Teen Titans Go!

Image source: IGN

In a recent interview for Teen Titans Go!, writer and producer Michael Jelenic suggested the new show could lead to other animated comedies from DC Comics.

Concluding his IGN interview, Jelenic mentioned the potentially strong appeal of Teen Titans Go! thanks to its comedic focus and how it could influence future DC animated shows:

There are so many factors that we can’t control. You just hope you make something and somehow it clicks with a wide audience. I’m nervous, but I do think this show has a broad appeal because it’s a comedy and comedy is doing better right now in the landscape.

What Jelenic says about comedies performing better is true, as the majority of American animation is humor based. Comedies like SpongeBob Squarepants, Adventure Time, and Gravity Falls have performed exceptionally well for their respected networks, while recent action shows like Tron: Uprising and Motorcity have faced swift cancellation for poor ratings. The most devastating example of action cartoons on the decline was Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Young Justice getting the axe, which questioned the future of the DC Nation block on Cartoon Network.

Due to the cancellation of DC Nation’s main programming, the block is at a crossroads. The upcoming Beware the Batman seems it will carry on the dramatic direction Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Young Justice followed, but the costly CGI animation that’s currently being doubted at Warner Bros. Animation may limit its run. Teen Titans Go!, however, is not only a successor to the smash hit original series that ran for five seasons and spawned a direct-to-video, but has a stand alone 11-minute episode structure that makes it easier to repeat. The fact that new episodes of Teen Titans Go! will premier Tuesday nights on primetime already suggests better treatment from Cartoon Network than what Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Young Justice got.

While a switch to comedies may ensure a longer lifespan for animated DC shows, it doesn’t mean comic book fans will blindly follow. As mentioned in the IGN interview, Teen Titans Go! faced early criticism by doing away with the action and anime-inspired humor from the original series, for more western-style laughs. Marvel Animation also faced similar criticism with their polarizing adaptation of Ultimate Spider-Man, which bears little resemblance to the source material and hinders its drama with excessive cutaways reminiscent of Family Guy. However, earlier DC cartoons that leaned more on comedy like Teen Titans and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (where Jelenic formerly worked on), shows a better understanding of balancing humor and drama from Warner Bros. Animation. Plus, the often praised DC Nation shorts like Plastic Man, Animal Man, and Super Best Friends won comic enthusiasts over with their funny interpretations.

It’s too early to say if DC Nation will only home superhero comedies, but if the initial positive reviews for Teen Titans Go! is any indication, than the new direction may not be so bad.

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