Teen Titans and Doctor Strange

 

One cool thing that I have liked about the Teen Titans is the variety of types of stories that were told with the team.  They could easily go from standard superhero fare to epic off-planet action to street level mysteries.  It would be cool to see them share a mystic adventure with Dr. Strange.

Sub-Mariner, Stingray & Namorita meet The Teen Titans

 

Namorita joined the Teen Titans back in STF #1714, and the team previously crossed paths with her and her cousin, The Sub-Mariner and back in STF #2648.  I figured that the third part in this ongoing saga should involve a third sea-faring guest star, and that was an opportunity to use the always cool Stingray.

Avengers and The Teen Titans in "Mad March of the Mega-Men!"

 

I've had the Avengers meet The New Teen Titans on the blog - first in STF #1250, and then again in STF #3179, but for this Anniversary Issue, I thought it would be cool if Earth's Mightiest Heroes had an epic adventure with the original Teen Titans team.  With two such powerful teams, I needed to find adversaries that could give them a run for their money, and that's where the classic Kirby monsters come in!

Here are larger images of the individual stories:

The Teen Titans and Gargoyle

 

Isaac Christians as the Gargoyle is an old soul inhabiting a powerful form, while the original Teen Titans were youths learning to step into the shoes of their more experienced partners.  I could definitely see a mentor/student relationship between them. It would be interesting to read about, anyway.

Aqualad and Iron Man

 

An oddball pairing here but this was a case in which I noticed that I had a couple of images that seemed to go together well.  I can definitely see a story that mixes both Manhunter and Stark Tech.  Garth doesn't get enough respect, especially these days, and it would be nice to see him take center stage again.

Judge Dredd and The Teen Titans

 

If these teen heroes thought that their mentors could be tough on them, I can just imagine how they would feel with Dredd calling the shots for the group.  I can imagine a Silver Age story in which the Mega-City One lawman and the super sidekicks with a rebellious streak have to find a way to work together for a common goal.

Sub-Mariner, Abe Sapien and Aqualad

 

I am really curious to see how Namor is realized when he appears in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.  Reports are that his backstory will be altered to differentiate him from Aquaman.  I hope they don't change too much and that he is still easily recognizable as the Sub-Mariner from the comics. I'm also very interested to see the underwater filming effects, they are supposed to use a completely different style than director James Wan has been using in the Aquaman movies.

Aqualad and Stingray

 

Stingray's costume is unapologetically 70's and decidedly different from most underwater heroes, but for some reason it really works for me.  I love the cape/fins design, it seems like it would work well with the currents.  The face concealing mask may be an issue for some, but I've always thought it looked pretty cool.  The right artists really made this outfit sing on the page.

Teen Titans Vs. The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

 

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see the battle The titans have been training for.  Looking at these line ups, it seems like a pretty even match up - I' not sure which way it would go.  What say you?

Back when I collected original art, it was a lot more affordable than it is now.  Still, I could never afford a Jack Kirby piece.  I did pick up this Dan Adkins-inked Kirby image, though.  I examined it closely to see if there were any pencil lines under the ink and I couldn't see any, and plus the price was way too low, so I am confident that Adkins didn't ink over a Kirby original page - but it still looks cool so I was happy to get it:

Teen Titans and Professor X

 

Presenting Part One of a Two-Part Epic!  Make sure you come back tomorrow to see the exciting conclusion! You can probably guess where it's going.

Tom Mandrake inked over Sal Buscema's pencils on this Professor X Image.  He would later move on to full art chores where his signature style really got a chance to flourish.  I was lucky to pick up a sketch by him many years ago: 

Teen Titans Vs. The Green Goblin

 

One cool thing about the persistent rumors of previous Spider-Man franchise movie villains returning for Spider-Man: No Way Home, is that we will most likely get to see upgraded looks for all of them.  I really hope that Willem DaFoe's Green Goblin makes an appearance.  He was perfect in the role, but I always felt they could have done a better job with his costume.  The unmoving helmet hindered his performance and there wasn't any purple in there!

Thank you to Dave Anderson for suggesting this match up!

Dr. Doom Vs. The Teen Titans

Rumors are again resurfacing that Doctor Doom will be introduced to the MCU in the next Black Panther movie.  I can see there being perhaps some international intrigue between Wakanda and Lateveria, which could be interesting - but what then of the rumors that Atlantis and Prince Namor would be involved in the movie?  Is there a chance we will see a three-way conflict? It would be like an issue of Super-Villain Team-Up come to life!

Aquaman & Aqualad Vs. Galactus

It will be interesting to see what elements are added to Aquaman's movie world once the sequel gets up and running.  Black Manta, Mera and Orm are all slated to reappear, but will we see Garth or Calder in the mix?  What about Dolphin?  Are there any big Aquaman villains we haven't seen yet?  The Fisherman never seemed that impressive to me, maybe The Shark?

The Falcon and The Teen Titans

I am very curious about how Sam Wilson will wield the Shield that Captain America gave to him.  Cap used it very effectively, but he had the super-soldier serum to allow him to do that.  Sam is in great shape, but has normal human strength.  We all saw what happened when Happy Hogan tried a Captain America like move in Spider-Man: Far From Home!  Sam is of course is more skilled than Happy, but still has no special powers to assist him - not to mention his wings getting in the way when wielding the shield.  Hopefully this will be addressed in the upcoming Disney+ show.

Namorita and Aqualad

One of the reasons I liked when Garth changed from Aqualad to Tempest was that he had long grown out of his original costume.  It looked fine in the old comics when he was portrayed as a young kid, but as the Titans aged, it started to make him look a bit silly.

Tempest and Storm

I liked Aqualad's transition to Tempest.  It was cool for him to get his own unique power set and the red version of Aquaman's blue costume looked cool on him.  I liked the Tempest from the Doom Patrol too, though, so I might have gone with a different code name, though.

Thanks again to comics historian and Patron of this blog Marc Tyler Nobleman for another great team-up suggestion!

Spider-Man and Aqualad

I'm not sure what the original Aqualad's status is thse days with all of the reboots and revamps DC has had over the past several years.  I know that there's a new Aqualad  that has appeared in the comics and TV's Young Justice (son of Black Manta), but I don't know if that means that Garth has been completely written out.  Like Wally West, I hope he gets another chance - as a founding member of the Teen Titans, he deserves better.

Aquaman & Aqualad and Hercules

I have to laugh when I look at this team up because the Jason Mamoa Aquaman from Justice League looks like it will be an amalgam between Aquaman and Hercules.  He's got Aquaman's abilities and trident, with Hercules' personality and appearance, and a costume that combines the two.  Hopefully when I see the movie, the Orin/Arthur Curry side of Aquman will become more evident.

Namorita Joins The Teen Titans

It's cool to see dc with a Titans title featuring the classic members of the team again. I was worried that there would be no place for them, with their mentors still in operation and a whole new crop of Teen Titans to take their place.  Fortunately DC Rebirth recognized the value and fan base that comes with these characters and have given them a chance to shine again.

The Teen Titans and Ghost Rider

I have spoken before about how Nick Cardy is my favorite DC cover artist.  Even so, while it was great to see his take on so many different characters and genres, I wish that he had done more interior work. I loved what he did on titles like Teen Titans and Aquaman, and I wanted more  I'd have loved to have seen him do a run on Justice League or Legion of Super-Heroes.