Titans Trailer Reaction

Revealed Thursday, July 19th was the first trailer for DC Comics’ new show Titans which features Dick Grayson setting off on his own for the first time and the Titans coming together.

However, if you’re expecting something similar to the Teen Titans show of the early 2000s or even Young Justice, you will be sadly mistaken. And it is the polar opposite of Teen Titans Go! Rather, Titans seems to be following the trend of gritty-realistic shows like The CW’s Arrow and Marvel’s Netflix series’ (ie. Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, etc.).

Check it out below:

Initial Thoughts:

Based on what I’m seeing here, I assume this is going to be a Robin and Raven story with everyone else tagging along. Robin striking out on his own, dealing with the emotional fallout of leaving the Batcave, and eventually to the mantle of Nightwing. Raven struggling with her powers and being the daughter of the demon Trigon. It also has more of a horror flick vibe than a superhero show. Creepy circus music doesn’t exactly help.

That being said: What the f*ck? This is not the Dick Grayson I know! “Fuck Batman”? That sounds a lot more like something Jason Todd would say. Dick was the happy, go-lucky acrobat that made bad puns in the middle of a fight. HE DIDN’T WALK ON THE NECKS OF CRIMINALS HE JUST BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF.

Jason Todd and Damian Wayne are supposed to be the Robins with anger management issues who would go too far when fighting criminals. He’s allowed to be angry, but he’s never been the kind to simmer with rage and take it out on a cowardly and superstitious lot. He’s also never been the kind to take it out on the wrong people. If he’s angry at Bruce, he shares with with Bruce and no one else.

I haven’t had a lot of exposure to Raven but I know she is a tragic character. Her father is a demon, who wants to take over/destroy the Earth, and he needs her to cross over. Emotions are his link to her and being emotionless is part of how she protects herself, giving off a goth-like vibe. This Raven is a frazzled out-pouring of emotion from the moment we see her. She’s on the verge of tears when talking about the evil inside her. Raven was never one to talk about her emotions.

I feel like DC got the characterizations of Robin and Raven all wrong. Titans looks like a show that will be taking young heroes from their darkest moments and slamming them together in time to stop a great calamity. I recognize that DC is going to take these heroes and mold them into something new and more recognizable, but right now it just feels wrong and uncompelling. Perhaps I will change my mind as more trailers come out and introduce us to the other Titans, but I’m not digging the direction it seems to be going.

What made the Teen Titans comics so compelling was their youthful exuberance. They were sidekicks that decided to strike it out on their own, and being teens much like their readers; which made them relatable. Their “joie de vie” is what made them fun and different in relation to the serious adults of the Justice League.

Aside from what I perceive to be poor characterizations, I think the biggest drawback for this series is that DC is only airing it on their DC Universe streaming service. If you want to watch it you’re going to have to pay for another subscription.