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The Wellington Comic Lover's Guide to... Teen Titans and Young Justice

By Gus

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series.

Book covers on a black background

This post is all about the premiere teen super-teams of the DC Universe, the Teen Titans and Young Justice!

[Video via the DC Youtube channel]

Who are the Teen Titans?

When there's trouble, you know who to call... TEEN TITANS!

They're a team of teen heroes, comprised of experienced sidekicks and newly minted superhumans looking to fight for justice. Operating from their T-shaped tower in the San Francisco Bay, they lead by example for up-and-coming heroes and try to live up to legacy of their mentors. 

Note: DC Comics are divided by publishing eras, determined by a point where they set the issue number (and sometimes, continuity) of a series back to #1. ‘Pre-Crisis’ is everything DC published prior to 1986, ‘Post-Crisis’ is everything from 1986-2011, the New 52 from 2011-2016, DC Rebirth from 2016-2021, and Infinite Frontier from 2021 to present.

Post-Crisis

The Teen Titans were originally made up of the sidekicks of the Justice League; Robin, Wonder Girl, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Speedy. As those heroes grew up and graduated to new identities, new teen heroes like Beast Boy and Raven emerged to fill the roster. The New Teen Titans series is considered the definitive edition of the team (and main inspiration for the 2003 TV show), introducing such characters as the alien powerhouse Starfire, the techno-organic athlete Cyborg, and the duplicitous earth-bending Terra.

In the 2000s, a new Teen Titans emerged with a roster of original New Teen Titans members and new teen heroes like the Kryptonian clone Superboy, the third Robin and the hyperactive Kid Flash. Here, the Titans fought against such foes as the Zookeeper (a scientist who copied Beast Boy's powers), the reality-bending 'Superman Prime', and an evil team of the Titans from the future.

The New 52

The New 52 reset DC Comics' continuity, and with it the history of the Teen Titans. Here, the Titans are formed after a mysterious organisation begins kidnapping and imprisoning superpowered teenagers. New members introduced here are the fire-manipulating Solstice and the barrier-creating Bunker.

New 52 Teen Titans reading order

DC Rebirth

The DC Rebirth team was led by Wallace West, the current Kid Flash, and Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin and son of Batman, who uses the team for his own ends. New members introduced here are the indestructible Roundhouse, the immortal teen genie Djinn, and the half-alien punk girl Crush.

DC Rebirth Teen Titans reading order

Crush would later get her own miniseries where she met her father, the macho alien bounty hunter Lobo.

Infinite Frontier - Teen Titans Academy

In the Infinite Frontier era, the Titans became teachers and turned their tower into a school for up-and-coming superheroes from across the world and the multiverse. But the school is targeted by a mysterious villain named Red X - who may in fact be one of the students.

Teen Titans Academy reading order

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Titans

The original team from the New Teen Titans (Cyborg, Beast Boy, Wonder Girl, Nightwing, Flash, and Raven) reunite for new adventures, now simply going by The Titans. In the DC Rebirth era, they are joined by other seasoned young heroes like the alien telepath Miss Martian, the fifth Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, and the armoured heroine Steel.

Post-Crisis

DC Rebirth

Titans United

The most recent team of Titans is based on the line-up from the HBO Max Titans show, which includes the young avatars of chaos and order Hawk and Dove and the vigilante (and former Robin) the Red Hood.

Other recent Titans series

Teen Titans from TV

Most fans know the Teen Titans from the 2003 Cartoon Network series of the same name, featuring Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven. The team later returned for the comedy series, Teen Titans GO!
Both of these TV shows have been adapted back into comics.

Comics based on 2003 Teen Titans

Comics based on Teen Titans GO!

Teen Titans solo series

Some of the Titans have received their own solo series over the years. Here are some of their most recent first volumes (we've covered Wally West in a Flash blog, both Aqualads in an Aquaman blog, and we'll cover the Robins in their own blog).

Titans Across the Multiverse

Teen Titans Earth One

On the parallel world of Earth One, the Titans are a group of teens given powers by the scientist parents and go on the run.

Raven and Beast Boy series

Fan artist Gabriel Picolo was lucky enough to be asked by DC to illustrate a new series of Teen Titans graphic novels, which sees Beast Boy and Raven meeting in high school.

Raven and Beast Boy reading order

More Teen Titans across the multiverse

  • The Multiversity / Morrison, Grant - On Earth-16, a world where crime has been eradicated, the young heroes of the world have become celebrity layabouts with nothing to do.
  • Multiversity : teen justice / Cohen, Ivan - On the matriarchal world of Earth-11, Aquagirl, Supergirl, Kid Quick and more fight evil together as Teen Justice.
  • Kingdom come / Waid, Mark - On the future world of Earth-22, the Titans have now had children or developed into new forms: Cyborg is now the liquid metal humanoid Robotman, Beast Boy can only turn into imaginary animals as Menagerie, and Nightwing and Starfire's daughter Nightstar cuts a rebellious streak against her parents.
  • I am not Starfire / Tamaki, Mariko - In this graphic novel, Starfire's daughter is Mandy, a non-powered goth teenager who rebels against her sunny, positive mother.
  • Tales from the DC dark multiverse - The Dark Multiverse explores an alternate ending for one of the Teen Titan's most iconic storylines, The Judas Contract.
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Who are Young Justice?

Young Justice was another team of teen sidekicks, initially made up of Superboy, the third Robin Tim Drake, and the Flash's time-travelling grandson Impulse. While inexperienced, their eagerness to do good has inspired other young heroes to join their ranks, including the Amazon wannabe Wonder Girl, Lobo's kid clone Slobo, and the ghostly Secret.

Members from this team would then graduate to join the 2000s era team of Teen Titans (see above).

DC Rebirth

The original incarnation of Young Justice has recently reunited for a trip across the Multiverse, joined by the raygun-wielding cowgirl Jinny Hex, the young hacker Teen Lantern, and Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld.

TV's Young Justice

Young Justice also inspired a hit Cartoon Network/HBO Max show, taking place in a universe with an extensive legacy of superheroes. Here, Superboy, Miss Martian, Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash and Artemis are teen sidekicks who operate as the Justice League’s black-ops unit.