It’s an interesting question that I feel most comic nerds can answer: who are your Teen Titans? While generationally for me it should’ve been the Cartoon Network Teen Titans, it was a series I largely skipped, as it just didn’t appeal to me. My first true introduction was Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans Vol 1.
While the vs titles are getting a little tired with DC Animated / Movies, I couldn’t help being a little excited about a Justice League vs Teen Titans, until I learned what story they planned to tell.
Story
I can sum up the entire story line with one reference: That’s So Raven. Nuff Said? Yup, the story you played through in the DC Online video game. The story you’ve heard in every iteration of the Titans. If it’s still not ringing a bell then count yourself lucky.
While the story has been told countless times, what DC Animated did was expand upon and add an extra dynamic: Damian Wayne (Robin).
The basic plot is that Damian isn’t exactly gellin with the Dark Knight, and feels he’s more than simply a sidekick. Needing to learn how to be part of a team, Dick Grayson (Nightwing) takes Damian to Titan Tower. The Titans consist of Raven, Beast Boy and Blue Beetle, with Starfire being the leader.
Early on in the story we watch as the weather wizard is possessed by a evil spirit. Turns out that Raven has a dark past – well really her Dad is a super evil demon from another universe hell bent on conquering Earth.
Thoughts
While I’ve seen this story done a million times over, there were some really nice character pieces in it, specifically the dynamic or contrast between Damian and Raven. Both have very different (yet in some cases similar) troubled upbringings.
The team dynamic on a whole was also very well done, I especially enjoyed the DDR sequence with Robin vs Beast Boy. It was light hearted but played well into getting an understanding of character motivations.
I also appreciated the foundation and continuity. While Starfire was older than most of the Titans, she was the same age as Nightwing and Cyborg. It really made it feel like there was large backstory to be told. Also it was pretty obvious that Nightwing and Starfire were once an item.
The only area this movie lacks is defining which style of Titans it is. To be honest, it’s a tough call. You could see attempts at going CN Teen Titans, Comic Book Titans and Young Justice. Personally I think Young Justice is a nice blend but unfortunately all the style changes took you out of the story.
I had mentioned above the fabled DDR battle with Robin vs Beast Boy. That was actually the scene that really got me into the film, then a fight scene starts and, well, there’s an Anime transformation sequence that would make Master Roshi blush.. We’re shown an extreme close up of every angle of Starfire. That isn’t the first time either, another section of the film has Nightwing video conferencing Starfire when she had just gotten out of the shower. It was a tad shameless, though it was funny to watch Nightwing’s reactions.
Overall
Despite me not being a huge fan of the story, it’s one of the better DC Animated films. While it had trouble finding its style it was certainly entertaining. I do hope this is only the beginning of other Titan films. Be sure to stay to the end, there is a secret ending that rocks.