catwoman from these YA imprint graphic novels fail, Teen Titans: Raven succeeds extremely well at what it sets out to do. With Gabriel Picolo on art as well, this book stands out and truly should’ve acted as the launch title for this imprint.