DCAU

[Silverstar]

Is Static Shock in the continuity? I never really liked it since I was a kid, and think it even created some confusion for the continuity as a whole (Robin was with the Teen Titans in this universe?). So for multiple reasons I just think it should've been kept separate.

Initially, the other DC heroes were just fictional characters on Static Shock (in season 1's "They're Playing Our Song" Virgil comments that "Even Superman had a day job"), but starting with season 2's "The Big Leagues", SS became part of the DCAU, with the numerous guest appearances by other DC superheroes and the appearance of an adult Static in the JLU episode "Time, Warped".

As for the "Robin's with the Titans" line, this question gets asked a lot, but here's the answer: WB originally planned for there be a Static/Teen Titans crossover episode, but the episode, had it been made, would've aired before the premiere of the TT show on Cartoon Network. WB felt that this might prove too confusing for viewers (not to mention they didn't want the Titans characters to make their TV debut before the premiere of their own show), so they scrapped the idea and went with a Justice League crossover instead ("A League of Their Own").

For continuity sticklers who like everything to be connected, it can be conjectured that there is a Teen Titans team in the SS/DCAU universe, but that team may not necessarily be the same Titans from the CN show.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Static Shock and Zeta are apparently in continuity.

[talonmalon333]

Is Static Shock in the continuity? I never really liked it since I was a kid, and think it even created some confusion for the continuity as a whole (Robin was with the Teen Titans in this universe?). So for multiple reasons I just think it should've been kept separate.

Initially, the other DC heroes were just fictional characters on Static Shock (in season 1's "They're Playing Our Song" Virgil comments that "Even Superman had a day job"), but starting with season 2's "The Big Leagues", SS became part of the DCAU, with the numerous guest appearances by other DC superheroes and the appearance of an adult Static in the JLU episode "Time, Warped".

As for the "Robin's with the Titans" line, this question gets asked a lot, but here's the answer: WB originally planned for there be a Static/Teen Titans crossover episode, but the episode, had it been made, would've aired before the premiere of the TT show on Cartoon Network. WB felt that this might prove too confusing for viewers (not to mention they didn't want the Titans characters to make their TV debut before the premiere of their own show), so they scrapped the idea and went with a Justice League crossover instead ("A League of Their Own").

For continuity sticklers who like everything to be connected, it can be conjectured that there is a Teen Titans team in the SS/DCAU universe, but that team may not necessarily be the same Titans from the CN show.

I had actually forgotten that Static appears in Justice League. That idea that they were initially fictional makes it all even weirder. Plus, even if there is a TT in the DCAU that isn't the same as the group in the CN show, it's still confusing. I mean, in BTAS, we can trace basically every step made by Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. I just don't see how there would ever be time for him to become a Titan.

Static Shock and Zeta are apparently in continuity.

The Zeta show makes sense, I think. He's just a Batman Beyond character getting his own spin-off show to do his own thing. So it doesn't get in the way of anything and it follows its own story that happens to take place in the DCAU.

[talonmalon333]

So are there any future plans for the DCAU? If not, what do you guys think they should do? Shame that some of the other Justice League members didn't get their own animated shows.

[Spark Of Spirit]

It was done when season 3 of JLU wrapped. I don't see them starting back up anytime soon, though I'm not much of a fan of most of the movies they release.

[Avaitor]

Well, you can get technical and consider the Arkham Asylum games to be continuations of B:TAS, I guess. Otherwise, sad to say, but the DCAU is done for.

[Dr. Insomniac]

I want to be bull-headed and say that Paul Dini's run on Detective Comics and Gotham City Sirens can be shoved sideways into the DCAU timeline.

[Goldstar]

I had actually forgotten that Static appears in Justice League. That idea that they were initially fictional makes it all even weirder. Plus, even if there is a TT in the DCAU that isn't the same as the group in the CN show, it's still confusing. I mean, in BTAS, we can trace basically every step made by Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. I just don't see how there would ever be time for him to become a Titan.

To me, there's no way that Teen Titans: TAS could ever be canon with the DCAU. The TT universe contradicts the DCAU too much for it to be a part of it. If TT were canon, and if the hardcore fans are correct in assuming that TT's Robin was indeed Dick Grayson, then that would mean that Dick quit being Batman's sidekick, moved to Jump City to strike out on his own and became a Teen Titan for 2 to 4 years, and then went back to Gotham City and being Bruce's sidekick before Tim Drake entered the picture in The New Batman Adventures. This would also suggest that TT occurred before TNBA, chronologically speaking, which makes even less sense.

TT being DCAU would also beg some questions; such as what was the Justice League doing while Trigon the Terrible was taking over the freaking planet? And why was Gizmo the first person that the Titans come to for help when Cyborg contracted a computer virus when it would have made more sense for them to go to Bruce or Ray Palmer (The Atom) or Star Labs?

I don't want to upset any fans who want TT: TAS to be part of the DCAU. I'm just saying that for me persoanlly, it doesn't work. Never did. Never will.

[Avaitor]

We really don't know much of what happened with Batman and Robin's relationship between Bruce's adoption of Dick and Dick nearing his college graduation, when you think about it, and TT's Robin is obviously a little younger than this one. Even then, it still doesn't add up to become part of DCAU canon.

[talonmalon333]

There really isn't enough evidence to say Teen Titans could ever be in the DCAU. The only thing to go on is the Static Shock quote, and the fact that Speedy makes an appearance in JL with his TT design and voice actor. But both of those can be explained without saying he's the same character from the TT show. In the end, it's just impossible to fit it in. For one, we do know that TT Robin is Dick Grayson (at one point there's a flashback to his past, and you see a clear shot of the circus his family worked in, and later on he gets a doppelganger with the name Dick Grayson spelled backwards). And as Goldstar and I said, you can follow every step he makes, and there's no room for him to go to Jump City and put together his own team and all that.

[gunswordfist]

We really don't know much of what happened with Batman and Robin's relationship between Bruce's adoption of Dick and Dick nearing his college graduation, when you think about it, and TT's Robin is obviously a little younger than this one. Even then, it still doesn't add up to become part of DCAU canon.

Dick is at least 16, hence the motorcycle riding. The Japanime look just makes him look younger. I figured this out in the episode where he gets injured while fighting on said motorcycle and then the Robin from another dimension shows us what Robin would look like if he didn't have the anime look, which looked like an actual 16 year old.

[talonmalon333]

Robin in Teen Titans is heavily implied to have already gotten done working alongside Batman. In the origin episode, he takes down a criminal and they start to say "Hey, aren't you supposed to be working with-" which obviously is referring to Batman. But Robin cuts him off saying "Just moved here, and now I work alone" since for whatever reason they decided to never mention Batman.

I'd say Teen Titans Robin's past is based on Batman TAS Robin as references to Batman are frequently done in a BTAS style. But it has its own differences (Robin being younger, going off to work on his own instead of quitting being Robin, etc).

[Goldstar]

Personally, I've always thought of Teen Titans: TAS taking place in it's own separate universe that's not connected to any other DC animated series. TT was no more canon to the DCAU than Krypto the Superdog was, but that's just me.

[Silverstar]

I tend to think that TT's Robin is simply "Robin", a stand-alone composite of all the various Robins with no actual civilian identity. There are indeed some Easter eggs which allude to him being Dick Grayson, but he also shares some of Tim Drake's trademarks, such as the spiky hair, the steel-toed boots and the bo staff. (And some could argue that his alter ego of Red X is a subtle nod to Jason Todd, aka Red Hood). To me it really doesn't matter who TT Robin is since we never see him out of costume, he's never called by any other name and seems to lead no civilian life, and also since TT isn't connected to any other DC show.

Robin in Teen Titans is heavily implied to have already gotten done working alongside Batman. In the origin episode, he takes down a criminal and they start to say "Hey, aren't you supposed to be working with-" which obviously is referring to Batman. But Robin cuts him off saying "Just moved here, and now I work alone" since for whatever reason they decided to never mention Batman.

The producers never wanted to implicitly include Batman or any of the adult heroes into Teen Titans because it was supposed to be the kids' show, the opportunity for Robin and the other teen heroes to shine on their own. As soon as you bring Batman into the picture, Robin is reduced to just being a sidekick again. Batman and Robin can never and will never be equals. No matter how formidable Robin is or will ever get, he'll always just be Scottie Pippen to Batman's Michael Jordan.

I personally thought the we should have at least gotten fleeting glimpses of the adult capes on TT, but I can't understand why the producers chose not to. It didn't really matter much since the core team on the show was the 80's New Teen Titans rather than the Founding Five, which was another nitpick I had with TT.

[hobbyfan]

Time to jump in.

I had a problem with the Americanized Anime of the Teen Titans series. I'm sorry, but it didn't fit.

Major differences between the series and the 80's comic it was based on:

1. Starfire. What do you suppose is the BIG difference? On TV, she's more naive than she was presented in the books. To the producers' credit, they took their time developing the Robin-Starfire relationship.

2. In the comics, Robin & Beast Boy were actually adults. Some of you might recall that Dick was in college at the start of the 70's, and Gar---by 1980 using the name Changeling---had become a movie stuntman despite his green skin (which DC has retconned out, FWIW, in the current books). At the most, they'd have to be retconned to about 19 each.

3. It was Raven who put the team together in the books to combat Trigon. I don't recall seeing an "origin" episode on TV, and with Kid Flash MIA for most of the TV show, well........!

Given how popular the Teen Titans GO! book was, it doesn't surprise me it'd be adapted into a TV show. That's how Young Justice got started. BTW, speaking of YJ, y'think maybe they could use a little more help, in the form of a certain pair of siblings who were misused in the YJ book under Peter David's direction, but could be treated right (as they were in 1977, that is)? (If you can't figure it out from the subtle clue I left, I'm embarassed for you guys. Those of you who know me from Toon Zone will likely get it.) So, when TTG begins its TV run, I think I may be passing.