In the 1970s, Marvel Comics proved to be much more relatable to young readers than DC Comics. Marvel had more human characters and fewer godlike heroes, and DC was becoming a little more goofy and comedic, losing a lot of fans along the way. Everything changed in 1980 when Marv Wolfman left Marvel and returned to DC Comics. He teamed up with George Pérez, and the two men rebooted the Teen Titans franchise and created the most Marvel-like comic book team DC had ever seen. Since then, there hasn’t been a more popular team than the Teen Titans and their spinoff groups.
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Through the years, the Teen Titans have had some of the best comics in DC, and here are five of their best storylines every new reader needs to check out.
5) New Teen Titans: “Friends and Foes Alike”
“Friends and Foes Alike” was a one-issue storyline in New Teen Titans #13. What makes this issue so great is that it gives a good look at one of the best Teen Titans lineups and then puts them in the same book as Doom Patrol, which is a plus for any DC Comics book. The story sees Cyborg, Kid Flash, and Dick Grayson’s Robin head to the Ugandan jungle, where they end up finding Doom Patrol and teaming up to fight General Zahl and Madame Rouge.
The issue also has Starfire competing in a tournament on Paradise Island and Beast Boy losing control after a recent injury. This book has so much to love, and it has Marv Wolfman and George Pérez at the top of their game as they write these heroes that were nothing like anything else in DC Comics at the time.
4) New Teen Titans: “Who is Donna Troy?”
“Who is Donna Troy” is a Wonder Girl-centric title and goes into depth on her relationship with Dick Grayson, as two young heroes who have a long history working together. People who only know the Teen Titans thanks to their cartoons might not know how important Donna Troy was to the team and its formation and standing in DC Comics. New readers need to read this issue to understand who Wonder Girl really is.
This story took place in New Teen Titans #38, where Marv Wolfman and George Pérez went deep into the origin story of Wonder Girl, Donna Troy. This is because Donna never knew who she was since Wonder Woman saved her as a baby and had her raised on Paradise Island. Dick Grayson decides to help his long-time friend learn more about her past. This is an emotional story that shows not only the friendship between the Teen Titans members, but also how they will always be there for each other, a key aspect of the team.
3) Teen Titans: “Family Lost”
“Family Lost” was a long-running storyline years into the Teen Titans’ existence as a team. It kicked off Teen Titans Vol. 3 and ran for the first 12 issues of the series. This gives Geoff Johns a chance to write the team in 2004 and sees them reunite with some significant changes. Raven is back from the dead with a new body, but is controlled by Brother Blood. Rose Wilson has gone to Deathstroke’s side as the Ravager.
This was the Teen Titans after Young Justice ended, so the team was a little different, but it is also a good entry point for people who don’t want to go back to the start. Geoff Johns always writes good books, so the quality is here, and this brings in new Titans members like Conner Kent’s Superboy, Bart Allen’s Kid Flash, Cassandra Sandsmark’s Wonder Girl, and Tim Drake’s Robin.
2) New Teen Titans: “The Judas Contract”
“The Judas Contract” is pretty much the gold standard for Teen Titans storylines. This took place from Tales of the Teen Titans #42-44 and saw the team betrayed by one of their own. This was also a comic book series that has been adapted into one of the best DCAU releases, although some members of the team had changed. This features Nightwing, Starfire, Raven, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Jericho, and Terra, with the latter turning evil in this storyline.
This was such a seminal piece of storytelling. The betrayal was shocking in all the right ways. This was where Dick Grayson gave up his role as Robin to become Nightwing, and when Wally West gave up his Kid Flash role and quit. Deathstroke proved here why he is the Titans’ greatest villain, and this might be one of the best comic book storylines DC produced in its main line comics in the early 1980s.
1) New Teen Titans #1
Any new reader who wants to start re-reading the Teen Titans should begin with The New Teen Titans, which kicked off in 1980. The Teen Titans were around in the 1970s as a team of sidekicks, but this series had them step out of their mentors’ shadows and prove they were a force on their own. Robin went from DC’s most famous sidekick to a responsible team leader. Kid Flash and Wonder Girl stayed on from the 70s as well.
However, the best thing here is that creators Marv Wolfman and George Pérez introduced the world to the new Titans members in Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy (known as Changeling at the time), and Cyborg. The fact that those four are synonymous with the Teen Titans to this day proves how important this series was. Wolfman and Pérez created something groundbreaking at DC Comics at the time, and they turned the Teen Titans into the company’s greatest creation of the 80s.
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