Warning: The following contains spoilers for Justice League #56 by Joshua Williamson, Robson Rocha and Daniel Henriques, and Teen Titans #47 by Robbie Thompson, Javi Fernandes and Marcelo Maiolo, on sale now.
In Justice League #56, Lex Luthor attempted to insult Nightwing, Starfire and Cyborg with a throwaway jab. Even though it was meant to cause offense, the most recent issue of Teen Titans shows that there may have been some deeper truth to his words.
Justice League is still following the events of Death Metal, and while the core team is busy fighting the Darkest Knight in the main storyline, Nightwing has assembled a makeshift team of himself, Cyborg, Starfire, Martian Manhunter, Detective Chimp, Hawkgirl and most surprisingly, Lex Luthor. Their mission is to free the Legion of Doom from Perpetuas's throne, which is guarded by a giant being called the Omega Knight. After rescuing Manhunter, Nightwing tells them they are unable to defeat this creature alone and require assistance from the "real" Justice League. Starfire confronts him, saying there is no backup and that he needs to grow up and become who he is supposed to be. Cyborg chips in, agreeing that they've all been through some rough times but that they can move forward together.
Lex Luthor ruins this moment, telling them he thought he was working with the Justice League, and "if I had known it was the Teen Titans, I would have come alone." While the comment was intended to be patronizing, the trio's latest exploits in Teen Titans #47 may actually prove his point.
The current Teen Titans team has undergone some changes recently, disbanding after it was discovered that Robin (Damian Wayne) had been brainwashing criminals that the team had apprehended. The rest of the team had dabbled with the idea of assembling again, but it isn't until Robin leads them to Nightwing that they truly come together. He explains that the Justice League didn't approve of his former team, the Titans, but that the idea of a new team may work if he is leading it. After the Teen Titans accept, he welcomes them to Titans Tower and the rest of the team, which is made up of Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Donna Troy and Beast Boy.
In Justice League, Luthor meant "Teen Titans" as an insult, but it is clear from this issue -- as well as his reluctance to take charge of the "League" -- that the Titans is where Nightwing belongs. He's not only a leader, like Batman, but a teacher who is arguably more effective than his former mentor, having learned from Bruce's mistakes. Starfire and Cyborg, who recently had a cosmic adventure of their own, also seem to have found their place among the young team. It's not like they have a lack of options, with Starfire previously being a member of The Outlaws, and Cyborg having been an essential member of the Justice League, but both of them have found where they belong on the team that began their superhero journey.
Luthor's attempt to get under their skin may have done nothing more than encourage them. Some people may dream of saving the world alongside Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, but these friends have stood shoulder to shoulder with those giants and understood they can do more good helping the heroes of tomorrow. How they manage this new generation of super-youths will be discovered soon in the pages of Teen Titans.