An Introduction to New Teen Titans

The New New Titans began in 1980, revitalizing previous attempts at a Teen Titans franchise that traced back all the way to the 1960s, with mixed results. The Wolfman-Pérez run of Titans, however, was an unequivocal triumph, both financially and creatively. 1/9

The relaunched title was co-created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller George Pérez (overseen by Len Wein) and launched its number one issue with finishes by Romeo Tanghal, letters by Ben Oda, and colours by Adrienne Roy. 2/9

The duo of Wolfman/Pérez would last 5 years, with Wolfman noting, “Like Starfire and Raven, George and I are similar but opposites. George is outgoing and gregarious while I’m rather quiet and reserved. Still, like our characters, we somehow clicked.” 3/9

Interestingly one of Marv Wolfman’s first gigs as a professional writer was co-authoring a Teen Titans story with his friend Len Wein in the 1960s. A decade later, Wolfman found himself teaming with Wein and Pérez to create DC’s biggest success of the 1980s. 4/9

In their pitch for the series, Wein and Wolfman “met with Powers That Be and verbally pitched the new Titans idea. We talked about how this would be like no other Titans comic. It would be powerful. It would be fun. Who knows, it might even sell.” 5/9

Wolfman further recalls how, “Issue one sold well. Issue two didn’t sell as well. Three sold even poorer. Four was worse. Five was in the dumper. Six… well with six we beat out the sales of issue number one and we never stopped climbing.” 6/9

To this development, Wolfman adds: “To those of you who cancel comics with their second or third issue before they have a chance to find their audience, think about this.” 7/9

This lesson is all the more poignant given the New Titans’ success. As Eric Diaz of “The Nerdist” notes, “New Teen Titans sold four times what every other comic book from DC sold at the time and helped keep DC afloat in dire financial straits.” 8/9

The series lives on in comics and has spawned two beloved animated series, several animated films, and an ongoing live-action series. But most fans of the franchise still point to the legendary Pérez /Wolfman run as the creative apex of a much-lauded property. 9/9