Tuesday 11 February 2014

What's next for the Teen Titans?


"Why... Why would Scott Lobdell do this to us?"

I’m not sure if people are really mourning this series or not.

Along with Nightwing, Superman Unchained and Suicide Squad, Teen Titans are being cancelled in November. Unlike Nightwing, whose story was signposted to end since Forever Evil #1, DC’s young superteam is likely ending because, well... how do I say this... it’s kinda’ rubbish. Sorry, but that’s what you get when Scott Lobdell writes your stories.


But the Teen Titans are a hallmark of DC and have been since the 80s. It would be ridiculous to say that the team is gone forever. So where to next for pubescent heroes?

Superboy


 
So we can expect Superboy to be going... nowhere, at the moment. Thanks to him having his own title, Superboy is still having adventures outside of the Teen Titans. The separation from the team, though, will likely mean a more interesting Superman clone for his post-April stories. I’ll admit; I’ve only read volume 2 of Superboy’s New 52 adventures, but they seemed to suffer from Lobdell’s insistence that it be closely tied to Teen Titans. I expect we’ll see Superboy take advantage of this new autonomy and we may even get some truly great stories.

Or, at least, it will be good by Lobdell’s standards.
 
 
 
 
 

Red Robin

Tim Drake is a hugely popular character- considered to be the best Robin in Batman history. I seriously doubt that he’s going to remain out of the action for long, and if the fanboys have their way, expect a Red Robin title to hit the shelves pretty soon. The only question is; who is going to write it? Personally, I’d like to see Kyle Higgins take it on. He’s done a reasonable stint on Nightwing, and is starting his run as part of the team on Batman Eternal. He needs his own title to work on, though; and Red Robin could be it.

 
 
 
 
Kid Flash

Kid Flash was one of the most amusing characters in Teen Titans. Again, it’s unlikely that DC is just going to forget about this guy. But what to do with him becomes a heavy question. In my mind, the mostly likely option is for him to appear in The Flash. The soon to be released The Flash Annual has confirmed that Wally West will be appearing. Assuming that this doesn’t equal to Barry Allen being removed from the current DC universe, there’s no reason why there couldn’t be a place for Burt Ward. Just keep him away from Lobdell, please!

 
 
 
 
Wondergirl

Okay, I know she hates being called that, but that’s who she is. While I would love to see her get her own series, it seems clear that Cassie Sandsmark won’t be heading up her own series while refusing to give Wonder Woman another book. That just doesn’t happen. So where could she go? She seems like an alright candidate for the Outlaws. She tough-willed and has a slight mean streak, so she would fit well with Red Hood, Arsenal, and Orange Stripper Starfire. Alternatively, maybe she would find a place on Justice League United? Time will tell if that is the series for her, but for now, it’s a possibility.

 
 
 
 
Skitter, Bunker and Soulstice

Okay, let’s just admit we’ll never see these guys again. Sure, they were fun, but if someone has to go, it will be the heroes with no prior attachment to any other DC comics. Maybe, just maybe, Lobdell will utilise them in future issues of Superboy, but beyond that, don’t hope for much.

 
 
 
 
 
 
The DC Team of Teenagers

Of course, it’s possible that all of these will reunite under a new brand. Fan commentary definitely leans towards a Young Justice comic entering the New 52. It would be a smart move, since Young Justice definitely fared better with older fans of DC than the younger ones. The structure of Young Justice itself is also more fan-friendly than Lobdell’s Teen Titans; it utilises many DC youngsters from a wide range of DC franchises and could help to unite the New 52 in a way that the... five? Yes, five... five Justice League titles.

Any of these options would be fine, but I personally refuse to admit that Lobdell has killed the Teen Titans. They’ll be back in one form or another.

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