That’s right,
Hot mess. It amazes me that DC can’t get this title and these characters right. Shouldn’t the elder heroes of DC have a problem with a group of kids who keep tallying up the fatalities in every Crisis. These kids keep getting killed and having membership drives, and no one bats an eye. They need some serious training on battle strategies, surviving in the field and knowing when to admit that the enemy may be too powerful to charge in head first.
Having non-super powered supporting cast killed in your HQ while you are present should not be an appealing aspect for would be new members.
To me, the Titans worked best when their stories came out of the characters’ worlds. Starfire dealt with her off world royal family that sold her into slavery. Raven faced a demon father who would own her through her emotions. Dick had his Batman issues, and Cyborg struggled with his humanity and family issues. Tons of story came out of this as well as Deathstroke and his failed fatherhood. And the stories ran for months and years winning awards and fans.
Today—the writers seem to have their favorite characters on the team, but none of the characters seem to display investment value or come across with stories that make you root for the outcome and success of the character’s growth. I would love to see more interaction with the adult counterparts- nothing like an adult hero cameo or storyline to showcase how the next generation differs good and bad. Or what if the younger generation realizes they hae the potential to be as powerful or moreso than their predecessor?
And remember, the New Teen Titans had villains you cared about. From Disruptor trying to prove himself to his dad, Phobia running from her own fears, Terra’s madness, the power plays with the Fearsome Five, etc. Can anyone name a new Titan villain with that much staying power?
I want the book(s) to be good again. I want a story that doesn’t end with Raven telling her team to kill her as oppose to someone getting a major player like Dr. Fate or Zatanna to work with Raven to overcome her darkness. Another angle that goes unused, each Titans team has the resource to call on any character in the DCU with its legacy characters, but they never do. What’s the purpose of having a Martian on the team or young New Gods without exploring the connections or ramifications and family connections?
I want to see the Titans acting like friends and family again and taking care of their own.