{"id":30051,"date":"2024-06-24T17:12:18","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T17:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=30051"},"modified":"2024-06-24T17:12:18","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T17:12:18","slug":"teen-titans-the-silver-age-volume-one-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2024\/06\/24\/teen-titans-the-silver-age-volume-one-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Teen Titans: The Silver Age volume One"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Bob Haney<\/strong>, Bruno Premiani<\/strong>, Nick Cardy<\/strong>, Irv Novick<\/strong>, Bill Molno<\/strong>, Sal Trapani<\/strong>, Jack Abel<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-7508-2 (TPB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

Although primarily concerned with celebrating Pride Month and simultaneously prepping for a really big blowout\/hunkering down for the new dystopia following our imminent election, I couldn\u2019t let the month end without shouting out to an anniversary celebrating a publishing landmark that truly changed the comics landscape. Here you go, Groovers and True Believers…<\/em><\/p>\n

The concept of kid hero teams was not a new one when the 1960s Batman <\/strong>TV show prompted DC to entrust their big stars\u2019 assorted sidekicks with their own regular venue in a fab, hip and groovy ensemble as dedicated to helping kids as they were to stamping out insidious evil. The biggest difference between the creation of the Teen Titans<\/strong> and earlier wartime youth teams like The Young Allies<\/strong>, Newsboy Legion<\/strong>, Boy Champions <\/strong>and Boy Commandos<\/strong> or even 1950s holdovers such as The Little Wise Guys<\/strong> or Boys Ranch<\/strong> was quite simply the burgeoning phenomena of \u201cThe Teenager\u201d as a discrete commercial and social force. These newcomers were kids who could – and should – be allowed to do things themselves without constant adult help or supervision.<\/p>\n

This quirkily eclectic compilation re-presents the landmark try-out appearances from The Brave and the Bold<\/strong> #54 & 60 and Showcase<\/strong> #59 – collectively debuting in 1964 and1965 – as well as the first 11 issues of the Teen Titans<\/strong> solo title, spanning January\/February 1966 to September\/October 1967.<\/p>\n

As early as April 30th<\/sup> – albeit cover-dated June\/July – 1964, The Brave and the Bold<\/strong> #54 saw DC\u2019s Powers-That-Be test the waters in a gripping tale by writer Bob Haney superbly illustrated by unsung genius Bruno Premiani. \u2018<\/em>The Thousand-and-One Dooms of Mr. Twister\u2019<\/em> initially united Kid Flash<\/strong>, Aqualad<\/strong> and Robin the Boy Wonder<\/strong> in desperate battle with a modern wizard-cum-Pied Piper who sought to abduct every teen of scenic Hatton Corners. The young heroes accidentally meet in the town by chance after involved students individually invite them to mediate in a long-running dispute with the town\u2019s adults…<\/p>\n

This element of a teen \u201ccourt of appeal\u201d was the motivating principle in many of the group\u2019s subsequent cases. One year later the team reformed for a second adventure (B&B<\/strong> #60, by the same creative team) and introduced two new elements. \u2018The Astounding Separated Man\u2019<\/em> features more misunderstood kids (weren\u2019t we all?): this time in coastal hamlet Midville and threatened by an outlandish monster whose giant body parts detach and move independently. Wonder Girl<\/strong> was added to the roster (not actually a sidekick, or even a person at that juncture, but rather an SFX incarnation of Wonder Woman<\/strong> as a child – a fact the writer and editor of the series seemed blissfully unaware of (or simply ignored) but most importantly the kids finally had a team name: \u2018Teen Titans\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Their final try-out appearance was in Showcase <\/strong>(#59, November\/December 1965) and the birthplace of so many hit comic concepts. It was also the first drawn by the brilliant Nick Cardy (who became synonymous with the 1960s series). \u2018The Return of the Teen Titans\u2019<\/em> pits the neophyte team against teen pop trio \u2018<\/em>The Flips\u2019<\/em> who are apparently also a gang of super-crooks. As was so often the case, the grown-ups had got it all wrong again…<\/p>\n

One month later Teen Titans<\/strong> #1 debuted (cover-dated January\/February 1966 and released mere weeks before the Batman<\/strong> TV show aired on January 12th<\/sup>), with Robin very much the point of focus on the cover… and most succeeding ones. Haney & Cardy crafted an exotic thriller entitled \u2018The Beast-God of Xochatan!\u2019<\/em> which sees the team acting as Peace Corps representatives in a South American drama of sabotage, giant robots and magical monsters. The next issue held a fantastic mystery of revenge and young love involving \u2018The Million-Year-Old Teen-Ager\u2019<\/em> who was preserved by accidental entombment and revived in the 20th<\/sup> century. He might have survived modern intolerance, bullying and culture shock on his own, but when his ancient blood enemy also turned up, the Titans were ready to lend a hand…<\/p>\n

\u2018The Revolt at Harrison High\u2019<\/em> in #3 cashed in on a contemporary craze for drag-racing in a tale of bizarre criminality. Produced during a historically iconic era, many readers now can\u2019t help but cringe when reminded of such daft foes as Ding-Dong Daddy<\/em> and his evil biker gang, and of course the hip, trendy dialogue (it wasn\u2019t that accurate then, let alone now) is pitifully dated, but the plot is strong and the art magnificent.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Secret Olympic Heroes\u2019<\/em> guest-starred Green Arrow<\/strong>\u2019s cocky teen partner Speedy<\/strong> in a very human tale of parental pressure at the Olympics, although there\u2019s also skulduggery aplenty from a terrorist organisation intent on disrupting the games. Next TT<\/strong> #5\u2019s \u2018The Perilous Capers of the Terrible Teen\u2019<\/em> finds the Titans facing the dual task of aiding a troubled young man and capturing elusive super-villain The Ant<\/em>, despite all evidence indicating that they\u2019re the same person, after which another DC sidekick made his Titans debut.
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\nIllustrated by Bill Molno & Sal Trapani \u2018The Fifth Titan\u2019<\/em> then brings aboard Beast Boy<\/strong> (the obnoxious juvenile know-it-all from the Doom Patrol<\/strong>). Feeling unappreciated by his adult mentors, the young hero wrongly assumes he\u2019ll be welcomed by his peers. Rejected again, he falls under the spell of an unscrupulous circus owner and the kids need to set things right…<\/p>\n

Slow and overly convoluted, it\u2019s possibly the low-point of a stylish run, but many fans disagree, citing #7\u2019s \u2018The Mad Mod, Merchant of Menace\u2019<\/em> as the biggest stinker. However, beneath painfully dated dialogue there\u2019s a witty, tongue-in-cheek tale of swinging London, cool capers and novel criminality, plus the return of magnificent Nick Cardy to the art chores.<\/p>\n

It was back to America for \u2018A Killer called Honey Bun\u2019<\/em> (illustrated by Irv Novick & Jack Abel): another tale of intolerance and misunderstood kids, played against a backdrop of espionage in Middle America, and featuring a deadly prototype robotic superweapon in the menacing title role…<\/p>\n

TT<\/strong> #9\u2019s \u2018Big Beach Rumble\u2019<\/em> finds the Titans refereeing a swiftly-escalating vendetta between rival colleges on holiday when modern day pirates led by the barbarous Captain Tiger<\/em> crash the scene. Novick pencilled it and Cardy\u2019s inking made it all very palatable in a light and uncomplicated way. Editor George Kashdan clearly concurred as the art teem continued for the next few issues, beginning with \u2018Scramble at Wildcat\u2019<\/em>: a rowdy crime caper featuring dirt-bikes and desert ghost-towns, with skeevy biker The Scorcher<\/em> profiting from a pernicious robbery spree…<\/p>\n

Wrapping up this first outing, Speedy returned in #11\u2019s spy-thriller \u2018Monster Bait\u2019<\/em>, with the young heroes going undercover to save a boy being blackmailed into betraying his father and his country…<\/p>\n

Although dated in delivery now, these tales were an incomprehensibly liberating experience for kids when first released. They betokened a new empathy with increasingly independent youth and sought to address problems that were more relevant to and generated by that specific audience. That they are so captivating in execution is a wonderful bonus. This is absolute escapism and absolutely delightful and you absolutely should get this book.
\n\u00a9 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 2017 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Bob Haney, Bruno Premiani, Nick Cardy, Irv Novick, Bill Molno, Sal Trapani, Jack Abel & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-7508-2 (TPB\/Digital edition) Although primarily concerned with celebrating Pride Month and simultaneously prepping for a really big blowout\/hunkering down for the new dystopia following our imminent election, I couldn\u2019t let the month end without shouting … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Teen Titans: The Silver Age volume One”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,351,133,10,75,76,91,15,352,125,172,107,11,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-apes-monkeys","category-aquaman","category-batman","category-crime-comics","category-dc-superhero","category-flash","category-green-arrow","category-hawk-dove","category-humour","category-robin","category-science-fiction","category-teen-titans","category-wonder-woman"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-7OH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30051"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30055,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30051\/revisions\/30055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}