The 10 Greatest TEEN TITANS Comic Book Runs, Ranked

As a long-time comic book enthusiast who has witnessed the evolution of DC’s Teen Titans since their inception, I can confidently say that Geoff Johns’ run on Teen Titans (vol. 3) stands out as one of the most impactful and engaging periods in the team’s history. His ability to breathe new life into characters like Conner Kent (Superboy), Bart Allen (Impulse/Kid Flash), Deathstroke, Brother Blood, and Raven was nothing short of remarkable.

For nearly six decades, the Teen Titans (now commonly known as the Titans) have been a mainstay in DC Comics. At one point, they were even DC’s top-selling monthly title, outselling both Batman and Justice League. They’ve since appeared in three animated series, a live-action show, and will soon debut in James Gunn’s DCU. With 17 different series featuring these iconic young heroes, we’ve compiled a list of the best and most impactful comic book series spanning their history.

10. Teen Titans by Bob Rozakis

with Irv Novick, Don Heck, José Delbo

The initial Teen Titans series, debuting in the ’60s, eventually fizzled out and was terminated with issue #43 in 1973. However, DC took another shot at it in 1976, rebooting the title under writer Bob Rozakis, starting from issue #44. These comics are undeniably products of their era. The Titans operated a disco called “Gabriel’s Horn,” and Speedy was part of a rock band named The Great Frog. They encountered outlandish villains such as the Rocket Rollers, who capitalized on popular trends like skateboarding at the time. However, to Bob Rozakis’ merit, this phase of Teen Titans gave more prominence to its female characters compared to the previous period. That’s a significant improvement.

In addition, this run featured some positive aspects such as the debut of characters like Joker’s Daughter and Bumblebee, DC’s first African-American superheroine. Both characters have continued in updated versions since then. Furthermore, the idea for a Titans West spin-off team was conceived during this period, which predates Marvel’s West Coast Avengers by quite some time. However, it must be said that the dialogue in this run can feel a bit awkward, and the artwork isn’t always top-notch. Nevertheless, despite these flaws, this short-lived era of Teen Titans remains enjoyable and endearing. For the Teen Titans, this was their third successful comeback, but we’ll delve into that later on.

9. New Titans by Marv Wolfman

with George Pérez, Tom Grummett

This new series is essentially an expansion on Marv Wolfman’s previous run of New Teen Titans, but due to a title change, it marks a unique phase in its history. In 1988, the original New Teen Titans required a fresh start, so DC opted to have the now-grown heroes abandon the “Teen” from their team name and rebrand as The New Titans. After a long hiatus, George Pérez, one of the co-creators of New Teen Titans, returned to revamp Wonder Girl’s origin for the post-Crisis timeline. Following this significant storyline, they introduced a Batman collaboration that brought Tim Drake, later known as the third Robin, into the DC universe in the “A Lonely Place of Dying” arc.

As Pérez departed following a year’s tenure, I teamed up with the rising star Tom Grummett. Our epic storyline, “Titans Hunt,” spanned a whole year and ended with all of us being captured by the Wildebeest Society. Only Nightwing managed to break free. Consequently, Dick Grayson had to assemble a fresh band of unlikely heroes to track down his fellow Titans who had gone missing. This run was quite dramatic, filled with unexpected twists, shocking moments, and character deaths in every issue. It was an absolute blast reading it month after month. After “Titans Hunt,” things took a turn for the worse, eventually leading to the cancellation of the New Titans in 1995. However, from ’88-’92, Marv Wolfman demonstrated that even after a decade on the Titans, he was still capable of weaving some top-notch, down-to-earth comic book tales.

Issues in Marv Wolfman’s New Titans Run:

New Titans #50-130 (1988-1995)

8. Titans by Tom Taylor

with Nicola Scott, Lucas Meyer

The final position for this ongoing series is yet uncertain, but we’re quite certain that the current “Titans” run by writer Tom Taylor deserves a prominent place, despite it not being fully concluded yet. Following the events of “Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths,” the Justice League disbanded, leading Superman to entrust Earth’s protection to the Titans. He believes this is their moment to shine. Previously, Tom Taylor demonstrated his grasp of Dick Grayson’s character in his “Nightwing” series. Now, he demonstrates his understanding of his comrades as well, through this current series.

Among the great stories so far in this run include Beast World. Last year’s crossover event saw Beast Boy weaponized against the Earth, and the resulting public turn against the Titans. Also, Raven’s current turn to the dark side is providing for some fun reading. (Even if this storyline has kind of been done to death already). The initial art by Nicola Scott is gorgeous, as are the pencils from follow-up regular artist Lucas Meyer. With Taylor wrapping up his writing duties on Titans this fall, it’s ultimately a far too brief run. But one worth mentioning.

Issues in Tom Taylor’s Titans Run:

Titans (vol. 4) #1-15 (2023-2024)

7. The Titans by Devin Grayson, James M. Faerber, Tom Peyer

with Mark Buckingham, Paul Pelletier, Barry Kitson, Adam DeKraker, Peter Grau

Following an icy response to a revamped “Teen Titans” series by Dan Jurgens in 1996 featuring fresh characters, DC opted to return to their roots. Post the highly successful reintroduction of the Justice League of America (JLA) by Grant Morrison, the company reassembled the original five Titans, now grown-ups with new aliases. Writer Devin Grayson picked up the original five members and resurrected Starfire and Cyborg from the “New Teen Titans”, Jesse Quick from Mark Waid’s “Flash” comics, the young hero Damage, and Argent, a character from Dan Jurgens’ previous and not-so-popular “Teen Titans” run. Somehow, this diverse team mostly gelled together effectively.

Devin Grayson skillfully captured the camaraderie of the original five Titans, portraying them as individuals who had spent their formative years together. The series also effectively blended these veterans with the newer generation of heroes, although characters like Raven and Beast Boy were greatly missed. Some of the villains introduced in this comic series, such as Tartarus, have remained relevant, while others, such as the character resembling Marilyn Manson named Goth, can stay confined to 1999. The artwork from artists like Mark Buckingham was not flashy but consistently strong. Following Grayson’s departure, writers Jay Faerber and Tom Peyer continued her narrative threads. In essence, this period was an enjoyable one that firmly established the Titans as mature heroes in their own right, a trait that persists to the present day.

Issues in Devin Grayson, Jay Faerber, and Tom Peyer’s The Titans Run:

JLA/Titans: The Technic Imperative #1-3 (1998) The Titans #1-50 (1999-2003)

6. Teen Titans by Benjamin Percy

with Jonboy Meyers, Khoi Pham, Scott Eaton

During the New 52 era, the Teen Titans were revamped into edgier, ’90s-inspired versions of their original characters, leaving fans barely recognizing them. When the traditional DC continuity came back during the DC Rebirth period in 2016, the team was reintroduced once more, but this time with a Robin who had never been part of the Titans before – Batman’s son, Damian Wayne. Robin assembled a group that, on the surface, mirrored the roster from the animated Teen Titans TV series. However, instead of Cyborg, Kid Flash Wallace West was present in this new team.

In a new lineup for the Titans, Damian Wayne found himself facing off against his grandpa, Ra’s al Ghul, and his formidable League of Assassins. The character of Damian, penned by Benjamin Percy, is portrayed as confidently arrogant, even though he was younger than his fellow team members. Despite this, he often believed he knew more than them. A significant aspect of the Titans in this series is Damian learning to value collaboration and trusting others. The artwork, provided by artists Jonboy Meyers, Khoi Pham, and later Scott Eaton, was contemporary and energetic. Although the story eventually lost momentum, it stands as one of the stronger modern iterations of the Teen Titans.

Issues in Benjamin Percy’s Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans: Rebirth #1, Teen Titans (vol. 5) #1-19 (2016-2018)

5. Teen Titans Academy by Tim Sheridan

with Rafa Sandoval, Steve Lieber, and Tom Derenick

This was a very brief and fairly recent run, one that went under the radar, written by Alan Scott: Green Lantern writer Tim Sheridan. And it certainly wasn’t celebrated nearly enough. In Teen Titans Academy, the now-adult ’80s Titans members decided to train the next generation of younger heroes, and turn Titan’s Tower into a school, the Roy Harper Academy, named for the then-dead founding Titan Arsenal. (He’s much better now). Yes, it’s very X-Men as a concept. But at the time, the school aspect of X-Men had been dropped, so this filled a niche. The book focused on teen heroes with names like Megabrat and Gorilla Greg, with the adult faculty taking more of a backseat.

The ongoing mystery of the series, just what was the true identity of the mysterious student Red X, never really sticks the landing. Still, it was so fun to see these younger student characters refer to their teachers as “Mr. Nightwing” and “Ms. Starfire,” etc. The series ended prematurely with the school burned to the ground, and all of the students leaving. But someone needs to revisit this concept at some point. (It’s also odd the adult Titans have seemingly forgotten they ever tried to run a school in their new series). We hope more fans discover this hidden gem of a Titans series in the future.

Issues in Tim Sheridan’s Teen Titans Academy Run:

Teen Titans Academy #1-15, Teen Titans Academy 2012 Yearbook (2021-2022)

4. Young Justice by Peter David

with Todd Nauck

Sure thing! Here’s one way to rephrase it:

The young superhero group Young Justice functioned from the old mountain headquarters previously used by the Justice League. In this location, they encountered their mentor – the android member of the JLA, Red Tornado. This series was famous for its blend of humor, melodramatic plots, and thrilling action, a style that writer Peter David had become known for in shows like X-Factor from Marvel. Artist Todd Nauck created art that beautifully captured the youthfulness of the characters. The fans adored it. Over 53 issues, this team produced the series, which is still fondly remembered today. One reason we consider it part of the Teen Titans series? Most of its members went on to become the mainstays of the 2003 Teen Titans revival in just a few years’ time.

Issues in Peter David’s Young Justice Run:

Young Justice #1-53 (1998-2003)

3. Teen Titans by Bob Haney

with Nick Cardy, Sheldon Moldoff, Irv Novick, George Tuska, Neal Adams

Back in 1964, I was just a kid, dreaming of superhero adventures like any other comic book fan. Little did I know that the seeds for one of my all-time favorite teams were about to be sown! The idea was simple: what if Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad banded together to form their own group? This intriguing concept was first introduced in an issue of The Brave and the Bold, and it quickly took off.

The initial Teen Titans comics were quite goofy, often featuring the Titans spending time in their headquarters, bantering with each other like typical teenagers, and embarking on occasional adventures. The attempt by older writers to use the slang of the era felt awkward, if not cringeworthy, even back then, with phrases like “Daddy-O” being common. They were distinctly from the ’60s, as evidenced by their battle against a villain named “Mad Mod.” The artwork, typically done by Nick Cardy, was inferior to what Marvel was producing at the same time. However, it managed to do its job. The Titans rarely addressed each other with their real names, didn’t have serious issues, and there was no emphasis on character development. But it had an infectious energy that would later influence the highly successful Teen Titans animated series.

Issues in Bob Haney’s Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans (vol. 1) #1-43 (1965-1973)

2. Teen Titans by Geoff Johns

with Mike McKone, Tony Daniel, Tom Grummett

Following their successful streak in the ’80s, the Titans faced difficult periods. The 1996 revamp didn’t gain popularity, and the 1999 live-action series of The Titans didn’t sell particularly well either. However, with an animated series planned for release in 2003, DC opted to rejuvenate the concept for comics, collaborating with writer Geoff Johns and artist Mike McKone. In a move that would become characteristic of Geoff Johns as a writer, particularly on Green Lantern, he honored DC’s past while crafting a new path for the franchise. The third volume of Teen Titans was highly successful, effectively resuscitating the franchise.

In time, the individuals from Young Justice earned the title of Teen Titans. Simultaneously, some members from Wolfman and Pérez’s team transitioned into wise mentors of their younger counterparts. This blend of different eras turned out to be extremely successful. Johns brought depth to characters like Superboy Conner Kent, maturing him into Kid Flash, and he also transformed the immature speedster Impulse. Furthermore, he revitalized Deathstroke as the Titans’ chief adversary and connected their nemesis Brother Blood with team member Raven. Although the first few years were arguably the series’ best, when Mike McKone was largely responsible for the artwork, Johns’ entire fifty-issue run captures what makes the Teen Titans so intriguing more than almost any other work.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans (vol. 3) #1-50, (2003-2007)

1. The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman

with George Pérez, Eduardo Baretto, José Luis García-López, Chuck Patton

The New Teen Titans comic by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez not only revitalized the series, but it significantly boosted DC Comics as a whole. After a modest attempt to rejuvenate the franchise in the late ’70s, DC Comics brought on Marvel creators Marv Wolfman and George Pérez for a third relaunch. They adopted an approach similar to the X-Men, retaining some key characters (Robin, Wonder Girl, and Kid Flash) while introducing dynamic new heroes such as Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire. Even a previously overlooked hero named Beast Boy was transformed into the comic relief, known as Changeling. Due to its more mature storytelling, emotional depth for the characters, and George Pérez’s stunning artwork, the series became an unprecedented success. It injected DC with Marvel-like storytelling that outsold every other DC comic at the time by a ratio of five-to-one.

In this period, Wolfman and Pérez brought forth memorable villains like Deathstroke and Trigon, and they significantly changed Robin from a comedic “teen sidekick in danger” character into Nightwing, a self-sufficient hero. Their two-year storyline, “The Judas Contract,” introduced Terra, a young female hero who later deceived the team and caused heartbreak. This arc is still considered one of the finest in superhero storytelling. Pérez’s art was exceptional and career-defining during this time, significantly advancing the medium. The success of “The New Teen Titans” led DC to launch a second monthly book, “Tales of the Teen Titans.” Later, Wolfman and Pérez were given the opportunity to reboot the DC universe in “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Essentially, the success of “The New Teen Titans” was instrumental in this development. The series remains the benchmark for “Teen Titans” series.

Issues in Marv Wolfman’s New Teen Titans Run:

Comics Series: The New Teen Titans (Volume 1, Issues 1-40), Tales of the Teen Titans (Issues 41-59), Tales of the New Teen Titans (Issues 1-4), The New Teen Titans (Volume 2, Issues 1-49) from 1980 to 1988, and the one-shot graphic novel, New Teen Titans: Games (2005).

2024-08-30 22:03