Teen Titans #3 Review – Red Hood Takes Out The Trash

Teen Titans #3 (DC Comics, 11/11/26): Writer Kyle Higgins and artist Daniele Di Nicuolo send Red Hood on a killing spree when he finds a teen murdered by Ascend. Kyle Higgins ramps up the dramatic tension, forcing the fledgling teen to face the harsh reality of fighting crime. Verdict: The best issue so far, with a very big caveat.

• Writer: Kyle Higgins
• Artist: Daniele Di Nicuolo
• Colorist: Marcelo Costa
• Letterer: Becca Carey
• Cover Artist: Daniele Di Nicuolo (cover A)
• Publisher: DC Comics
• Release Date: November 11, 2026
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Page Count: 24
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of Teen Titans #3:

First Impressions:

I haven’t enjoyed what Kyle Higgins is trying to create with this series. It’s fine but forgettable. However, this issue takes a significant step up in engagement factor. Why? Read on.

Recap:

In Teen Titans #2, Red Hood interrogated an Ascend member and learned that teens who washed out of the program were sent to a special facility, prompting him to assemble his new team for a reconnaissance mission. When the team witnessed a girl being roughly taken inside, they ignored Red Hood’s orders and stormed the facility, only to discover it was a Help Center for families with troubled kids, forcing Red Hood to apologize to its director, Maren Vellis, under an assumed identity. Furious over their reckless behavior and the resulting PR disaster, Red Hood sent the team home, while Proxy received a cryptic message from Eugene and discovered that he appeared to have been kidnapped.

Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):

The issue begins with Jason finding Cole’s body in a shallow grave. He tracks the killers to an encampment a few miles away and slaughters them. Elsewhere, the Teens are chatting away on their server when it suddenly disappears. Fairplay gets a series of frantic calls from his friends about the outage. He finds the server is completely gone and believes his father, Mr. Terrific, is responsible. When he confronts his dad, Mr. Terrific confirms he had nothing to do with the server’s disappearance.

Elsewhere, Jason interrogates the Ascend member he holds in captivity from issue #2. The member doesn’t know anything else about Ascend’s plans or Cole’s death. Jason lets the captive go. Later, the Teens confront Jason when Fairplay concludes that Jason took the server offline. Jason admits it because Cole’s death affirms the Teens aren’t ready for the dangers of the real world. The Teens leave to find the kidnapped Eugene. Fairplay leaves a parting gift: a new Red Hood helmet for Jason.

How is the story in Teen Titans #3?

Kyle Higgins ramps up the maturity level and the tension in this issue, which is why it works so well compared to the previous issues. More to the point, there’s almost no “Hello, fellow kids” banter or Higgins’ attempt to tap into the Gen Z zeitgeist via the personalities of the Teens. In short, the issue works because Higgins focuses on Jason Todd and Fairplay, pushing the rest of the Teens aside. Perhaps Higgins should have opted to write a Red Hood series instead.

How is the art in Teen Titans #3?

Daniele Di Nicuolo gets to show a little pop (literally and figuratively) in this issue when Jason Todd goes on a killing spree in an Ascend encampment. Di Nicuolo’s action choreography is fast-paced and slick, with just a touch of black humor in how some of the bodies fall. The linework is clean. The character acting is dramatic. And Marcelo Costa’s coloring is top-tier.

Characters

Jason Todd and Fariplay share the spotlight in this issue. For Jason, he reverts to type by being a killer when needed, merciful when needed, and aggressively attempting to shut the Teens down because he thinks it’s needed. Meanwhile, Fariplay’s genius intellect is offset by his unresolved issues with his father, which gives the character layers of emotional depth to make him relatable.

Originality & Concept Execution

Kyle Higgins gets points for inventing Ascend as a concept but loses points on the execution. Ascend is a faceless, featureless blob of an adversary. We don’t know what they want or why, and Higgins hasn’t dropped enough breadcrumbs to keep the mystery engaging.

Pros and Cons

What We Loved

• Strong character work for Jason Todd and Fairplay
• Slick action choreography in the art
• Engaging dramatic tension

Room for Improvement

• Ascend has been a black box for too long
• This issue is better for having left the Teens out of it
• Jason’s killing spree is a little too casual

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1.5/2

Final Thoughts:

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Teen Titans #3 ramps up the dramatic tension and the maturity level when Jason Todd does what he does best. Kyle Higgins turns in his best script yet, strangely, by putting most of the Teens on the back burner, and Daniele Di Nicuolo’s energetic action art is a lot of fun.

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