Teen Titans

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics. In their over fifty years of existence, the Teen Titans have been the premiere team of young heroes in comics, with various peaks and troughs of critical and commercial success. Several incarnations of the team have made a significant impression on readers, from the original lineup, to the '80s revamp, to their stint as Young Justice with the subsequent rebirth of the Titans team. However, in between these popular highs have come a number of less-appreciated characters and concepts who deserve another turn in the spotlight. This video takes a look at a handful of these.

The Earth One OGN initiative at DC Comics offered the chance for new origin stories to be given to characters like Superman and Batman without readers having to worry about any continuity beyond what happened in those pages. In addition to offering modernized takes on familiar faces, it also gave the creative teams a chance to inject new ideas and style into the mix. It's hard to shake-up characters like Batman and Superman too much without going full '90s, but with characters like the Teen Titans, there's a lot more wiggle room. That's where Terry Dodson comes in. His redesigns were strong enough for DC Collectibles to turn them into action figures for its Designer Series line. Where Greg Capullo's held the fort firmly with his Batman family pieces, Dodson's figures give us a glimpse at the side of the DCU we don't quite often get to enjoy on the merchandise front, and it's a smart, successful inclusion.

TNT’s proposed Titans TV series, based on the DC Teen Titans of their namesake, has officially hung up the cape. After years in development, the network confirms it has abandoned development of the Akiva Goldsman led series, leaving DC fans to make do with only Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Gotham, Supergirl …

Everyone loves comic book trivia, but with 75 years of superhero comics behind us right now, there’s always some new obscure fact to learn. That’s why ComicsAlliance is going deep into the minutiae of your favorite characters in our continuing video series. You think you know comics? Well, here’s a few things you might not know! This week we're taking a look at DC's most famous team of sidekicks and other adolescent heroes, the Teen Titans! Find out about some of the team's lesser known members, the surprising number of race-related firsts that occurred in the book, and how Nabisco led to the creation of an all-new team member, as well as several other equally interesting facts.

With the New 52's arrival a few years ago, Tim Drake moved out of the Batcave and shed his Robin uniform for a new home and new duds. Taking up the Red Robin persona, Drake has focused primarily on being the leader of the Teen Titans, though he still finds the time to aid Batman when the call is made. No matter how far from home the bird flies, he'll always be a part of the Bat-family, and his inclusion in Kotobukiya's growing Batman ArtFX+ statue line was a no-brainer. Coming in at 7" tall, the piece (sculpted by Naoya Muto) captures Tim Drake in his cocky glory. So far the other characters in the series have all been relatively serious, with the exception of Damian Wayne who's always looking to stir up trouble. Red Robin's pose is a bit intimidating, but for reasons beyond a grim stature. Instead, you know just by looking at him that Tim Drake knows all your secrets, and will wipe the floor with you before you can even twitch.

Historically speaking, the Teen Titans have not had a really great time dealing with adults. If it's not a one-eyed weirdo trying to murder them with swords and juvenile delinquents, it's a cult leader who literally drinks blood trying to turn them over to demonic ancestors. So really, it's not much of a surprise that this time, they're dealing with being framed for mass murder. Well, Superboy is, anyway, and as you might expect, that's a pretty big source of stress, to the point where it's left the team fractured, with Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, Bunker and Chimera on the run from everyone --- including Manchester Black. And really, when you think about all that, then deciding to break into a jail in a last-ditch effort to clear your names actually starts to seem like a pretty decent idea.

Joe Phillips' table in Artists' Alley is always an essential stop for me at San Diego Comic Con. The former Heretic and Superboy artist is one of the only guys at any comics show who can always be counted on for a great selection of quality beefcake pin-ups that rival the cheesecake that's so prevalent on other artists' tables. If you're in the market for a coquettish Angel, or a stripping Steve Rogers, Joe Phillips is your man. But this year Phillips had something new on his table --- and so incredibly camp that it may appeal to much of the same audience that loves the hero beefcake. Phillips has taken some of the biggest stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood and cast them as some of the biggest names in superhero comics, to give fans a vision of what these movies might have looked like in another era.

As readers will know from our weekly Best Cosplay Ever feature, we’re big fans of cosplay at ComicsAlliance. The comics, sci-fi, gaming, and fantasy communities have proved time and again their exceptional talents for homemade disguises and superheroic sartorial excellence, and all of their craft and skill will be on display this weekend at HeroesCon. Our chief cosplay correspondent Betty Felon is on hand to document as much of it as she can. Scroll down for some of the very finest cosplay from HeroesCon!

You can’t keep a good Teen Titan down. On the screen, on the page, in and out of feathered disco unitards --- the public gobbles them up and asks for more. DC’s Convergence event will unite classic Titans writer Marv Wolfman with artists Nicola Scott and Marc Deering for a trip back to the 1980s in Convergence: New Teen Titans, a tale which promises to pit the adolescent do-gooders against the Tangent Universe’s Doom Patrol. Will Robotman and Cyborg square off in a battle for riveted supremacy? Will Beast Boy’s history with the Patrol find him trapped between his past and present? Will Starfire’s legendary ultra-perm emerge from the chaos unscathed? With these issues in mind, ComicsAlliance sat down with the creative team to discuss the Titans’ various eras, their enduring appeal, and what the future holds for the classic super team.

Over almost two years and over eighty episodes on the air, Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans Go has dropped its characters into a wide variety of different situations. They might go to the future, meet alternate versions of themselves, or die of old age. There are even songs. Some critics have accused the show of being too silly, so in the episode debuting today, “Let’s Get Serious,” the Titans meet some of these critics in the form of Young Justice, the teen superhero team from their own, departed, animated show --- and they’re definitely not pleased with what they see. To battle their critics, the Titans grimace really hard until they too become incredibly serious, muscled, gritty one-liner-spouting versions of themselves. We spoke to series producer Michael Jelenic about the crossover, bouncing criticisms back at detractors and pushing the show into even wider, weirder directions.