The Teen Titans have been one of DC's biggest teams and properties since the '80s, and that popularity only increased with the release of the 2000s cartoon. The franchise floundered somewhat during the New 52 era, but thankfully, a new era is dawning for DC's premier team of teen heroes.

This marks a perfect time to look back at the best stories of the Titans' long and venerable history. From spinoffs of the 2003 cartoon to comic book runs both classic and recent, here's a look at the best comic book stories featuring the Teen Titans.

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Teen Titans: Beast Boy and Raven Trilogy

Beast Boy Raven Romance

More so than any adaptation, Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo's young adult-oriented trilogy of Teen Titans graphic novels starring Raven and Beast Boy completely reimagine DC's teenage heroes. These stories turn them into everyday teenagers who happen to have superpowers, removing any other extraneous superhero elements to focus on characterization and romance.

This trilogy is definitely different than what comic book fans might expect from the property, but at the same time, they're clearly inspired by the hinted-at the attraction between the two characters in the animated series. Thus, they present the perfect material for fans of the cartoon that want something written with actual teenagers and young adults in mind.

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Teen Titans Go!

Teen Titans Go Comic

Before the cartoon of the same name lampooned the property and its characters, there was a Teen Titans Go! comic book. Penned by J. Torres and illustrated by artists like Todd Nauck,  This book was supplemental to the original cartoon, portraying the characters' further adventures outside of what was shown on the screen. This also allowed it to featured characters that for one reason or another never made it on the cartoon, such as both versions of Wonder Girl and Cyborg's love interest Sarah.

Fans of the old cartoon should definitely track this series down, as it has much of the same humor and characterization from the show while featuring glossed over elements from the comics. This series could easily be used as a entryway into the mainstream comics.

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The New Teen Titans

New Teen Titans George Perez

Although its name suggests something more recent, the iconic Marv Wolfman/George Perez run on The New Teen Titans was an '80s classic that put the team on the map and paved the way for the improved storytelling of the Post-Crisis DC Universe. It was the first truly successful iteration of the team, and was analogous to Marvel's Giant-Sized X-Men relaunch. The team included classic Silver and Bronze Age Titans Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl and Beast Boy (called Changeling throughout the run as an attempt to mature the character), as well as new heroes Raven, Starfire and Cyborg who would go on to become extremely popular.

The run is known for balancing superhero life with relationship drama and evolving the characters past being seen as the "little" Justice League. Perez's art was a highlight of the book, and when combined with Wolfman's scripts made the title an instant success. Many of the storylines featured on the 2000s era animated series is adapted from the work Wolfman and Perez produced during this run.

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The 2000s' Teen Titans

Along with artists like Mike McKone and Tony Daniel, Geoff Johns' 2000s Teen Titans run is returns to the classic version of the team and is widely considered to be the best modern interpretation of the Teen Titans since Wolfman/Perez. Johns united veteran Titans Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven with the Young Justice generation of heroes that included Tim Drake's Robin, Superboy, Impulse and the new Wonder Girl.

The run updated several of the Wolfman/Perez era villains and concepts for a new generation, and established a stronger connection to the DC Universe as a whole, allowing the Titans to play a part in company-wide crossovers such as Infinite Crisis and Blackest Night.

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Teen Titans Academy

teen-titans-academy-1-header

The Teen Titans of old have finally had their continuity restored, with the Wolfman/Perez run officially back in continuity. This new status quo sees the team coming together again to teach a new generation of young heroes, turning Titans Tower into a training center for young heroes. It also features and updates Red X, who previously only appeared on the animated series.

Tim Sheridan and Raga Sandoval's Teen Titans Academy series has just begun, making it the perfect jumping on point for anyone looking to get reacquainted with the franchise. Academy features a healthy mix of heroes old and new, making it easy to get into the story and find relatable characters. Hopefully, this book is a sign of things to come and evidence that the Teen Titans' best days are yet to come.

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