Titans/Teen Titans Appreciation 2019

[Raijin]

I hate it when people only see a powerset or a costume.

I think everyone is guilty of this at some point in their lives. I use to dismiss the Fab Five as Diet Justice League. But after reading Graysom’s Titans run. My mindset completely changed.

[Badou]

Why would we want Mr. Terrific and Animal Man on the Titans? The team is more unique then that, and their a family in a way other DC teams (aside from the JSA) aren't.

The Titans is always going to probably be a mix of adults and teenagers unless we get a pure Titans, adult, team and a separate teenage team but I don't think that necessarily limits the stories and development for those characters...especially since Titans book seems to be the only books that even care to bother with those characters.

What you call unique I call a flaw. Only allowing teens or legacy characters on the team shows the real limitations of the Titans team. That is fine if the team is made up of teens, but once they are adults it becomes an issue. It locks the adult Titans to be constantly looked down at and lumped together with the teens or young heroes instead of other adult heroes. We've seen this repeatedly. It is the same issues a concept like New Mutants has. When they were actually the new mutants in the X-Men they worked but once they became adults and grew up them still going by New Mutants trying to do the same things kind of didn't work anymore.

Also unique how? There isn't really anything unique about the Titans as a concept. They aren't Doom Patrol or Suicide Squad. The adult Titans are just a group of adults that are stuck on the same team repeating the same stories they did as teens all while looking up to the JLA. It is sad. Their growth has been completely stunted. I think arguing they are about "family" or "friendship" falls flat on its face because people act like they are the only team or franchise that has those themes which is such a big lie. The JSA is how you do family correctly. They have generations of heroes, some very old and some very young, and they all work together and feel close all without any real limitations. They can add legacy heroes or individual heroes.

And didn't we just get separate Teen Titans and Titans teams in Rebirth? The first Titans team was all adults with the classic roster and it was a disaster. Even Abnett came out and said that the concept didn't work and trying to base the run around "friendship/family" failed. People go on about that Grayson run but I think it was a failure. A nice nostalgia boost but just like with Abnett's run it quickly burnt itself out. Showing the Titans eating at a cafe together and talking about the good old days can only mask the limitations for so long. And just like that run or any run between it and Abnett's the same issues pop up. I'd just rather see the adult Titans move on and quit living in the past and leave the franchise to the actual young heroes.

[king81992]

I blame Abnett's limitations as a writer for the concept of 'the Titans as friendship/family' failing in the earlier part of his run. However,for the Titans to work as a franchise again, I think that writers are going to have to throw everything out(their continuity is a mess anyways),retool certain characters and avoid rehashing plotlines. Focus less on creating some epic story arc and write stories that properly flesh out the cast and not character assassinate them.

[byrd156]

What you call unique I call a flaw. Only allowing teens or legacy characters on the team shows the real limitations of the Titans team. That is fine if the team is made up of teens, but once they are adults it becomes an issue. It locks the adult Titans to be constantly looked down at and lumped together with the teens or young heroes instead of other adult heroes. We've seen this repeatedly. It is the same issues a concept like New Mutants has. When they were actually the new mutants in the X-Men they worked but once they became adults and grew up them still going by New Mutants trying to do the same things kind of didn't work anymore.

Also unique how? There isn't really anything unique about the Titans as a concept. They aren't Doom Patrol or Suicide Squad. The adult Titans are just a group of adults that are stuck on the same team repeating the same stories they did as teens all while looking up to the JLA. It is sad. Their growth has been completely stunted. I think arguing they are about "family" or "friendship" falls flat on its face because people act like they are the only team or franchise that has those themes which is such a big lie. The JSA is how you do family correctly. They have generations of heroes, some very old and some very young, and they all work together and feel close all without any real limitations. They can add legacy heroes or individual heroes.

And didn't we just get separate Teen Titans and Titans teams in Rebirth? The first Titans team was all adults with the classic roster and it was a disaster. Even Abnett came out and said that the concept didn't work and trying to base the run around "friendship/family" failed. People go on about that Grayson run but I think it was a failure. A nice nostalgia boost but just like with Abnett's run it quickly burnt itself out. Showing the Titans eating at a cafe together and talking about the good old days can only mask the limitations for so long. And just like that run or any run between it and Abnett's the same issues pop up. I'd just rather see the adult Titans move on and quit living in the past and leave the franchise to the actual young heroes.

The Titans can't (as far as I have seen) work under the current DC management. They are products of a bygone era of legacy, history and connections. DC did away with all that and what they built cant sustain what the Titans are. Just like what has been happening to every other legacy character since the reboot.

[Godlike13]

Another problem with limiting the Titans roster is it doesn't leave them with that strong of a character pool to work with, and when a team is made up with the likes of character's like Gnarrk it immediately looks like a team for amateur d-listers.

[byrd156]

Another problem with limiting the Titans roster is it doesn't leave them with that strong of a character pool to work with, and when a team is made up with the likes of character's like Gnarrk it immediately looks like a team for amateur d-listers.

Come on now. Gnarrk is not a problem for the Titans, he was in Titans Hunt and that was pretty much it.

[WallyWestFlash]

Another problem with limiting the Titans roster is it doesn't leave them with that strong of a character pool to work with, and when a team is made up with the likes of character's like Gnarrk it immediately looks like a team for amateur d-listers.

I think it would be great to add heroes that are not exclusively part of the Titans franchies like Kyle or Conner Hawke. as long as they are part of that "generation" and make sense that they would join, instead of random other heroes in order to make Titans "legit".

[Raijin]

Another problem with limiting the Titans roster is it doesn't leave them with that strong of a character pool to work with, and when a team is made up with the likes of character's like Gnarrk it immediately looks like a team for amateur d-listers.

There's nothing with Gnarrk. I actually wish that premier teams had more fringe characters within their rosters instead of playing it safe all the time.

[Godlike13]

Character like Gnarrk don't draw, in anyway, and there's a reason for that. The team is at a disadvantage when its cast is limited to the same handful of characters and forgotten character that the audiences generally doesn't care about.

[Restingvoice]

I second that. The original is fine as a starter, like, keep the Fab Five as the ringleaders, but they can rotate the rest or add bigger or current names.
Who are the big or current 20-something heroes?
We already have Kyle but Jessica can be in Titans too
How old is Sideways and what is he doing now?

...I said 20-something but the Justice League included teenagers like Firestorm. Why were there teenagers in Justice League?

[Digifiend]

Sideways would be the right age for either of the Titans teams. He's about the same age as Raven and Beast Boy.

Yeah, Jessica debuted two decades later, but she is supposed to be roughly the same age as Kyle isn't she?

Cyborg and Starfire, currently on the same team as Jessica and historically associated with the Teen Titans, would qualify.

So yeah, Restingvoice, those are all good shouts for the next relaunch. Though there'd need to be justification for Jessica and Kyle on the same team. Romance? Jessica and Simon on the same JL roster was justified by their shared power battery. They'd need some other justification if she was paired with someone else.

[Restingvoice]

Sideways would be the right age for either of the Titans teams. He's about the same age as Raven and Beast Boy.

Yeah, Jessica debuted two decades later, but she is supposed to be roughly the same age as Kyle isn't she?

Cyborg and Starfire, currently on the same team as Jessica and historically associated with the Teen Titans, would qualify.

So yeah, Restingvoice, those are all good shouts for the next relaunch. Though there'd need to be justification for Jessica and Kyle on the same team. Romance? Jessica and Simon on the same JL roster was justified by their shared power battery. They'd need some other justification if she was paired with someone else.

Then I want Sideways in Titans since I prefer people closer to Damian's age in the Teens.

My idea is more of a rotating roster, so while Kyle's there they don't need to include Jessica, who I forgot is in JLO right now, but if he's out, then Jessica can get in.

[Godlike13]

With the YJ comic and the Wonder line, and the Titans TV show even, i think its maybe time DC try to explore having just one Titans team.

[Kon93]

With the YJ comic and the Wonder line, and the Titans TV show even, i think its maybe time DC try to explore having just one Titans team.

Or not.

The JL has a core that is almost always consistent,the Titans are not at a disadvantage for having the same characters on the team,they are the draw to the book,the reason ppl live the team,and why ppl fight for them all the time.
Dick
Donna
Wally
Roy
Garth
Kory
Raven
Gar
Vice

There are the established iconic Titans,now make it work DC.

And a teen team could be a team created by the older Titans to help train and bring a feeling of community to the next generation of heroes.

[WallyWestFlash]

Or not.

The JL has a core that is almost always consistent,the Titans are not at a disadvantage for having the same characters on the team,they are the draw to the book,the reason ppl live the team,and why ppl fight for them all the time.
Dick
Donna
Wally
Roy
Garth
Kory
Raven
Gar
Vice

There are the established iconic Titans,now make it work DC.

And a teen team could be a team created by the older Titans to help train and bring a feeling of community to the next generation of heroes.

That's a good point and well said.