Tom Taylor talks about the Titans’ future, inspirations, and threats on the horizon

The Titans have been rather busy as a of late. If they weren’t trying to prevent the future death of Wally West (crisis averted), they’ve been battling the new Brother Blood and regularly saving the world. There currently is no Justice League in the DC Universe, and the spotlight has been everything the Titans have worked for over the years. Of course, that means they can’t seem to get out of the spotlight, either. 

With the Titans second (or third, technically) arc set to begin this week with issue #8, we caught up with writer Tom Taylor to gain some insight as to what readers can expect in the future for the team. It seems the Titans will still be booked and busy, as their newest rival, Amanda Waller (yikes!), clearly isn’t done causing problems. Not to mention Raven isn’t Raven anymore (more on that later). Altogether, this is a massive time in the Titans’ history!

Warning: This interview contains spoilers.for Titans #8.

AIPT: Hi, Tom! This is Michael Guerrero, thank you for taking the time to chat! To start, what are you most excited for readers to experience throughout this arc, be it art, big reveals, or something else?

Tom Taylor: I can’t say enough good things about incoming series regular artist, Lucas Meyer. I’m sure people were already blown away by his work on Beast World and he feels destined to be one of the great superhero artists. Lucas teaming with Nightwing colorist, Adriano Lucas, feels like a perfect match for a gorgeous-looking book.

But first, the awesome art of Stephen Segovia and Annette Kwok will kickstart this next adventure. They will sow the seeds of the Dark Winged Queen.

Courtesy of DC Comics.

AIPT: What would you describe the tone of this new era for the Titans?

TT: This era, with the Justice League disbanded, sees the Titans stepping up to be the biggest heroes on the planet. That means being the biggest targets and having the biggest problems. The tone of this arc is one of hope in the face of seemingly certain doom.

Courtesy of DC Comics.

AIPT: What was your inspiration for making this current storyline?

TT: This story grew organically from everything we’ve been doing with the Titans to this point. I actually pitched two endings for Beast World. One safe and one… not so safe. DC went with the not so safe ending. An ending that wouldn’t see the loss of Garfield Logan, but the loss of Rachel Roth, and her demonic side imprisoning and posing as Rachel. I would like to state that Brittany Holzherr shares a lot of the blame for this one. We had a coffee and a chat in New York that became the genesis of the Dark Winged Queen.

Courtesy of DC Comics.

AIPT: What prompted you to vilify (in the public’s eye) the Titans after they just entered the spotlight just shy of a year ago?

TT: Whoa! Amanda Waller is the one vilifying the Titans. And that’s kind of always been her thing. But truly, we’re witnessing an evolution for Amanda Waller that is part of something very big. I’ve been talking to writers like Mark Waid and Josh Williamson about what comes next for Waller, and we’ve all been building to something truly dangerous together for a long time.

As for the Titans, to step up into this role doesn’t just mean facing dark magic and omega beams, it also means withstanding the slings and arrows that comes with trying to do good with such a high profile.

We wanted the Titans to be challenged, and not just physically. Will the Titans crumble under the pressure or become diamonds and shine? We’ll find out together.

Courtesy of DC Comics.

AIPT: With Beast Boy, alive and well after his apparent death in Titans: Beast World, how will things be different for him in the series?

TT: Beast Boy has been through so much. And things don’t get easier for him here.

Courtesy of DC Comics.

AIPT: This issue had Garth join the Titans mid-mission to help overcome a threat. Is it safe to assume he is part of the official roster?

TT: There are a lot of Tempest fans who wanted him to be part of this team from the beginning. I believe in fan service. Watch the seas.

AIPT: Trigon appears to have big plans for Raven. What can you say about their relationship after the shift the Raven we know becoming trapped within the Soul Gem?

TT: Trigon knows something the rest of us don’t. He knows the time has come for something more dangerous than anything seen before. As for their relationship. He’s Trigon. Ask any of his kids and they’ll tell you that he’s not exactly father of the year material. But he clearly has a favorite now.

AIPT: Who do you feel is the biggest threat on the horizon for the Titans? Raven, Trigon, or Amanda Waller?

TT: All three are a threat, and Waller is a threat to every hero in the DCU. But there is no doubt that the demonic side of Raven is the greatest threat of all. If Raven becomes what Trigon believes she is destined to be, the entire universe is in danger.