New Teen Titans

Author: Marv Wolfman

The Teen Titans were another attempt to bring known superheroes to the teen audience. And unlike the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Teen Titans weren't young versions of the heroes, but instead their side-kicks and other heroes influenced by them. The original Teen Titans were a successful title, but it was in the 1980s, when the title was taken over by Marv Wolfman as the writer, and George Perez handling the pencils. The pair defined the feeling of the New Teen Titans when they took over the title in 1980. They produced iconic storylines that moved the Titans through harrowing adventures. Perhaps the peak of the title's creative period was the story arc The Judas Contract. The team has to deal with an existential threat to their very lives from Terra, a psychotic young woman with the ability to manipulate Earth matter. The storyline was a major best-seller, and helped to propel the title into becoming one of the defining series of 1980s comics, and Wolfman and Perez into the most in-demand of all creative teams in the DC Universe. Why it's on the list: The New Teen Titans' sixteen year run helped to keep comics appealing to teens, and maintained an incredibly high level of creativity all the way through.