Last year, I had the pleasure of reading Kami Garcia's take on the DC Comics character, Raven. The narrative was grounded, the art was appealing, and I could instantly see this book as a go-to on my classroom shelf. I also enjoyed Teen Titans: Raven as a comics reader based on my own interests.

Garcia's follow-up, Teen Titans: Beast Boy, contains much of the same joy. The story and artwork again transport us to a relatable location, even with fantasy elements included. I can see this as yet another young adult reading experience to share with teens and adults.

As I finished, I thought: The good news is, there are more Teen Titans for Garcia to explore in future books. Very well done! Many thanks to publisher DC Comics for the advance digital copy for my review.

I loved the first installation of this series (Raven), so I was excited to hear that a Beast Boy Story was in the works. Even more so when I got the e-arc! I found it very interesting to read about Gar's body insecurity, as male body image is not talked about much in books. I love the art style, but that's not new. I flew through this way too quickly. I'm so excited to see what comes next for my favorite titans

This was really cute! I loveeee Teen Titans and I had so much fun reading Beast Boy's origin story. My only complaint would be that I wish these comics were longer. I feel like they end right when the action is about to really take off and I don't know if/when we will learn what happens to Beast Boy (and I'm still waiting to find out what happened to Raven from her comic).

But I love the art (Gabriel Picolo is the best and I love his art style) and I was never bored once while reading this so that definitely counts for something! Can't wait to own the physical copy of this book to add to my collection!

*arc given in exchange for an honest review*

"Garfield Logan has spent his entire life being overlooked. Even in a small town like Eden, Georgia, the seventeen-year-old with green streaks in his hair can't find a way to stand out--and the clock is ticking. Senior year is almost over. If Gar doesn't find a way to impress the social elite at Bull Creek High School, he will never know what it's like to matter. Gar's best friends, Stella and Tank, can't understand why he cares what other people think, and they miss their funny, pizza-loving, video game-obsessed best friend."
I absolutely LOVED the Raven comic, so I was very excited to see the continuation of the gang with Beast Boy. The drawings were beautiful and flowed nicely with the narrative. I love how each novel has a central color for its theme, and of course for Beast Boy, it was green! The characterization is once again on point. All of the characters feel so real and well-rounded that you could believe it actually happened in a high school (well most of it anyway). The character dynamics within Gar's friend group was also enjoyable, each friend having their own problems and concerns but being supportive overall no matter what. I liked the exploration of Beast Boy's powers as they start coming in full force but wish I could've seen just a little more before the story ended. The buildup within the graphic novel for the rest of the series was well done, and I can't wait to see whose story comes next!

"Garfield Logan has spent his entire life being overlooked. Even in a small town like Eden, Georgia, the seventeen-year-old with green streaks in his hair can't find a way to stand out--and the clock is ticking. Senior year is almost over. If Gar doesn't find a way to impress the social elite at Bull Creek High School, he will never know what it's like to matter. Gar's best friends, Stella and Tank, can't understand why he cares what other people think, and they miss their funny, pizza-loving, video game-obsessed best friend.

Then Gar accepts a wild dare out of the blue. It impresses the popular kids, and his social status soars. But other things are changing, too. Gar grows six inches overnight. His voice drops, and suddenly, he's stronger and faster. He's finally getting everything he wanted, but his newfound popularity comes at a price. Gar has to work harder to impress his new friends. The dares keep getting bigger, and the stakes keep getting higher.

When Gar realizes the extent of his physical changes, he has to dig deep and face the truth about himself--and the people who truly matter--before his life spirals out of control."

Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo knock it out of the park once again! I can not get over how gorgeous this is! Everything flows so well, from the writing to the art. The story is fast-paced and fun. I enjoyed reading about Gar and his quest to become "more" and popular. It was very well written and believable in that stand point.

I will say that I wish it was a bit longer and that we got a more in-depth look at his powers. Fingers-crossed that we will get that deeper look soon!

I am giving Beast Boy 4 stars!

All of my thanks to Netgalley and DC Entertainment from the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Raven. I was excited for the next installment to the world! The story was a bit slower than Raven, but still good. I am looking forward to what happens in the next installment. This one very much felt like a build up to a sequel, whereas Raven felt like a fully formed story.

While Beast Boy isn't directly related to Raven in the sense that you could read them in either order, it's clear that Garcia is setting up a convergence into a Teen Titans title that will combine the rest of the cast. I expect we will see Starfire, Cyborg, and Robin have their own titles before that happens. Gar in this title is fighting a similar battle to Raven in that he is having to discover himself as his powers begin to manifest. The "big bad" in this story is, once again. bullies, which makes this more a story of self-discovery and self-as-enemy (seeing as Gar talks himself into a lot of the outlandish pranks). Gar's two friends are also well-developed and likable characters.

Picolo's art, like in Raven, focuses on a central color to anchor the rest of the palette. While Beast Boy had way more colors overall than Raven, green was still predominantly placed in every page. The illustrations themselves are inviting and beautiful.

While the main characters are all seniors in high school, there is nothing inappropriate about this title that a middle school student couldn't handle. there is one smooch, and obviously some disobeying rules/laws that happens with the pranks.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12

This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley. This graphic novel will be on sale September 1, 2020.

Thank you NetGalley and DC Ink for the e-arc.

So, this is the first Teen Titans comic I've read. (I know, I know, Raven is on order so don't shoot me). But I have read some recent origin stories by Marvel and Dc and this is by far my favorite. I won't post a spoilery review since we are not close to the release date so, I'll just say how much I enjoyed this one!

“I’m tired of people mistaking me for a freshman”

4.5/5 stars

Firstly, while this book technically the second in the Teen Titans series, it doesn’t continue the story of the first book. Instead of continuing Raven’s story, this book is all about beast boy! Who I absolutely love!

So this book starts out with Gar Logan, frustrated, not being able to put on weight, still pretty short, and not very popular. So he makes a few bad choices and makes a few more in an attempt to gain more respect and attention at school at the end of his senior year. But as he puts himself out there, things get progressively dangerous in every way.

Anyways, First off I love the art in this one. I didn’t quite love the shades of purple of Teen Titans: Raven, but this one is fully colored. Probably since Gar turns into green animals, it wouldn’t make much sense story-wise if everything was green. In any case, I just loved the art a lot. I think Beast Boy’s character design was really cool.

My main complaint is that it’s too darn short! I know that this not the last time I’ll see him, the ending makes that clear, but I felt like the story ended too abruptly. I need more to feel like the story is complete. I guess I also felt this way about Raven’s story. They are fine enough, but they don’t feel like they stand well on their own.

Besides that, I loved the way Gar was written, funny, charming, cute, and a total animal lover. I will forever stan. I loved every time interacted with animals. I also happen to really like his friends. They were given a decent amount of attention and I feel like the book was dedicated to maintaining everyone’s relationships to each other.

The story was also not what I was expecting. I was expecting Gar to become this jerk dreaming of popularity and wasn’t looking forward to it. But this managed to avoid those cliches and keep his character intact. I really love that even as he slowly figures out what’s going on with him, he’s still a loyal friend.

Basically, I just hope that I get more of him in the future books. Oh and I’m a total Raven/Beast Boy shipper- have been since I was a child- so I fully demand them to meet up soon!

TL;DR: This graphic novel is absolutely perfect for DC fans who know Beast Boy and for those who need an introduction to the character. It’s funny and cute, like Gar himself!

E-galley provided by DC Comics and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.

I grew up with the original teen titans, and have always loved Gar, so I thought this would be fun.

And it is an interesting take on the character, such as that he is a bit of a joker, and small for his age, and that his parents are scientists that experimented on him, to save his life.

Not sure if I have warmed up to this version of a boy who wants to be popular and in the in crowd. Why do all the kids in all the novels want that, when they can have true friends?

Who knows.

Anyway, typical teen story, with a bit of super powers thrown in. I would have hoped for better for my dear Gar.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

A fun graphic novel that follows Beast Boy's origin story. Gar Logan is just a teenager trying to figure out how to be popular for once and why he can't seem to get taller or bigger. As Gar tries to find himself and his place, he throws caution to the wind and stops taking supplements his parents gave him and ends up taking a wild dare that changes his status. Suddenly, Gar is popular and his body seems to be changing in more ways than one. Beast Boy is still that fun, funny teenager with the affinity of getting along with animals and as his powers emerge, he learns a lot more. But not all his questions are answered in this story. There is still a lot more Beast Boy needs to learn in order to discover what his new powers mean.

Thank you for the copy to review!

I loved this a lot! I will definitely highly recommend it for anyone that loves the Teen Titans shows, or even Young Justice. I'm so excited that Gar is getting some time in the spotlight! Beast Boy was one of my favorite characters. The illustrations are so amazing, too! Can't wait to add a physical copy to my personal library.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel! Gar was quirky and just wanted to be like everyone else. Hes a typical teenager who wants to be tall, be strong and be popular. And he got so much more than that. I love his two friend who always had his back which made this story even more amazing. I loved the story and the artwork is fantastic!

The artwork is really great and highlighted Gar’s personality so well. The story starts before his powers begin to manifest and it was really interesting to see what he was like as a regular teenager. I also really enjoyed his friends, his two best friends were well rounded characters on their own and so supportive of Gar. Their friendship dynamic was a really great element of the story. The actual plot was interesting, fans of Beast Boy already know what is going to happen and what powers will manifest but seeing how everything unfolds was still really engaging. I appreciated the social media aspect of the story; it made it feel more current and added an interesting element to how his story unfolds. The ending did feel a little abrupt but it does make sense as natural place to stop the story and left me wanting to read more and know what happens next.

Gar is picked last in gym class, and is always bullied by the cool kids. He’s been trying to gain weight but he can’t figure out why he isn’t growing. He takes amino acid supplements, and maybe that’s why? His parents are definitely withholding information from him about why he has to take them.

I love the representation in this book. There is a character in a wheelchair and a character with a prosthetic leg. His best friends Tank and Stella are amazing. Stella volunteers at the animal shelter and runs a video gamer blog. Tank is a star athlete but is struggling in English class. Gar is just trying to figure out who he is and thank goodness he has these friends by his side. Also, he is saving the animals one rescue mission at a time!

This was another lovely, well-written and beautifully illustrated origin story by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo. On sale 9/1/2020!

This was AMAZING! I absolutely loved reading this origin of Beast Boy story. The artwork was fantastic and so gorgeous. It is probably one of my favorite art styles for teen titans. I thought that this was such an interesting take on the origin story for Beast Boy. The plot was really fun and quite interesting, especially with a particular villain appearance * wink wink*. I am a huge fan of Kami Garcia's writing and this did not disappoint. This is part of the Teen Titans collab between Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo, however, you can read each of them separately as they are all origin stories for each member of the team. The characterization of Gar (Garfield) was really in character and I enjoyed this highschool version of Gar. Overall, this was a fantastic read and addition to the Teen Titans comics. I can't wait to read the next book and I think this is a great story for all DC fans or fans of the Teen Titans!
* Thank you Netgalley and DC Entertainment for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Teen Titans Beast Boy is the second book in the Teen Titans DC Ink series. Garfield is a small guy that wants to be taller and more popular. After he stops taking his supplements, his body finally begins to grow.
I liked the characters and artwork in the story, but I was hoping to see more action. This story had a lot of teen drama and no supervillain. My experience with a lot of origin stories is that I don't get hooked until the latter half of the story. This story was no different. Even though I enjoyed Teen Titans Raven more, I'm still looking forward to finding out what happens to Beast Boy.

Thank you to DC Entertainment, DC Comics, NetGalley, Kami Garcia, and Gabriel Picolo for the opportunity to read Teen Titans: Beast Boy in exchange for an honest review.

Teen Titans: Beast Boy is the second installment of the new origin story comic progression for the Teen Titans, the first being Raven. This felt both like and unlike the traditional Beast Boy we know from the Teen Titans comics and television animated series. While the feel of his character is there, the look and setting are quite different, but in a fresh, fun way for younger contemporary readers who may be getting into Teen Titans for the first time.

This follows Gar, who has been taking supplements to combat some amino deficiency thing his whole life. Or so he thinks. It is very obvious his parents were ensuring he was taking those pills every day for a reason, a reason they keep hidden from him. As he earns the title Beast Boy for pulling off an impossible stunt with a pepper, he begins to see just how beastly he is. As he experiments and learns about his power, he finds what he may have been looking for his whole life.

I love the animal focus and interactions in this book. Saving animals from shelters or scientific testing, or just gaining new animal companions; this was a cute, fun element to the story.

I wasn't sure I would like this as much as I did, but this was quite a fun read. While it certainly feels like there could be more, and I would certainly read it, there is also a feel of completion to this as an origin story, and the rest we, the reader, can come up with easily enough on our own.

I enjoyed Picolo's art, and the book itself is an amazingly quick read. The novel functions as an introduction to the character, and leaves the reader wanting more. Garcia develops the secondary characters, which helps the reader to care about more than just Gar himself. Finally, I think there are some cool references to DC Comics characters and lore that viewers and readers of the Titans will pick up on and enjoy.

This was a lot of fun! The art was fitting and the story was engaging. I wish there had been a little more with Gar's powers earlier, but this was more of a high school story than a super hero story. But I still enjoyed it and liked seeing Beast Boy brought to life like this!