AllMovie

Created for DC Comics in 1964, the Teen Titans were a band of junior crime fighters, largely comprised of the sidekicks of such A-list DC do-gooders as Batman and Aquaman. First animated on the old Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure in 1968, the youthful Titans were revived for television by producers Bruce Timm (of Batman: The Animated Series fame) and Glenn Murakami (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) 35 years later. On this occasion, the only carryover from the original comic book was Teen Titan leader Robin the Boy Wonder, although Robin's erstwhile pal Aqualad made occasional guest appearances. Other Teen Titans included the shape shifting Beast Boy, red-haired alien Starfire, the telekinetic Raven, and the half-robot Cyborg. The principal villains on this series were the superpowered graduates of Hive Academy, led by Slade Wilson (aka Deathstroke). All of these characters had, of course, been created and developed for the comic books by such worthies as Bob Kane, George Perez, and Marv Wolfman. The new version of Teen Titans made its Cartoon Network bow on July 19, 2003.