TV Series: Season 1 of Titans (2018-present)
Creators: Greg Berlanti, Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns
Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, and Ryan Potter
Number of Episodes: 11
SYNOPSIS:
Richard “Dick” Grayson used to lead a secret life as the cape crusader’s sidekick, Robin. Two years later, just as his alter ego was believed to be dead, Dick finds himself in Detroit with a position as a detective. During an investigation, he meets the mysterious Rachel Roth – a young girl with strange powers she can’t seem to control. Along the way they meet familiar faces from Dick’s past as well as some new faces that could help shed some light into the situation – like the hot-headed amnesiac Kory Anders and the sheltered animal shifter Garfield Logan, in order to help him to find out what is behind Rachel’s newfound abilities
Released originally in the DC Universe network on October 12, 2018, then Netflix once the episodes were completed. Titans viewers got caught off-guard by the show’s mature themes. Although the line-up of characters may mirror Cartoon Network’s animated TV show, the live-action adaptation consists of multiple elements from various source materials of the Teen Titans comic book runs. Specifically, one that was first established in 1982 by George Perez and Marv Wolfman with the title The New Teen Titans.
Unlike most DC series (Smallville, The Arrowverse – Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, with the addiction of Gotham), Titans is currently spearheading a world for a new generation of fans. It makes it easier for the franchise to flesh out possible stories that could be used later in the future. With multiple hidden references, it manages to lure in the viewers to continue watching the series and many more that come their way.
As soon as the trailer debuted worldwide, the show runners were met with many concerns. One of them being the change of content in the backstory of specific characters and how it’s used to setup their current circumstances. The aftermath being a more realistic angle from the regular theme of superheroes wherein the characters themselves have more humanity – making them relatable to the viewers.
With the evolution of ethic and queer representation in the media, there were a lot of controversy surrounding the cast of the show. Most specifically with Dick Grayson’s actor, Brenton Thwaites, since portraying someone of Romani descent when he himself is not. This often sets a double standard regarding the concept of whitewashing.
The other side of the spectrum was seen when Anna Diop was first casted as Kory Anders. Negative comments about her race was spread around social media by fans who were not expecting the dark skin complexion as the original skin tone was orange to represent her alien heritage. Which would have made her stand out in a world where its form of concept has not yet been established until the events of the series. Despite the backlash, Diop handled it professionally and firmly established herself and those who doubted her began to withdraw their criticism once they saw the rage of her acting.
On its own, it has the potential to develop aspects of the comic book that the DC Extended Universe was not able to fulfil with the limited screen time given for the films. As an avid fan, I am pleased with the small details they have added into the world as well as the fact that they have humanized a fictional/comical series to what has now become reality, especially with the additions of iconic characters that will appear later on in the series.