DC Revives a Superteam Missing For Years (& I Already Need More)

The Teen Titans have always been one of DC’s most popular teams. DC introduced the idea of young people being superheroes with the creation of sidekicks, and the Teen Titans allowed these beloved characters to stretch their wings while tackling drama that older characters can’t. They were a hit that just kept hitting. For a while, it seemed like there was always going to be a new generation of Teen Titans, filled with the newest and youngest heroes set to prove themselves. However, although the Titans are going stronger than ever, we haven’t seen the Teen Titans as a proper team since the breakup of Titans Academy. Even before that, the team was falling apart at the seams.  

That all changed with the brand new tie-in to DC’s biggest event of the season, DC K.O.: The Kids Are All Fight Special. This comic introduced a whole new team that could be the new Teen Titans. They definitely had a rocky start, which is practically a tradition in this business, but this incarnation has a whole lot of potential to go big. All they need is a chance to show that they have what it takes, and they can blow the entire world away. 

New Teens, New Titans

The comic started with Jon Kent being tasked with protecting Fairplay, Quiz Kid, Cheshire Cat, and the Boom while the rest of the Earth’s heroes dealt with the ever-escalating chaos as Earth transformed into Apocalypse. Naturally, these teen heroes were not content with being pushed to the sidelines and gave the younger Superman the slip. Knowing how underprepared they were for the situation planetside, Jon tracked down the best person he knew that could find them and keep a secret: Cassandra Cain. The quiet detective found the kids’ path, and the two adult heroes followed them to Earth.

Down on the burning planet, the kids were immediately met with the might of Granny Goodness and her new mind-controlled Furies, some of whom were Stargirl, Yara Flor, and Irey West. Fairplay’s PTSD from the last time Granny kidnapped him overwhelmed him, and the rest of the team was captured. Granny was searching for a specific young hero who could power her machine to totally take over the world. Superman and Batgirl found Fairplay and connected over how all of their childhoods were stolen, inspiring him to fight back. 

Even after freeing the rest of their friends, the battle seemed hopeless with Granny’s machine sapping their wills. Thankfully, the hero Granny was looking for arrived at the last second. Static busted in, immune to Granny’s brainwashing thanks to his powers, and smashed her machine. Together, the heroes stood and shoved Granny away, standing like the new generation of the Teen Titans.

Mentors and Students Who Both Have to Learn

What would make a new iteration of the Teen Titans with this roster so interesting is that it combines older heroes and new ones seamlessly. Batgirl and Superman are both established heroes, but they can also both benefit from teaching the younger students. They never had the childhoods they wished, so ensuring that these kids could fight to protect their own and other people’s would be an incredible theme in action. Also, mixing mentors and new heroes like this is a new idea for the team. It’d be taking all of the strengths of Titans Academy and mixing it with the classic Teen Titans formula, inherently creating a whole lot of drama and interesting storylines to explore.

Most of all, it would give underrated heroes a chance to shine. Batgirl and Jon are popular on their own, but still need that book to push their characters and characterization forward. Yara Flor, Stargirl, and Static are all criminally underappreciated and deserve the spotlight, but haven’t been given the attention that being on the Teen Titans would give them, which could make them superstars. The new heroes could use this to establish who they are and what makes them special, which is exactly what the Teen Titans team has been doing for characters like them for decades.

Long story short, it’s been way too long since we’ve had a proper Teen Titans team running around, and this incarnation of them would be an excellent blueprint for a new version that draws strength from the past while doing its own thing. The Teen Titans need to have their resurgence, and it’s well past time for the newest generation of heroes to show everyone what they’re made of.

DC K.O.: The Kids Are All Fight Special is on sale now!

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