Has anyone else read the CBR article, Why Can't the Teen Titans Just Be Fun?

[Shockingjustice]

It's weird that people are saying DC should go dark when that's pretty much been all they are recently. Are there many lighthearted books right now anyway?

[Agent Z]

It's weird that people are saying DC should go dark when that's pretty much been all they are recently. Are there many lighthearted books right now anyway?

Super Sons, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, their Looney Tunes stuff. There's plenty of lighthearted output from them.

And no Ines asking for DC to go dark. Just find a balance.

[king81992]

It's weird that people are saying DC should go dark when that's pretty much been all they are recently. Are there many lighthearted books right now anyway?

DC shouldn't go dark. The upcoming Sanctuary event is basically an interesting concept(superheroes in therapy)that is going to be ruined by going dark. It should be about healing the characters who got broken not killing them off for cheap shock value.

Certain franchises like Titans would benefit from a lighter direction for a bit.

[astro@work]

I thought the article made a great point about the highlights of the various TT runs being when they had a balance of fun & adventure. The nu52 run was a perfect example of going grimdark and failing on most levels.

[king81992]

I thought the article made a great point about the highlights of the various TT runs being when they had a balance of fun & adventure. The nu52 run was a perfect example of going grimdark and failing on most levels.

The worst part of New 52 is that Titans and Ravagers had nothing but interesting concepts that were botched by the writers or editorial's desire to be grimdark.

[Raijin]

It seems like comic book fans have gotten soft over the years. There's nothing wrong with a story being dark and mature. If that's how a writer wants to approach their story, so be it. You have no right to question it, especially if you have no plans to read it. I welcome both tones for a Titans series.

[Raijin]

Super Sons, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, their Looney Tunes stuff. There's plenty of lighthearted output from them.

And no Ines asking for DC to go dark. Just find a balance.

There's always been a balance. People just refuse to pay attention.

[byrd156]

They did indeed but when people these days think of the Teen Titans they are most likely thinking of the Wolfman/Perez NTT than the 60s Teen Titans book. Its more recent and more people have read it so that is always the book they are looking for a show to be the most like. That being said I'm more likely to think of the '60s book instead because that was the one I started reading first.

I'm in the middle of a reread of this series.

[astro@work]

It seems like comic book fans have gotten soft over the years. There's nothing wrong with a story being dark and mature. If that's how a writer wants to approach their story, so be it. You have no right to question it, especially if you have no plans to read it. I welcome both tones for a Titans series.

Sure we do. It's called a message board. And also a free mind.

[Ascended]

I didn't read the article. Mostly because the premise feels terribly flawed to me.

Maybe the author was thinking of Young Justice, but the Titans have rarely (if ever) been a bright, funny, happy, humor book. Unless the death of Donna's infant child and subsequent divorce, Raven going evil (how many times now?), Slade manipulating and sleeping with a girl young enough to be his daughter, etc., is someone's definition of "light hearted." Just because the characters could be smartasses who told jokes to each other (laughing so they dont cry, I believe the saying is?) doesn't mean the title was ever "light." It dealt with some heavy stuff. Hell, Dick and Kori being in bed while unmarried was quite the scandal back in the day, wasn't it?

The Titans like to tell a joke, but they are far and away more grim-angst than anything.

If a writer takes the Titans in a humorous direction, great. I loved Young Justice by Peter David largely because it didn't take itself terribly seriously all the time (though it certainly had its moments, especially later on). But that's not what the Titans have been up to this point. At least since the 80's revival.....and let's be honest, the only good thing to come out of the original series was the concept and Donna (and that only through a miscommunication in the offices).

[docmidnite]

I didn't read the article. Mostly because the premise feels terribly flawed to me.

Maybe the author was thinking of Young Justice, but the Titans have rarely (if ever) been a bright, funny, happy, humor book. Unless the death of Donna's infant child and subsequent divorce, Raven going evil (how many times now?), Slade manipulating and sleeping with a girl young enough to be his daughter, etc., is someone's definition of "light hearted." Just because the characters could be smartasses who told jokes to each other (laughing so they dont cry, I believe the saying is?) doesn't mean the title was ever "light." It dealt with some heavy stuff. Hell, Dick and Kori being in bed while unmarried was quite the scandal back in the day, wasn't it?

The Titans like to tell a joke, but they are far and away more grim-angst than anything.

If a writer takes the Titans in a humorous direction, great. I loved Young Justice by Peter David largely because it didn't take itself terribly seriously all the time (though it certainly had its moments, especially later on). But that's not what the Titans have been up to this point.

Yup. Wally's powers slowly killing him because Wolfman didn't know how to write someone with super speed, Gar trying to hide all of his pain dealing with his powers and the fallout from the deaths of the original Doom Patrol through laughter, Roy's on and off again struggles with addiction, Vic trying to come to grips with being more machine than man and his extreme Daddy issues, Tula's death, etc.

Teen Titans without "grim" teen angst is like Aquaman without water (and it has been like that since at least the Nixon era even before the W/P NTT run)

[JasonTodd428]

I'm in the middle of a reread of this series.

I need to do that again myself. It may be dated but I still recall having a lot of fun with it in spite of that.

[byrd156]

I need to do that again myself. It may be dated but I still recall having a lot of fun with it in spite of that.

I always like to think when reading how the series would be handled more modern sensibilities.