Teen Titans (2003-06)

Teen Titans (2003-06)

5 seasons | 65 episodes total, approx 22 mins each.

From front centre and going clockwise, the TT's are Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg.

Their base of operations is a T-shaped skyscraper named Titans Tower, located on an island in Jump City bay. Besides the obligatory training rooms and gym, it has a large TV for movies and video games because even superheroes need a hobby.

Just like their elder peers in the DC universe, the teens defend the world from those that would threaten personal freedoms, all while battling personal conflicts. The latter may be unique to each member, but more often than not problems are best resolved through teamwork, highlighting the importance of acknowledging and accepting individual strengths and weaknesses, which is a theme that defines the series, overall.

A collective benefits from a leader, lest chaos reigns. Robin is that person, but he's wise enough to know that his way isn't always the best way. He understands a need for fairness in all things, but a deep-rooted feeling that he has something to prove (to the world and himself) can sometimes cloud his judgement and, consequently, he can try to shoulder more responsibility than is necessary. And in trying to protect the ones he cares about, he can put himself in extra danger, not unlike Batman. He has no superpowers, as such, but is a natural leader, tactical thinker, and is skilled in combat. [1]

Beast Boy is the team's otaku. He screws up fairly often, but his heart is in the right place and his sensitivity can be an asset at times. His moniker references the fact that he can transform into any animal he wants, although they're always green, like his human self. He's the type of character that I wouldn't normally warm to, but excellent characterisation made him easy to like.

Raven is quite possibly my favourite Titan. On the surface she appears to be the classic 'loner' stereotype  — she enjoys solitude, books, peace and quiet, and meditation — but she enjoys team time, too, despite her emphatic protestations to the contrary. Deep down she knows she needs both. Her heritage troubles her, which explains much about her personality. Her powers include magic, soul-self projection, telekinesis, levitation, and teleportation.

Starfire is an alien from the planet Tamaran. Her observations about humanity can make the mundane seem interesting, and is useful in offering a viewer insight into the feelings of others. As she learns, we do, too. Her lack of worldly wisdom is a source of comedy, but her love for her teammates is a source of great warmth. Her powers include flight, energy bursts, and strength.

Cyborg is a half-cybernetic petrol-head and also the team's tech expert. His appearance sometimes causes him to feel different to the others, but they see past the metal with ease, to the person of worth beneath. It's not made explicitly clear how old each member of the quintet are, but Cyborg certainly seems to be the eldest. His powers include superhuman strength and resilience and he has an arm-cannon that fires sonic blasts. He's a pretty cool guy.

Despite seemingly being targeted at a young audience, storylines can get dark, with the kind of emotional and worldly pressures that only adults would understand fully. But there's plenty of light-hearted moments, too, with humour that both celebrates and nudges playfully at each character's quirks and habits; it works especially well with Raven and Starfire's personalities.

There's some continuity throughout, but it's not absolute, so not everything has lasting consequences. You might notice, however, that individual seasons can be read as having an underlying arc that has special importance to one character in particular; e.g., S01 introduces a major villain that vexes Robin most of all; S02 is [SPOILER]; S03 challenges Cyborg; S04 sees Raven struggle with her origins; and S05 explores Beast Boy's past affiliations.

The series was cancelled after S05 with a few things left unresolved. A feature-length movie titled Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo (2006) tied up some loose threads, though. In many ways, it's a proper series finale, so it's definitely worth seeking out if you enjoy the five seasons. [2]

[1] TT was made while DC's DCAU (The Animated Series) continuity was running. It isn't a part of that continuity, but the quality is such that it deserves to sit alongside the series that are.

[2] They reappeared in a crossover movie titled Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans (2019). I tried to watch it because I love the original group, but the Go! characters aren't something I can endure; they're a kind of parody aimed at children, with badly-scripted caricatures, shallow aspirations, lazy animation, and one-note humour. I won't be making a post about Teen Titans Go!.