It is finally Friday and that means it is time to wrap up a volume. Today that means finishing my recap of Raven and this post will include issues #4-6. If you still need to read part of this recap you can click the link at the bottom of this post. Last we left Raven a giant orb was stealing souls and a group of criminals was trying to blackmail the city. Now let's see how this story ends.
The White Carnival, Chapter Four: Opposition: At the sight of the ever growing orb the cops are trying to stop more and more people from just walking into it. Raven is feeling pretty dejected in her narration. The Mayor of San Francisco is freaking out about those villains who want 5 billion dollars. Still in the hospital, one of Raven's friends who hasn't been taken yet (named Madison) is wondering why all her friends are having these soul battles. Raven is in fact struggling in a type of spirit realm battle with her father, who is always trying to take over her body. The soul of one of her friends (named Antt) shows up and encourages Raven to pull it together and save everyone. The encouragement works and Raven wakes up in the hospital feeling totally fine. Madison has figured out that Rachel is Raven from the Teen Titans and begs her to help everyone. Raven puts her to sleep, (gently) then goes to visit another patient. It is Antt the girl who helped her, she is in rough shape too but will be okay.
Raven used her powers to track down the only people in the city not currently afraid. She deduces pretty quickly that they are just some jerks there to take advantage of a city in fear. She gets a little too ragey and her father tries to come out, but she is able to control it and the villain club is taken away. Raven takes a walk pondering and checks in on her aunt and family. She ends up at the high school and feels like she should absorb all the negative emotions of the people around her, but before she can do anything her and everyone else starts flying through the air towards the orb. She thinks this time she will get pulled in with everyone else, but nope, she is still trapped outside.
The White Carnival, Chapter Five: Kidnapped: Hundreds and hundreds of people keep showing up and walking into the orb and Raven can't do anything to stop them. Back at Aunt Alice's house, her cousins have finally figured out that Rachel is Raven so they tell their mom. Who quickly jumps to Raven being a demon (which is kind of true but still annoying for some reason). The kids argue that Raven is a hero but Alice is too freaked out and sends them away. Kids being kids, one stays in his room to keep watching the news and the other (Mary-Beth) sneaks out because I suppose she thinks it will be useful? Raven is trying to read the people going in to figure out the orbs' purpose. It isn't eating souls so much as feeding off extreme emotions.
Alice decides that Raven is not a demon and decides that she's probably the city's best hope. Then on the news she sees her daughter ride up to the orb on her bike. Alice runs upstairs to check and yep Mary-Beth is gone. At the orb MB is praying for a way to help her cousin. Raven sees MB and tells her to get the heck out of there. At the hospital Madison is up and sitting with Antt, some other friends join and they have now all figured out that Rachel is Raven. They also have a weird conversation about how much their families suck. Meanwhile Mary-Beth is now getting pulled into the orb. This is too much for Raven and she lets her father slip out again. For a moment it looks like he might win, but she pushes it back down. This fight takes the final toll on Raven and the orb tells her it is time to take her and use her to destroy the world. Raven is happy to finally get inside, but finds herself wondering if she will have to be evil for good to be done.
The White Carnival, Chapter Six: Soulless: Raven is finally in the orb. It looks like a carnival but everyone is screaming and crying and everything is blue and white. She sees people she recognizes and tries to help them. She sees Mary-Beth scared and about to bungee jump, the cord breaks. The orb is testing Raven to see how her powers work. She doesn't get the chance to catch Mary-Beth though because she is teleported and her memory resets. She recovers pretty quickly though, because the orb tried to pull that trick before. So she gets back out of the orb afraid it will take over her mind. Alice has now raced over the orb. She spots Raven, calling her Rachel and then Raven. Alice tells her how they know she is Raven and that she is a hero. Alice is in a bit of panic and starts to quote the bible, but Raven is able to interrupt her to tell her she saw Mary-Beth inside and promises to do everything she can to get her and all the others back.
Alice had read that Raven can take strength from others via touch (like Rogue from X-Men I guess). She grabs her hand and starts shouting for all the people to take hands and give Raven their strength. It seems to work as she enters the orb once more. It tries to make her forget but the line of hand holding people is giving her strength. It is a fierce battle in blue and white. (Alice is praying the whole time, I guess if it gives her strength I will try to judge less.) The orb explodes and everyone is freed. No one remembers anything, including the group in the hospital. Later, Raven is asking Beast Boy to report what happened to the Justice League. The town assumes a tornado did all the damage and Beast Boy doesn't get why Raven doesn't want credit and she joins her family for a nice dinner. Elsewhere, there are many many orbs flying through space and they felt one of their own die, but they aren't going to send another yet...not until they get more souls. (The End!)
Thoughts: I have a lot of mixed feelings about this comic. Am I happy that Raven got a stand alone comic? Yes. Do I think this story really did her justice? No. I think it made her seem too young and I am not sure about the super religious Aunt. I guess it is nice that she still loves her niece even if maybe she is part demon. It also felt like it dragged on way too long. This whole story could have happened in like two issues and been just as effective. I am glad that we will get more Raven in Teen Titans and maybe they will go into these weird soul eating orbs.
I also have mixed feelings about the art choice in this volume. By the last issue it was 90 percent white and blue. I got what they were trying to do, but it was kind of boring. The first 3 issues, the pencils and inks were done by Alisson Borges, he also partially worked on issue 4. The mantle was then passed to Diogenes Neves, with inking help from Ruy Jose. All of these people are very talented and you should check out more of their work. I couldn't find any social media for any of them, but they are for sure worth a google.
Many cover artist worked on this volume, but my favorite goes to the cover for issue #5 that was done by Stephanie Hans.
As always I will end this part 2 post with my favorite line from the volume. I have to give it to Raven herself and I 100% believe she would not own a phone.
Previous Post: Raven, Part 1
Next Post: Teen Titans Vol. 1: Damian Knows Best, Part 1
Note: All images belong to DC™
The White Carnival, Chapter Four: Opposition: At the sight of the ever growing orb the cops are trying to stop more and more people from just walking into it. Raven is feeling pretty dejected in her narration. The Mayor of San Francisco is freaking out about those villains who want 5 billion dollars. Still in the hospital, one of Raven's friends who hasn't been taken yet (named Madison) is wondering why all her friends are having these soul battles. Raven is in fact struggling in a type of spirit realm battle with her father, who is always trying to take over her body. The soul of one of her friends (named Antt) shows up and encourages Raven to pull it together and save everyone. The encouragement works and Raven wakes up in the hospital feeling totally fine. Madison has figured out that Rachel is Raven from the Teen Titans and begs her to help everyone. Raven puts her to sleep, (gently) then goes to visit another patient. It is Antt the girl who helped her, she is in rough shape too but will be okay.
Raven used her powers to track down the only people in the city not currently afraid. She deduces pretty quickly that they are just some jerks there to take advantage of a city in fear. She gets a little too ragey and her father tries to come out, but she is able to control it and the villain club is taken away. Raven takes a walk pondering and checks in on her aunt and family. She ends up at the high school and feels like she should absorb all the negative emotions of the people around her, but before she can do anything her and everyone else starts flying through the air towards the orb. She thinks this time she will get pulled in with everyone else, but nope, she is still trapped outside.
The White Carnival, Chapter Five: Kidnapped: Hundreds and hundreds of people keep showing up and walking into the orb and Raven can't do anything to stop them. Back at Aunt Alice's house, her cousins have finally figured out that Rachel is Raven so they tell their mom. Who quickly jumps to Raven being a demon (which is kind of true but still annoying for some reason). The kids argue that Raven is a hero but Alice is too freaked out and sends them away. Kids being kids, one stays in his room to keep watching the news and the other (Mary-Beth) sneaks out because I suppose she thinks it will be useful? Raven is trying to read the people going in to figure out the orbs' purpose. It isn't eating souls so much as feeding off extreme emotions.
Alice decides that Raven is not a demon and decides that she's probably the city's best hope. Then on the news she sees her daughter ride up to the orb on her bike. Alice runs upstairs to check and yep Mary-Beth is gone. At the orb MB is praying for a way to help her cousin. Raven sees MB and tells her to get the heck out of there. At the hospital Madison is up and sitting with Antt, some other friends join and they have now all figured out that Rachel is Raven. They also have a weird conversation about how much their families suck. Meanwhile Mary-Beth is now getting pulled into the orb. This is too much for Raven and she lets her father slip out again. For a moment it looks like he might win, but she pushes it back down. This fight takes the final toll on Raven and the orb tells her it is time to take her and use her to destroy the world. Raven is happy to finally get inside, but finds herself wondering if she will have to be evil for good to be done.
The White Carnival, Chapter Six: Soulless: Raven is finally in the orb. It looks like a carnival but everyone is screaming and crying and everything is blue and white. She sees people she recognizes and tries to help them. She sees Mary-Beth scared and about to bungee jump, the cord breaks. The orb is testing Raven to see how her powers work. She doesn't get the chance to catch Mary-Beth though because she is teleported and her memory resets. She recovers pretty quickly though, because the orb tried to pull that trick before. So she gets back out of the orb afraid it will take over her mind. Alice has now raced over the orb. She spots Raven, calling her Rachel and then Raven. Alice tells her how they know she is Raven and that she is a hero. Alice is in a bit of panic and starts to quote the bible, but Raven is able to interrupt her to tell her she saw Mary-Beth inside and promises to do everything she can to get her and all the others back.
Alice had read that Raven can take strength from others via touch (like Rogue from X-Men I guess). She grabs her hand and starts shouting for all the people to take hands and give Raven their strength. It seems to work as she enters the orb once more. It tries to make her forget but the line of hand holding people is giving her strength. It is a fierce battle in blue and white. (Alice is praying the whole time, I guess if it gives her strength I will try to judge less.) The orb explodes and everyone is freed. No one remembers anything, including the group in the hospital. Later, Raven is asking Beast Boy to report what happened to the Justice League. The town assumes a tornado did all the damage and Beast Boy doesn't get why Raven doesn't want credit and she joins her family for a nice dinner. Elsewhere, there are many many orbs flying through space and they felt one of their own die, but they aren't going to send another yet...not until they get more souls. (The End!)
Thoughts: I have a lot of mixed feelings about this comic. Am I happy that Raven got a stand alone comic? Yes. Do I think this story really did her justice? No. I think it made her seem too young and I am not sure about the super religious Aunt. I guess it is nice that she still loves her niece even if maybe she is part demon. It also felt like it dragged on way too long. This whole story could have happened in like two issues and been just as effective. I am glad that we will get more Raven in Teen Titans and maybe they will go into these weird soul eating orbs.
I also have mixed feelings about the art choice in this volume. By the last issue it was 90 percent white and blue. I got what they were trying to do, but it was kind of boring. The first 3 issues, the pencils and inks were done by Alisson Borges, he also partially worked on issue 4. The mantle was then passed to Diogenes Neves, with inking help from Ruy Jose. All of these people are very talented and you should check out more of their work. I couldn't find any social media for any of them, but they are for sure worth a google.
Many cover artist worked on this volume, but my favorite goes to the cover for issue #5 that was done by Stephanie Hans.
As always I will end this part 2 post with my favorite line from the volume. I have to give it to Raven herself and I 100% believe she would not own a phone.
Previous Post: Raven, Part 1
Next Post: Teen Titans Vol. 1: Damian Knows Best, Part 1
Note: All images belong to DC™
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