Writer Kami Garcia and comic artist Gabriel Picolo team up once again to deliver their latest graphic novel Teen Titans: Beast Boy. Not only does the graphic novel explore how it feels to go unnoticed and the desire to feel like a part of something, it also explains how Garfield Logan (aka Beast Boy) gets his superhero name... and it's ridiculous.
Because Garcia and Picolo's transform into any animal - whether that be one that appears menacing or absolutely adorable. Besides communicating his powers, Garcia and Picolo also emphasize his longing to no longer be viewed as an outcast among his peers. But that can be difficult for someone whose life is shrouded in secrets. In addition to adding depth to the beloved character, fans also learn the origin behind his superhero name and its anything but legendary.
After taking on the challenge of eating a Carolina Reaper - one of the hottest peppers in the world - Garfield prepares with his friends Stella and Tank by doing a little research on the pepper. During their research, Garfield and his friends discover that tree shrews love hot peppers. But they also discover that people who have eaten Carolina Reapers may experience dizziness, vomiting, swelling, sweating, and severe diarrhea, which is why Garfield puts on a pair of disposable underwear before going to a place called Kick-Ass BBQ where he will eat the pepper in front of a crowd of Bull Creek High School students. Shortly after he arrives at Kick-Ass BBQ, Garfield takes a bite of a Carolina Reaper and - thanks to Beast Boy's weird anatomy adjusting to that of a tree shrew - the pepper has no effect on him.
After taking a few more bites of the Carolina Reaper, a popular student grabs the pepper and - testing if it's the real deal - takes a bite. To his surprise, the pepper is indeed a Carolina Reaper and he immediately begins to experience the side effects. While his opponent panics and downs glass after glass of milk, Garfield leaves Kick-Ass BBQ with his friends. On his way out, a young man named Rusty calls Garfield, "a beast." Garfield likes the name so much that he adds another word to the title and tells Stella and Tank that they should start calling him "Beast Boy."
Considering how interesting Beast Boy is as a character - and how variable his powers - you might have expected a more interesting origin for his superhero title. Still, fans will be happy to know that Garcia and Picolo will be bringing Beast Boy and Raven together in Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven.
