Lets Speculate on the future of the Titan "franchise"

[K-DoG7p7]

Come June there will be new writers on both "Teen Titans" and "Titans"


Who do you want to see take over?
What changes do you want?
Do you like Pie?
What do you fear will happen?



and... GO!

[RachelEvil]

I do like pie.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Someone posted that Chris Yost has signed with DC. Maybe he'll take over one of the titles. We can hope...

[Lester C.]

I speculate that its going to be like every other Titan book. It's going to get canceled due to lower sales, relaunched, and they have sales even lower after a strong issue one. The only exception to this was the 2003 reboot but we're finally seeing the cycle repeat itself.

[MartinRedmond]

Pie gives me gas. I try to avoid pastries and bread.

[4PointOh]

Gas Girl!

Wait, that's Legion....

[Red Jack]

After several desperate and failed attempts to revive the TITANS concept, DC comics realizes the only men who can do the job are Geoff Thorne (writer, THE RED LINE) and artist Eliseu Gouveia (creator, INFINITEENS).

"The guys just get it, y'know?" says someone who does a remarkable Dan Didio impression. "They have a unique and refreshing take on the younger superhero set in the DCU. Frankly I'm surprised we didn't tap them before."

When reached for comment, Thorne, a frequent arguer on the CBR site, had this to say, "Hey, this is a great thing to finally get to do. Zeu and I have been working on this book for ten years so far. Even before we knew each other which is bloody difficult when you're trying to discuss changes. Now we can get paid to do it which is lots better."

A spokesman for Mr. Gouveia said his client had no knowledge of Mr. Thorne or the recent DC deal and wished not to be bothered as he has actual work to do.

-Susan Denim - Newsarama -

[Linkara]

While Geoff Thorne and Eliseu Gouveia are contacted to handle the Teen Titans book, the adult Titans book is handed over to one newcomer Lewis Lovhaug. A new penciler has yet to be decided, though Nicola Scott has expressed a desire to do an issue or two... :biggrin: :tongue:

[Typo Lad]

Nu-uh!

I wanna write Titans.

ME ME ME ME ME!

[Linkara]

Nu-uh!

I wanna write Titans.

ME ME ME ME ME!

Too late! I called dibs!

[Typo Lad]

I know a penciller (http://matthewchilders.com/featured/).

He's my personal servant!

[Linkara]

I know a penciller (http://matthewchilders.com/featured/).

He's my personal servant!

I know pencillers, too! And an inker and colorist!

And... uhh... Yeah!

[KevinTBrown]

Cancel it.

The past year or so has pretty much destroyed this franchise.

Same goes for Titans.

[4thHorseman]

Hopefully, more fun, less angst, and keeping a roster.

[escapegoat]

Hmmmmmm.....Gail's next "secret" project hasn't been announced yet, has it?

[4thHorseman]

Hmmmmmm.....Gail's next "secret" project hasn't been announced yet, has it?

Eh, I hope not. When I heard that Perez has a secret project for 2010....Gail's secret project popped into my mind. Hopefully a Simone/Perez thing could take off next year. I want that to be her big project.

[NickThompson]

Someone posted that Chris Yost has signed with DC. Maybe he'll take over one of the titles. We can hope...
Why, do you want lots of characters to die? :wink:


I've not seen anything say he has signed with them, but he is doing a DC book.

[Black Atom]

I haven't really cared about the Titans since Wolfman/Perez. Part of it is that it's about kids and I just feel I've outgrown it and the other part is it just feels like yet another superhero team book. I always think "What would get me to read Titans?" and I can never come up with a single thing.

Maybe boil it back down to it's essence. Teen Titans started as the sidekicks team-up. What're the sidekicks/legacy characters doing while the adults are in the JLA? I'd have small team (four-to-five characters) that compliments eachother well personality and power-wise.

[K-DoG7p7]

I haven't really cared about the Titans since Wolfman/Perez. Part of it is that it's about kids and I just feel I've outgrown it and the other part is it just feels like yet another superhero team book. I always think "What would get me to read Titans?" and I can never come up with a single thing.

Maybe boil it back down to it's essence. Teen Titans started as the sidekicks team-up. What're the sidekicks/legacy characters doing while the adults are in the JLA? I'd have small team (four-to-five characters) that compliments eachother well personality and power-wise.
Let me get this right?

You want
Wondergirl - Cassie
Robin - Tim (Maaaaybe)
Kid Flash - Bart
Speedy - Mia
Aquagirl - Lorena


Thats
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m51/bushi138/outrageous.jpg

but yeah.. would be cool to have a teen titans lineup that had a stronger connection to the original.. especially considering that all the originals have modern day successors in the same age range

[Flamebird]

Cancel it.

The past year or so has pretty much destroyed this franchise.

Same goes for Titans.

Wouldn't that make the back-up Ravager stories a bit harder sell at 3.99 a pop? :wink:

[KevinTBrown]

Wouldn't that make the back-up Ravager stories a bit harder sell at 3.99 a pop? :wink:

Eh. Sacrifices need to be made. Odds are, regardless of who the new writer is, I'm dropping the title anyway. Not going to pay the additional buck for a book that is mediocre at best.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Cancel Teen Titans at #75 , revamp TITANS into NEW TITANS and go from there. Total revamp. Mix it up. Push new characters into the series , new villains.

[Black Atom]

Let me get this right?

You want
Wondergirl - Cassie
Robin - Tim (Maaaaybe)
Kid Flash - Bart
Speedy - Mia
Aquagirl - Lorena

but yeah.. would be cool to have a teen titans lineup that had a stronger connection to the original.. especially considering that all the originals have modern day successors in the same age range

I'd totally read that! (Didn't even know there WAS an Aquagirl. Even better).
A small, not too over-powered group of young superheroes. And it can be a rotating team. Maybe Tim's not there one issue. Maybe Aquagirl's out next time. Maybe it's just the three girls one issue. But it should be makeshift and informal. I think when the team got too formalized, it got boring.

Like the Avengers. The Avengers kicked ass when they were a group of heroes who barely got along and kinda just informally got together to fight crime. They were the un-JLA. Then they got the mansion and little ID cards and Avengers jets and stuff. They sold out. They became the man. That's what Titans shouldn't be. It's an alternative to the JLA. No adults. No Titans Tower. No giant table with their names on the back or a supercomputer. Just young superheroes hanging out when the adults aren't around.

[KevinTBrown]

Cancel Teen Titans at #75 , revamp TITANS into NEW TITANS and go from there. Total revamp. Mix it up. Push new characters into the series , new villains.

They've done that 20 times over.

They both need a rest.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

They've done that 20 times over.

They both need a rest.

Dragging Trigon out and pushing all teen sidekicks into the Teen Titans isn't working. Mix it up. They need a writer to pretty much swear they won't follow what Marv Wolfman did back in 1980.

[KevinTBrown]

Dragging Trigon out and pushing all teen sidekicks into the Teen Titans isn't working. Mix it up. They need a writer to pretty much swear they won't follow what Marv Wolfman did back in 1980.

Good luck with that.

Seriously.

Geoff Johns was just as bad at rehashing stuff when was writing it. I don't think there are any writers out there who would be willing to just ignore it.

[K-DoG7p7]

I'd totally read that! (Didn't even know there WAS an Aquagirl. Even better).
Here she is doing her PJ Harvey impression
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/155359-78016-aquagirl.jpg


Shes on the team now..
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/3/31467/731816-teentitansnew_super.jpg

[Typo Lad]

I'd totally read that! (Didn't even know there WAS an Aquagirl. Even better). .

Man, you missed out on one of the best Aquaman runs ever.

[Black Atom]

She looks pretty cool.

Man, you missed out on one of the best Aquaman runs ever.

Wha? Did she appear during the Busiek Aquaman run? I picked up the first few issues but never read them.

[K-DoG7p7]

Good luck with that.

Seriously.

Geoff Johns was just as bad at rehashing stuff when was writing it. I don't think there are any writers out there who would be willing to just ignore it.

Also.. Geoff made them SUPER emo.. people seem to blame everyone but Geoff for that.. yet he was the one who did it..

[Typo Lad]

Wha? Did she appear during the Busiek Aquaman run? I picked up the first few issues but never read them.

Busiek was good, Pfiefer was better. Under-rated, and brilliant.

[Mr.EZ]

I say break up the Teen Titans and add some of them to JLA, JSA & Titans.

I'd rather read different personalites and viewpoints mixing together than a book about teens, a book about 20-somethings, a book about 30-somethings and a book about old folks.

Though JSA is mostly a mix of the character types found in JLA, TT and Titans, I think it would be fun to see more of this concept.

[Black Atom]

Busiek was good, Pfiefer was better. Under-rated, and brilliant.

Hmmm. Maybe I'll check it out.

Can anyone tell me which issues he did?

[TomStillwell]

You guys are all wrong. It's me.

My Teen Titans is a nationwide outreach program that focuses on teens with powers. Every major DCU city would have a local Teen Titans center. Each center would offer training in the use of metahuman abilities, counseling, recreational activities, a hostel, and its own branch of Titans ready to swing into action when needed.

This would fit in well with the current Dark Side Club storyline where you have a bunch of metahuman teens that have gone through a pretty traumatic experience at the hands of first Granny Goodness and then Clock King. Expanding the Titans into an outreach program caring for these teens makes a lot of sense.

The cast would be every teen hero in the DCU regardless of team affiliation. The premise also lends itself to creating a good number of new teen characters. Story arcs would focus on different centers, giving any combo of characters a chance to shine.

The JSA is focused now on making better superheroes. This Teen Titans would be focused on making better people who just happen to be superpowered.

[4PointOh]

After several desperate and failed attempts to revive the TITANS concept, DC comics realizes the only men who can do the job are Geoff Thorne (writer, THE RED LINE) and artist Eliseu Gouveia (creator, INFINITEENS).

"The guys just get it, y'know?" says someone who does a remarkable Dan Didio impression. "They have a unique and refreshing take on the younger superhero set in the DCU. Frankly I'm surprised we didn't tap them before."

When reached for comment, Thorne, a frequent arguer on the CBR site, had this to say, "Hey, this is a great thing to finally get to do. Zeu and I have been working on this book for ten years so far. Even before we knew each other which is bloody difficult when you're trying to discuss changes. Now we can get paid to do it which is lots better."

A spokesman for Mr. Gouveia said his client had no knowledge of Mr. Thorne or the recent DC deal and wished not to be bothered as he has actual work to do.

-Susan Denim - Newsarama -


What would your line-up look like?

[Typo Lad]

You guys are all wrong. It's me.

My Teen Titans is a nationwide outreach program that focuses on teens with powers. Every major DCU city would have a local Teen Titans center. Each center would offer training in the use of metahuman abilities, counseling, recreational activities, a hostel, and its own branch of Titans ready to swing into action when needed.

This would fit in well with the current Dark Side Club storyline where you have a bunch of metahuman teens that have gone through a pretty traumatic experience at the hands of first Granny Goodness and then Clock King. Expanding the Titans into an outreach program caring for these teens makes a lot of sense.

The cast would be every teen hero in the DCU regardless of team affiliation. The premise also lends itself to creating a good number of new teen characters. Story arcs would focus on different centers, giving any combo of characters a chance to shine.

The JSA is focused now on making better superheroes. This Teen Titans would be focused on making better people who just happen to be superpowered.
I would buy this. Nice.

Hell, pitch it.

[shrike]

Come June there will be new writers on both "Teen Titans" and "Titans"


Who do you want to see take over?
What changes do you want?
Do you like Pie?
What do you fear will happen?



and... GO!

I think there have been so many misfires on both books that they need a little bit of rest (again) and complete reboots, as it has probably left a bad taste in many peoples mouths.

[Red Jack]

What would your line-up look like?

Honestly?

I've given it no thought at all. But I'm a Wolfman/Perez man so that's a big clue. I haven't enjoyed really ANY of the TITANS since then except for the toon version which is too young for me to write.

I'd probably ask Zeu who he wants to draw most and go from there. I'd probably make it slightly more female-heavy overall.

I would absolutely not create a book that looked in at itself the way most of the Titans series' have over the years. That's a problem with comics in general, though, and by no means limited to Titans. Most of the people who've written the book over the years are those whose OTHER works I love. McKeever is no exception.

I think it's a problem at the editorial level.

Above all there would be a much higher fun-to-angst ratio skewing heavily in favor of fun.

I like Zeu's take on teen heroes because his teens LOOK LIKE TEENAGERS. God forbid.

Figure a book by us would have a Buffy meets JLU feel.


EDIT:

Actually, Stillwell's idea is bitchin'.

Here's what:

Tom does TEEN Titans as he just described.

Zeu and I do TITANS focusing on the older teens and young adults having ADVENTURES.

The ORIGINAL Teen Titans, led by TROY, take over the OUTSIDERS title, only coming together to handle specific menaces and being in each other's lives as friends. Tom and I could switch off doing one 6 issue arc a year each.

[AllisterH]

Can I go back in time and have the Young Justice era once again?

[jesterwitch]

Someone posted that Chris Yost has signed with DC. Maybe he'll take over one of the titles. We can hope...

I know that he's taking over the following issues of Marvel's Runaways series after Terry Moore. So this'll be interesting.

[shrike]

You guys are all wrong. It's me.

My Teen Titans is a nationwide outreach program that focuses on teens with powers. Every major DCU city would have a local Teen Titans center. Each center would offer training in the use of metahuman abilities, counseling, recreational activities, a hostel, and its own branch of Titans ready to swing into action when needed.

This would fit in well with the current Dark Side Club storyline where you have a bunch of metahuman teens that have gone through a pretty traumatic experience at the hands of first Granny Goodness and then Clock King. Expanding the Titans into an outreach program caring for these teens makes a lot of sense.

The cast would be every teen hero in the DCU regardless of team affiliation. The premise also lends itself to creating a good number of new teen characters. Story arcs would focus on different centers, giving any combo of characters a chance to shine.

The JSA is focused now on making better superheroes. This Teen Titans would be focused on making better people who just happen to be superpowered.

This would make for a great book, Tom, though sadly DC isn't one for making sense lately.

[jesterwitch]

You guys are all wrong. It's me.

My Teen Titans is a nationwide outreach program that focuses on teens with powers. Every major DCU city would have a local Teen Titans center. Each center would offer training in the use of metahuman abilities, counseling, recreational activities, a hostel, and its own branch of Titans ready to swing into action when needed.

This would fit in well with the current Dark Side Club storyline where you have a bunch of metahuman teens that have gone through a pretty traumatic experience at the hands of first Granny Goodness and then Clock King. Expanding the Titans into an outreach program caring for these teens makes a lot of sense.

The cast would be every teen hero in the DCU regardless of team affiliation. The premise also lends itself to creating a good number of new teen characters. Story arcs would focus on different centers, giving any combo of characters a chance to shine.

The JSA is focused now on making better superheroes. This Teen Titans would be focused on making better people who just happen to be superpowered.

You really need to write this. I would buy it too. I happen to be very passionate about teen superhero/villain/antihero characters. We need more of them. :)

[TomStillwell]

I'm glad you guys like the idea.

Unfortunately I'm not in a position now, or probably ever, to make this a reality. DC is pretty insular and I don't have anyone on the inside.

Maybe I'll take the idea and do it as a Spinner Rack book. Just another project on the pile of things I'd like to work on but don't have the resources to develop.

[K-DoG7p7]

I'm glad you guys like the idea.

Unfortunately I'm not in a position now, or probably ever, to make this a reality. DC is pretty insular and I don't have anyone on the inside.

Maybe I'll take the idea and do it as a Spinner Rack book. Just another project on the pile of things I'd like to work on but don't have the resources to develop.
If Keisberg can get inn and get GA/BC then you should be able to get inn and get TT...


Ohh right.. you never did any TV work...

[shrike]

Unfortunately I'm not in a position now, or probably ever, to make this a reality. DC is pretty insular and I don't have anyone on the inside.



Yeah, DC tends to make that kind of obvious. I think that is why they are currently in the idea pit hole they are.

[Red Jack]

I'm glad you guys like the idea.

Unfortunately I'm not in a position now, or probably ever, to make this a reality. DC is pretty insular and I don't have anyone on the inside.

Maybe I'll take the idea and do it as a Spinner Rack book. Just another project on the pile of things I'd like to work on but don't have the resources to develop.


Well, creator-owned is always best, IMO.

No reason not to do something with it later.

[NickThompson]

I'm glad you guys like the idea.

Unfortunately I'm not in a position now, or probably ever, to make this a reality. DC is pretty insular and I don't have anyone on the inside.

Maybe I'll take the idea and do it as a Spinner Rack book. Just another project on the pile of things I'd like to work on but don't have the resources to develop.
Everyone was in that position at one point. Everybody starts an outsider.

If Keisberg can get inn and get GA/BC then you should be able to get inn and get TT...


Ohh right.. you never did any TV work...
Nor did he do the well-recieved comic Hellen Killer. Plus he is sitting there saying he will never be in the position, Keisberg probably didn't think that.


And also, as I seem to remember someone at Marvel on Twitter saying, they take in more people from comics than from outside of comics.

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Hmmm. Maybe I'll check it out.

Can anyone tell me which issues he did?

#15-22, with Pat Gleason on art. John Arcudi had a run following him (#25-39) that picked up pretty much directly on Pfeifer's plots & tone.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Good luck with that.

Seriously.

Geoff Johns was just as bad at rehashing stuff when was writing it. I don't think there are any writers out there who would be willing to just ignore it.

Johns made it seem new and fresh weirdly. Like his new version of Brother Blood or the return of Jericho and having Deathstroke kill Wintergreen in the 1st arc. It all seemed more fresh under Johns. Maybe its because he's a hell of a good writer and can make old ideas , new fresh.


Anyhow New Titans under me.....

Red Robin- Tim Drake
Wonder Girl - Cassie
Ravager - Rose Wilson
Timber Wolf II or III- Brim Londo
Connor Hawke
Speedy - Mia
Animal Boy - Buddy Baker's son
Kid Lantern - (Debated on who it could be related to Hal or Kyle Rayner )




I'd go with new villains. I'd create a Japanese rogue who uses a book of spells to create dragons/creatures/old armies . In the 1st arc my New Titans would face him.

In the next arc I'd love to have the team face Vandel Savage and I'd have Savage take over running the new H.I.V.E. And he's creating a new meta-human process . Its revealed that back when Tim Drake made that deal with Lex Luthor , Lex double-crossed Tim and took DNA samples of Superboy and sold them for a hefty fee to Savage . (I create a new meta human team to face the Titans here)

I'd have the Titans clash with the Justice Society over how Tim is running things and the fact Timber Wolf is there. But with Bruce gone Tim feels its up to him to keep an eye on Timber Wolf. I'd even tease that perhaps a JSA kid will switch and go with the New Titans after this clash.


I'd stay away from Brother Blood , Terror Titans , Titans East and Deathstroke for at least a year or 2 of stories.

[jesterwitch]

I'd create a Japanese rogue who uses a book of spells to create dragons/creatures/old armies.

Sounds like the Minoru family from Runaways.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Sounds like the Minoru family from Runaways.

I've never read Runaways . It was something I thought would be cool ya know. I would tie this rogue into how the Yakuza is so feared for generations. That no one else can work the book of spells beyond family and its been passed thru all the generations.

The Vandel Savage idea to me is one I'm shocked no writer has used yet since he did something nearly like this recently in JSA. In it he wanted to end the next generation of heroes. Who are the next generation ? Of course its the Titans....so I'd have him clash against them and become an arch nemesis in a way.

[Black Atom]

#15-22, with Pat Gleason on art. John Arcudi had a run following him (#25-39) that picked up pretty much directly on Pfeifer's plots & tone.

Thank you!

[Black Atom]

I have a question. Who is Teen Titans aimed at? For that matter, in superhero comics there's a significant number of books that focus on teenagers or young people. The reason for this was obvious is ages past, but everyone seems convinced that young people aren't really reading comics these days anyway.

Take Supergirl for instance. Is it really a book aimed at teenage girls? Teenagers in general?

[Samy]

I thought Supergirl was aimed at 30 year old IT geeks who like to masturbate to 15 year old blondes.

Crude, but to the point.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I thought Supergirl was aimed at 30 year old IT geeks who like to masturbate to 15 year old blondes.

Ha ...well with how she is drawn ....I can see that now. :tongue:


Teen Titans to me with what McKeever did was supposed to be for the 20-30 yearold adults I feel. With the heavy push to "shock" readers with Clock King nailing a barely legal girl , Miss Martian giving it up in truck stops and Marvin being mauled. It was all done to lure those kids who love "Holy Fuck" moments in comics.

But DC mis-judged it. Where as 1 Holy Fuck moment is ok when spaced out in comics , if you do nothing but these , you'll see apathy towards it.

Grant Morrison in New X-Men started his 1st arc with a HOLY FUCK moment by blowing up Genosha and having Cyclops mercy kill Ugly John. Well his next arcs were built less towards Holy Fuck moments , and more towards telling a good story. Now at the end of his run , Morrison did a HOLY FUCK moment by having Magneto as Xorn ....him the traitor inside the School. And thats considered good work.

Titans to me should be aimed at the all ages group. But you can't speak down or write down to them. You can't make the title into a Johnny DC book since it will fail if teenagers pick it up and believe its being written as too "kiddy". So you gotta have fights/battles , and there has to be a Holy Fuck moment somewhere at some point.

But not go crazy and make HOLY FUCK moments in every arc or story. Because it seems like your desperate to create some kind of interest in your work and it reads not so well.

[Samy]

I'm a firm believer in the philosophy that every comic's last page should be a holy fuck cliffhanger.

[Red Jack]

I thought Supergirl was aimed at 30 year old IT geeks who like to masturbate to 15 year old blondes.

Crude, but to the point.

Yeah. Mostly just crude, though.

BA:

The age of th audience is less important than the product being delivered. Ask JK Rowling. Or the makers of JLU or AVATAR.

What's most important is telling good stories.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I'm a firm believer in the philosophy that every comic's last page should be a holy fuck cliffhanger.

I believe in that to a point. Sure build interest to the next issue. Its like how good Chuck Dixon could make you wanna buy the next issue. To see how it would unfold. The "Holy Fuck" moment to me is one where you go "Holy shit , that happened !" in the book.

I mean sure , I can handle some of them. But if its done every story-arc ...over and over.....it gets old. Dixon was great at making you buy the next issue to see how the battle/storyline would end.

[Samy]

I idolize Mark Waid who, I'm given to understand it, took the whole thing to its extreme: he wrote himself into impossible corners at the end of issues, not even knowing himself how to get out of them until he'd write the next issue and have to figure it out.

Gotta respect that. Now that's a cliffhanger.

[NickThompson]

I believe in that to a point. Sure build interest to the next issue. Its like how good Chuck Dixon could make you wanna buy the next issue. To see how it would unfold. The "Holy Fuck" moment to me is one where you go "Holy shit , that happened !" in the book.

I mean sure , I can handle some of them. But if its done every story-arc ...over and over.....it gets old. Dixon was great at making you buy the next issue to see how the battle/storyline would end.
Yeah, that's one of the reasons I dropped Y The Last Man. Every issue ended on a cliffhanger, but the resolution never felt as satisfying for me.

[Samy]

That's the writer's failure then, not the concept's.

IMO.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I idolize Mark Waid who, I'm given to understand it, took the whole thing to its extreme: he wrote himself into impossible corners at the end of issues, not even knowing himself how to get out of them until he'd write the next issue and have to figure it out.

Gotta respect that. Now that's a cliffhanger.

Good writers can do that. I always tried to do the Dixon way as I called it. When I'd do my fan fic online I always wanted to leave with a "You gotta read the next one" feel. Waid , Dixon ....a few have that. Johns at points has that. Good writers will make you wanna get that next read.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I dropped Y The Last Man. Every issue ended on a cliffhanger, but the resolution never felt as satisfying for me.

That happens at times. Its said by many Judd Winick suffers from building up and making a great cliffhanger , but his resolution is often terrible . And many don't like it.

That's the writer's failure then, not the concept's.

IMO.

Which is true and why Teen Titans has failed recently. Beyond the cliffhangers that made ya wanna keep reading , those moments were pushed into each arc/story and it made the book sad , depressing and terrible to read nearly.

Where as a better writer could make Marvin being mauled by a demon dog worth it , and a real Holy Fuck moment , if done not so much. By the point McKeever done it , he had built such an apathy with these moments ...many felt it was just more shit he was pushing to be edgy cool.