Broken Frontier

Over on his Myspace blog, writer Geoff Johns has announced that he is leaving Teen Titans, along with artistic collaborator Tony Daniel. The creative team's final issue will be April's Teen Titans #46, featuring the conclusion of the Titans East story arc, which started in Teen Titans #43, on sale as of this week.

Johns' departure means that the series will have a new writer at the helm for the first time since its 2003 launch. Robin scribe Adam Beechen will be taking over the writing chores of the book come May, but a new artist has yet to be named.

Here's a copy of the full announcement:

It had to happen sometime, it's just happening a little sooner than we planned. The "Titans East" storyline beginning in today's TEEN TITANS #43 will be our last.

So whenever you leave a book there are two questions: 1) Why are you leaving? And 2) Who's taking over?

It's never easy leaving a book, but after nearly 4 years on TEEN TITANS, I felt it was time to let someone else take the teens on.

Some of my friends have asked, "Why not stay on until Teen Titans #50?! You're so close!" But it's like when I left THE FLASH after "Rogue War" - even though I found out later there were only a few issues of the series left because of what they wanted to do, I felt it was the right time to go. That doesn't mean I'll never write TEEN TITANS or THE FLASH again if I have the opportunity. I hope I do.

I have to admit this decision has been much easier to live with knowing that Tony Daniel is also moving on to another project. Tony has been my partner in crime on this book for two years. I never thought Mike McKone could be replaced, but Tony took the Titans and made them his own. It's absolutely amazing how his art has evolved. Every time I received a page from Tony he'd make me fall more in love with Wonder Girl, actually sympathize with Ravager and make me think the unthinkable, "Kid Devil is cool!"

I really think we made the most of our OYL run with the introduction of all the new characters like Kid Devil, Ravager, Miss Martian and Zatara to the Titans Universe. Though we both still miss Superboy and Kid Flash.

Tony wanted to say a few words too, "I'll look back at these last two years working with Geoff on Teen Titans like a child remembers Christmas, only it's like Christmas every day for two years straight. It was the experience of a lifetime that I never once took for granted. I love the Teen Titans and I just hope it came through in my work. These characters have been part of my daily life for so long it's sort of like saying goodbye to my family. I'll miss them but I look forward to the challenges ahead of me."

That says it better than I could.

So now…who's taking over?

That would be current Robin scribe Adam Beechen beginning with TEEN TITANS #47.

Some people have already seen his name solicited on upcoming issues of "Titans East" – that's because Adam's come on early to co-write "Titans East" with me to get a sense of the team and to set the stage for his run as I close out mine. There are going to be some shake-ups and, more importantly, you will see the beginnings of a second Titans team forming…though not necessarily what you're expecting. Adam's especially nailed the characters of Kid Devil and Miss Martian and he's delved head first into the vast Titans history to soak it all up.

I've been a fan of Adam's work for a long time, starting with HENCH and his stories on the JLU book, and I'm anxious to see what he does with the TEEN TITANS. I've already heard a few ideas on where he wants to take the team and I'm really looking forward to them.

I'd think to thank everyone I've loved worked with -- Mike McKone, Tom Grummett, Tony Daniel, Eddie Berganza, Jeanine Schaefer and Adam Schlagman, And thanks to Dan Didio for giving me a shot at Teen Titans in the first place. It was the first project he offered me and he really let me do exactly what I wanted to do. Also, thanks to Marv Wolfman and George Perez who created the bar that every Titans creator should aspire to meet. I hope we've done a decent job in your eyes.

And finally a big thanks to all the readers out there who gave the book a shot and stuck with it.

Thanks,

Geoff