Getting Started: Teen Titans Essential Reading
The dynamic duo of Robbie Landis and Ben Morse is back once again for another episode of the Other Identity. The Other Identity is a podcast about exploring the culture created by comic books. This week at the behest of a listener, Robbie and Ben return with another essential reading episode. This time they tackle the Teen Titans. Who are the Teen Titans? Where should you start reading if you’re new to the Teen Titans? The Other Identity has you covered this week.
The Teen Titans
Despite most people have gotten their start on Teen Titans with the animated show, they’re actually much older. The Teen Titans go as far back as 1964 when they made their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold. The idea was to take all of the sidekicks to the popular heroes and turn them into a Justice League Junior. The first Teen Titans consisted of Robin, Wonder Girl, Speedy, and Aqualad. Though it was until their run in the 1980s as the New Teen Titans they gained more popularity than any other DC title at the time. Their ranks since then have only swelled as the Teen Titans have come to be a group for any hero in their teens. Such has included; multiple Robins, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, multiple Super Boys, Beast Boy, and many others.
Robbie and Ben talk about several Teen Titan runs and where the best place to get into the heroes are. Robbie read through three story arcs including The Judas Contract, The Terror of Trigon, and A Kids Game. Though The Judas Contract is considered one of the best story arcs of the Teen Titans, it’s not a very good place to start. Seeing the origins of both Deathstroke and Nightwing are important parts of the Titans history. However, they require too much prior knowledge and commitment as a jumping-on point.
Where to Start?
The Terror of Trigon is a much better place to jump in for someone looking to sink their teeth into a Silver Age Teen Titans story. It takes place with Raven finally succumbing to the influence of her father, the demon Trigon. It’s a very straightforward superhero tale. You know who the bad guys are and who the good guys are. And it’s about triumph over evil. There are some aspects of the story that could use prior knowledge, but nothing that ruins the story.
The best place to jump is really ‘A Kids Game’ from the Teen Titans run in 2003 by Geoff Johns. It centers around the formation of a brand new era of Teen Titans including the new Wonder Girl, Super Boy Connor Kent, Bart Allen as he takes up the mantle of Kid Flash, and the newest Robin, Tim Drake. They are joined and mentored by some of the older titans, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg. Though there some references to older events, this is by far one of the best places for new readers to begin.
Miss last week’s episode? Catch Episode 39: Who’s on the New Team for Avengers 5? Follow CheckpointXP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! You can also follow Robbie and Ben on Twitter.
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