Title:ย Titans “Titans” Review
Release Date: October 12th, 2018
Network: DC Universe, Netflix (outside of the United States)
Genre: Superhero, Drama, Action
(Spoilers Ahead for the series premiere of Titans)
Titans has the unfortunate burden of being one of the few flagship products on DC’s streaming service, DC Universe. Not only that but Titans isn’t your typical binge show as DC has decided to air just one new episode every week.
This is Titans biggest flaw. This show feels like it is meant to be binged. Of course, DC wants you to continue to spend money on their service every month and other than Titans, there isn’t a lot of new original content to watch at the moment.
So, if I’m being honest, I came into this season premiere with extremely low expectations and a bit of resentment for the service it was on.
Despite this, the first episode of Titans was surprisingly enthralling. I have to give a ton of credit to the main cast, especially Anna Diopโs Starfire. She shined throughout the episode and although Iโm still not a fan of her costume, Diop had me glued to the screen every time she appeared. Seriously though, if people were up in arms about Robin potentially killing people, I can only imagine what they think about the creative decision to make Starfire a killer.
As Iโve said above, Iโm still not a fan of Starfireโs outfit, for obvious reasons that Iโm sure youโve heard before somewhere on the internet. However, considering the way her story has progressed thus far, it does make sense why sheโs dressed the way she is. Not only that but Diop has confirmed that Starfire would receive a new suit later on this season so Iโm fine with building it up. I would say that it worked nicely for Marvelโs Daredevil so I canโt see any reason why Titans canโt deliver too.
Robin and Ravenโs introductions were also nicely done. Robin (played by Brenton Thwaites), in particular, was a delightful surprise. Iโm ecstatic that the showโs initial trailer was misleading on the former boy wonderโs personality and motivations (the $&#@ Batman moment was very misleading, instead it acted as a more comedic scene). Dick Grayson thankfully doesnโt kill but he is a more brutal vigilante than weโve seen from past iterations of the character.
It was a little ridiculous though that none of Dickโs coworkers at the Police Department thought to ask him about Robin at all, seeing as they all know Dick is from Gotham. Despite that little nitpick, it was nice to see a semi-retired Dick Grayson, even if it was for a short amount of time. He still wants to help people, even though he is out of the vigilante business.
It seems that this season will center around Raven and her powers, which is fine. This is Titansโ first season, I donโt need to see Deathstroke or The Judas Contract story just yet (it would have been nice to see Cyborg on the team though). Letโs focus on the actual Titans and their origins for now.
Iโve seen some criticisms that Teegan Croftโs take on Raven is horrible and I donโt know. Itโs the first episode. I didnโt really have any issues with her acting (yet) so I donโt really see where these complaints are coming from.
Rounding out the Titans team is Ryan Potterโs Beast Boy. Man, I wish he was in more than just the last scene but his introduction was perfect for his character. His CGI also looks more polished as well compared to previous trailers.
Now that weโve gotten the Titans out of the way, I wanted to touch on the showโs greatest strength. Titans doesnโt hold back in the graphic violence or intense language departments. It isnโt dark and edgy for the sake of being dark and edgy.ย It kinda gives me a Daredevil type of vibe and thatโs the best case scenario DC couldโve had with this tone. In the first 15 or so minutes, we not only see Ravenโs mother get gunned down in front of her but we also see Robin brutally drag a guyโs face across broken glass. It was jarring but in a good way.
Another thing Titans does well is building intrigue. I want to know why Robin hates Batman. I’m interested in Raven’s story and how Starfire fits into all of this. Now to be fair. Building interest and paying off those questions are two completely different situations, just ask Lost.
Iโm also interested to see how Titans depicts Batman. It appears that we wonโt actually see the Worldโs Greatest Detective until late in the season, if at all. Bruce Wayne is fundamentally important to Robinโs growth into Nightwing and his origin. It would be a costly mistake to use him as a faceless figure for the majority of the series.
Verdict: Overall, Titans was a welcomed surprise for me. DC has had so many missteps over the past few years and with Titans as the main reason to purchase a $7.99 a month streaming service, I expected to be disappointed with the show. However, the interesting story, harsh tone, and the Titans themselves all make this series premiere work.
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