The following contains spoilers for Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5, now on sale from DC Comics
The heroes of the DC Universe have been struggling to contend not just with the external threats of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, but the internal conflicts they've highlighted. The inability to measure up to the departed Justice League has hung heavy over the Earth's remaining heroes all event.
But that set-up has quietly highlighted what makes the Titans stand out against their more high-profile peers, with Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 (by Joshua Williamson, Daniel Sampere, Alejandro Sanchez, and Tom Napolitano) showcasing how the Titans can unify people in a way the Justice League never can.
The Justice League Aren't DC's Most Important Heroes
One of the primary plot beats of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths has explored the idea of what makes the Justice League. Now that the DC Universes' biggest hitters are removed from the board as a result of Pariah, the remaining heroes have scrambled to contend with the villainous armies of Deathstroke. While the JSA steps up to try and contain the spreading Great Darkness, the Titans rally the rest of the hero community to their side. This ranges from classic members of the team to the students who learned under them at the Teen Titans Academy. A host of other heroes who've never belonged to the Titans likewise join the team, standing alongside them to defend the Hall of Justice.
As Deathstroke and his Dark Army assault the building, Nightwing and Superman are confronted by Black Adam, who has no faith that a band of sidekicks can do what gods failed to manage. Calling them out for not being the Justice League, Black Adam's speech has little effect on the heroes. Instead, the veritable army of heroes rallies behind Nightwing, who agrees they aren't the Justice League -- they're the Titans. It's a powerful moment for Dick Grayson, who formally and fully takes his place as the centerpiece of the hero community and leads the charge against Deathstroke. It's also a clear sign of what truly separates the Justice League from the Titans as organizations.
The Titans Have Grown Into Their Own Role
The Justice League is often described as the DC Universe's most powerful heroes, united to confront the challenges that no one hero could withstand. They are a league of heroes; a collection of powerhouses capable of stopping any threat. By contrast, the Titans have always been a smaller organization, with a far more specific scope. Although they've saved the world too, the team is usually defined by its younger membership and a wider array of members. But that's exactly what makes the Titans special, in a way the League can't match. The Titans have always held their doors open for inexperienced youngsters, giving them a place to train and discover themselves.
The Titans have always been inclusive in the way that the Justice League ever was. The League may have bases across the cosmos, but the Titans set up shop in bustling environments like New York City and San Francisco. The Titans invite members with all sorts of powers and backstories, not just the powerhouse marquee characters. The Justice League is something to aspire to, but the Titans are something people can become in their own lives. The Titans becoming the rallying cry for the heroes of the DC Universe is an inspired and appropriate choice given the histories of both teams -- and serves as a striking reminder that even outside the League, the DC Universe is full of heroes able and willing to do whatever it takes to save the day.