NYCC '08 FLOORBUZZ: McKEEVER ON TERROR TITANS

**MattBrady** · 04-28-2008, 04:08 PM

by Vaneta Rogers

At one of the DC panels last weekend at New York Comic Con, Dan Didio introduced Sean McKeever not only as the writer of the ongoing Teen Titans series, but also as the writer of Terror Titans.

Now as any good Titans fan knows, the "Terror Titans" are the villainous teen characters who are appearing in the current storyline of Teen Titans. But introducing McKeever as the writer of a storyline that is almost finished seemed a tad odd to Newsarama, so we stopped Didio at the DC booth and asked if he could explain.

"You introduced him as the writer of Terror Titans," we told Didio.

"I did?" Didio said -- followed by that laugh he uses when he knows something we don't.

A few questions later, we had the scoop, as well as an interview with McKeever about what Didio really meant when he said "Terror Titans." It turns out that Terror Titans is the name of a six-issue mini-series that begins in September with McKeever writing and Joe Bennett on art.

And what we found out in this edition of our Floorbuzz is that this mini-series will touch upon that Dark Side Club everyone's talking about -- the one that's supposed to be connected to events in Final Crisis -- and we'll see a new, well-known teen member of the Terror Titans emerge as the story takes shape.

Newsarama: So what's this about you being "writer of the Terror Titans?"

Sean McKeever: Well, I'm the writer of the Terror Titans. It's a six-issue mini-series that spins out of the current arc in Teen Titans. And it starts in September with Joe Bennett on art.

NRAMA: Haven't you worked with Joe Bennett before?

SM: I actually did. One of my first things that I ever did at Marvel was a three-issue arc in The Incredible Hulk with Paul Jenkins, and Joe did the art on that. And he did a fantastic job, and he's only gotten better and better since. So I'm super excited to be working with him on Terror Titans, 'cause it's all the bad guys, and he's going to be great at drawing the bad guys.

NRAMA: Can you tell us the premise of the story at all?

SM: It spins out of the current Teen Titans arc, and it kind of spins out of Final Crisis as well. So there's not a lot I can give away at this point, except it does have to do with the Dark Side Club that we've seen in the Seven Soldiers Mr. Miracle mini-series and that we will see in this current arc in Teen Titans, and also in Birds of Prey and in a couple other places in the DC Universe.

I don't want to say too much about what the Dark Side Club is. I'll let people find that out for themselves. But the Clock King has a relationship with the Dark Side Club that we follow up on in the Terror Titans mini-series. And the Terror Titans gain a new member. And it's somebody everybody knows. And it's all about what Clock King wants to use the Dark Side Club for, and how he wants to make his team a stronger team.

NRAMA: With the new member that everybody knows, this has to be a teenager, right?

SM: Maybe.

NRAMA: Maybe? But the Terror Titans are teens.

SM: OK, yeah... I can say that. It's a teenager.

NRAMA: Is it somebody who's currently a villain?

SM: [smiles] It depends on how you look at it.

NRAMA: Do the Terror Titans interact with the Teen Titans at all in this mini-series?

SM: Uh... that would be telling.

NRAMA: Well, we wouldn't want that. But can you tell us anything about what's coming up in the regular Teen Titans series?

SM: We're going to be wrapping up the Terror Titans through issue #60. And then issue #61 is going to be a team-up between Kid Devil and Blue Beetle called The Red and the Blue. I'm really excited about that because both those characters are a lot of fun for me to write, and to put them together is just a blast. And then after that, we do an issue focusing on Wendy and Marvin, and their new addition to Titans Tower, Wonder Dog.

NRAMA: Yeah! We heard about that in Friday's panel. So Wonder Dog is going to appear in the DC Universe and become their pet? That's a first, isn't it?

SM: Well, I think there was another Wonder Dog some years back.

NRAMA: But I'm sure he was erased by some Crisis or another.

SM: Yeah. But this is an all-new, current Wendy-and-Marvin Wonder Dog. And people will be talking about him. He's great. It's a really heart-warming story.

NRAMA: But that issue will focus specifically on Wendy and Marvin?

SM: Yeah, I feel like we've brought them into the book a bit more since I took over, and it would be great to just see Titans Tower and the Teen Titans from their point of view. And Cyborg also makes an appearance in this issue.

NRAMA: What comes after that?

SM: After that, there's something pretty big. There's a character that I wanted to put on the Teen Titans from the beginning, but I was not allowed to do it when I first started. But now it seems that I'm allowed to.

Check back all this week for more floor buzz from New York Comic Con.

aric_dacia · 04-28-2008, 04:22 PM

I still feel this series hasn't regained its footing since Johns left (and even his last few issues were weak) but I do like the art and I enjoyed last issue's focus on Ravager. The Terror Titans look good but haven't grabbed me as characters -- I'm really surprised to hear they're getting their own limited series.

I'll try it -- I like Bennett and McKeever hasn't lost me on Titans yet.

johhnypanic · 04-28-2008, 04:22 PM

I'm on this, looks good. Big Mckeever fan!

JSS · 04-28-2008, 04:23 PM

so for all that writing basically all i get from this is

mckeevers writing teen titans starting with a terror titans arc...and there will be a dog on the teen titans.
and theres alot of stuff happening that you cant talk about.

this is some groundbreaking interview work here guys

Kinnelon · 04-28-2008, 04:26 PM

Terror Titans, Teen Titans, The Titans...they all ring shallow for me without Bart and Connor.
I'm hoping Final Crisis brings at least one of them back to the fold...and not as clones.

Groovie Mann · 04-28-2008, 04:27 PM

i actually like the current Teen Titans arc.

FluxCapacity · 04-28-2008, 04:30 PM

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I mean what makes the terror titans so special? We saw evil titans over in Titans East like right before this, we had evil future titans. I am fed up with Evil Titans.

rwe1138 · 04-28-2008, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: What comes after that?

SM: After that, there's something pretty big. There's a character that I wanted to put on the Teen Titans from the beginning, but I was not allowed to do it when I first started. But now it seems that I'm allowed to.

I really hope it's Static.

aric_dacia · 04-28-2008, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kinnelon

Terror Titans, Teen Titans, The Titans...they all ring shallow for me without Bart and Connor.
I'm hoping Final Crisis brings at least one of them back to the fold...and not as clones.

Must be a generational thing. I don't miss Bart or Connor at all. Connor was always just a poor replacement for the pre-Crisis Superboy to me and Bart was just annoying in his early appearances. Having said all that, I still feel your pain -- I remember seeing Earth-2 bite the dust and I loved that whole setting far more than the mainline DCU. Hopefully, I'll get the real Earth-2 back and you can get Bart and Connor.

Clem · 04-28-2008, 04:33 PM

I never really got the sense that these were supposed to be breakout characters, but i'll check to see how it turns out.

Kevin T. Brown · 04-28-2008, 04:33 PM

I would like to comment on what I think about this....... uh....but that would be telling.

Happyhatter · 04-28-2008, 04:34 PM

I hope the new member is Aquagirl OR Hot Spot(but i doubt he'll join since Kid Devil is on the team, no point in having two fire-element characters)

Happyhatter · 04-28-2008, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clem

I never really got the sense that these were supposed to be breakout characters, but i'll check to see how it turns out.

Clem, I LOVE your sig, lmao!!!

EvilWilma · 04-28-2008, 04:36 PM

New well-known Terror Titans member?

Mary Marvel?

BlueBeetleIII · 04-28-2008, 04:37 PM

Since it is the Terro Titans getting a new member I hope it is none of the suggestions mentioned.

Maybe Risk?

ubuking · 04-28-2008, 04:38 PM

I'll wait for the conclusion to the current arc to get at all excited for the upcoming mini.

RickinToronto · 04-28-2008, 04:42 PM

Static would be a great new member! But I think it will be Blue Beetle. He deserves to be in the title.

And hey, everyone - check out Blue Beetle! It's a great read.

J. Dincauze · 04-28-2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickinToronto

Static would be a great new member! But I think it will be Blue Beetle. He deserves to be in the title.

And hey, everyone - check out Blue Beetle! It's a great read.

Isn't Blue Beetle already on the Teen Titans?

And isn't talking about adding a new member to the Terror Titans, not the Teen Titans?

Edit- Oh nevermind the second part, he's going to do both.

rwe1138 · 04-28-2008, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueBeetleIII

Maybe Risk?

I thought about him too. But is he even a teenager anymore?

bluebird · 04-28-2008, 05:04 PM

Teen Titans
The Titans
Tiny Titans
Teen Titans: Year One
DC Special: Raven
DC Special: Cyborg
and now ANOTHER spin-off?

The "flagship" book isn't selling all that great anyway, is it?

darima80 · 04-28-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueBeetleIII

Since it is the Terro Titans getting a new member I hope it is none of the suggestions mentioned.

Maybe Risk?

That's who I was thinking. Regardless, I'm not getting nowhere near this mini. Benitez is the only draw so far.

durkadurka · 04-28-2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwe1138

I really hope it's Static.

Wow, actually that might be interesting.
And whatever happened to that new Terra? And Speedy hasn't been around for a while.
Johns did such a good job with the Titans, and i haven't felt nearly as excited about them in a while. And it's not just because Superboy and Kid Flash are gone, because i really like Miss Martian, Kid Devil, and of course Blue Beetle, it's just that there hasn't been a clear direction of the title since the first storyline of OYL. So far the Terror Titans issue has picked it up a bit, but i have yet to be so impressed as i was by Mr. Geoff Johns.

Kinnelon · 04-28-2008, 05:14 PM

Wonder Dog? Aaargh!!! Youv'e got to be kidding me.

K-DoG7p7 · 04-28-2008, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: What comes after that?

SM: After that, there's something pretty big. There's a character that I wanted to put on the Teen Titans from the beginning, but I was not allowed to do it when I first started. But now it seems that I'm allowed to.

COME ON SPEEDY!!

Seriously.. she needs to at least visit the tower and explain why she isn't on the team anymore..

Or join back up again..

aceatkins · 04-28-2008, 05:34 PM

Looks like DC is well on its way to running the Titans property back into the ground. Although the last couple issues have shown signs of improvement (and Barrows is doing amazing work on the art chores), McKeever's run hasn't found its footing yet. It's certainly not strong enough to support a spin-off mini starring a team of kids taking up the mantles of D-list super-villains. A team that has literally been in existence for, what, two months now? Plus we have the new Titans book, the Raven and Cyborg minis -- does the name "Team Titans" mean anything to you, DC? Right now, when the main book is arguably at its weakest since the relaunch five years ago, you decide to expand the brand? Fortify the central title. Get the hype back. And once you've done that, then maybe we can talk about spin-offs.