When people talk about DC Animation's best offerings, they typically bring up Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, the 2000s Teen Titans, and, most recently, Harley Quinn. They're all amazing works of fiction, sure. But you know what show always—and I mean, always—gets left out of that conversation? Teen "Goddamn" Titans Go! (Note: "Goddamn" is not part of the series' official title; the term is there solely to emphasize its awesomeness).
Born as a parody of the aforementioned Teen Titans series, Go! centers on Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg's day-to-day. It explores every little aspect of their lives—from their efforts to save Jump City, to the lenghts Beast Boy will go to to avoid doing his laundry. Despite its relative obscurity, Teen Titans Go! has actually hit some impressive milestones. The show released in 2013, and continues strong after nearly 13 years, having released over 400 episodes. Such longevity is almost unheard-of for an animated series; it's a badge of honor reserved only for a select few, like the ever-glorious SpongeBob SquarePants. The show and its film have even attracted some fairly powerful figures, including LeBron James, Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Kimmel.
"Wait, 'film'?" That's right, my keen-eyed reader: The Teen Titans have their own theatrically released feature film, 2018's Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. Granted, it wasn't a huge financial success (it brought in $50 million internationally against a reported $10 million budget), but, as mentioned, still attracted multiple high-profile stars. The film featured the voices of Will Arnett, Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage and even freakin' Stan Lee himself.
Sadly, despite all of those accomplishments, Teen Titans Go! is always left forgotten, forced to watch as its older siblings get love and adoration from the public, while it remains an obscure piece of DC media. And that's where my frustration lies...
Teen Titans Go! Has Been Denied of Recognition For Too Long
I will not mince my words: This show is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's tough to grasp, I know. After all, to someone unfamiliar with Go!, the description I provided for it might feel mundane, insipid, even. However, there's something magical about this show that hooks you. It's welcoming and enjoyable; it makes you want to be next to Robin as he mercilessly beats his teammates with a stick because they farted the wrong way in his presence, or something.
There's a cozy feeling to the show, and with over 400 episodes and counting, viewers really get that full, never-ending sitcom experience that so many other sitcoms could have had, but were unable to due to ending sooner than they should have. It's the perfect style for a show that delivers a slice-of-life approach to its five young superheroes... if said superheroes were absolute psychopaths willing to go to quite literally any lengths to achieve even the most menial of goals.
The fun of Teen Titans Go! is that, unlike nearly every other piece of superhero media, there is no dramatic gravitas. There are no reflective moments that delve into the Titans' psyche or storylines that make them experience lessons to become better people. No. The show is, proudly, all humor. Pure, rampant, unashamed humor. The Titans are horrible people, and the show embraces that to deliver some of the best comedy we've seen not only in superhero adaptations, but arguably in animation in general.
To give you a taste of the kinds of jokes you can get hit with, there is a whole episode centered on the Titans going on a T.O.M. (Trans Oceanic Magical) cruise, filled with—you guessed it—Tom Cruise Easter eggs. There's also an episode where the Titans become regulars of a pie shop that makes its pies out of people... and yes, in case you're wondering, our heroes eat them, no problem. So, for those keeping score at home, the Titans in Teen Titans Go! are, canonically, cannibals.
Finding the Smarts in the Stupid
Now, let's get something out of the way: My sense of humor is cheap. It just is. I love smart humor, yes, but I will never complain about a stupid joke told well. I'm not exaggerating, I will laugh. Maybe not aloud, but trust me, I will be laughing. And that's where Teen Titans Go! delivers on every possible level, because it caters to both humor connoiseurs and easily pleased simpletons like myself by perfectly riding the thin line between stupidity and genius. Most times, the humor in the show is so absurd and nonsensical, that it bursts into the realm of cleverness, delivering jokes that make you laugh out loud because of how dumb they are, but then get you thinking because, somehow, they still had some real-life commentary in them.
Furthermore, as absurd as its humor is, Teen Titans Go! finds a way to pack a lot of important life lessons into many of its episodes. Hold on—I'm not talking about moral dilemmas, or ways in which kids can be heroes. No, the show actually delivers legitimate (and surprisngly well-explained) lessons on a number of pivotal real-life topics, including economics, real estate, the job market, and even the entertainment industry. Heck, it even has a whole episode that breaks down just how stupid the "Flat Earth" theory is.
The series might be built on hilariously silly jokes, but it takes the time to feed its audience a lot of good information alongside its ridiculousness. It's an impressive feat that wouldn't be achieved so consistently if the writers didn't put the utmost care into crafting something so clever. Teen Titans Go! might be primarily aimed at kids, but don't let its flashy colors, animation style or silly tone fool you: This is a series that the whole family can enjoy. And, as much as it's said with a lot of kids' media out there (deservedly so, in many cases), this show actually has something for people of all ages to enjoy.
All of that is what makes Teen Titans Go! so special, and why I, unashamedly so, pray every day that it's able to continue for another 12 years.
So, give Teen Titans Go! a try. I understand if you enjoy dark, meaty superhero storytelling, or if you feel fulfilled by watching Batman brood in the dark for the 1000th time (to be fair, who doesn't?), but I promise Teen Titans Go! won't take that away from you. I am fairly certain if you give this merry band of costumed psychopaths a chance, you won't regret it.
So, how many Teen Titans Go! episodes have you watched since reading the article? Let me know in the comments!