When it comes to DC Comics’ superhero teams, few groups are more widely recognized than the Titans, and now that they're stepping up into a more prominent role in the DC Universe, they should finally get the respect they deserve. The fan-favorite heroes have been around individually and as a unit for decades and have saved the entire DC Universe one multiple occasions, and many of the Titans are some of DC’s most widely known heroes, even outside of comic book fandom. But DC Comics seems to have forgotten that.

From Nightwing to Cyborg and even to the Flash, each Titan is an independent hero in their own right. However, for whatever reason DCComics has spent the last few decades acting as if these heroes still have anything left to prove both to themselves and to the Justice League. Now that the Justice League is taking a step back following the events of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Titans' time as the DC Universe’s premiere superhero team has come. And the newfound respect that should come with their elevated status is long overdue.

Related: The Titans Officially Replace The Justice League In New DC Series

Titans Together – Sidekicks Forever

New Teen Titans vs Trigon

While the initial Teen Titans lineup largely consisted of junior heroes, it was the elder lineup assembled by Marv Wolfman and George Perez in The New Teen Titans #1 that truly set the team apart from the elders of the DC Universe and made them heroes in their own right. Not only does this roster feature mainstays like future Flash Wally West and Donna Troy, this series introduces beloved fan-favorites Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven. It also features the first appearance of Dick Grayson’s Nightwing identity as the ultimate symbol of these characters’ graduation from sidekick roles into independent heroes. Together, the Titans take down all sorts of nefarious foes, including Raven’s father Trigon, a world-threatening entity that even the Justice League has failed to defeat.

Eventually the New Teen Titans go on to simply be called the Titans, fully signifying their maturity and status as heroes in their own right, but that promise has gone unfulfilled by DC Comics for decades now. With constant reboots and resets frequently reshaping the DC Universe’s timeline, more often than not, it’s legacy characters like the Titans who have suffered the most. Their ascension to adult hero roles arguably “ages” the classic heroes before them like Wonder Woman or Batman. As a result, the Titans and their peers are either forgotten and unused, or left stagnant and unable to truly grow and develop despite everything that they’ve done for the DC Universe.

The Titans Have Deserved the Spotlight for Years

A team of young heroes spring into action from Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths

The New Teen Titans is one of DC’s most series beloved to this day, and its popularity inspired the fan-favorite Teen Titans animated series and Titans on HBOMax. But with inconsistent publishing and constant regressions, DC Comics just hasn’t taken full advantage of the Titans’ cultural cache until now. More often than not, it’s felt as if DC has gone out of its way to disregard the Titans, with only recent developments, such as the announcement of the upcoming Titans series by Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott, finally capitalizing on the characters’ popularity in a way unheard of for years.

After saving the world for decades while supposedly still in the shadow of the Justice League, the Titans have long since deserved their fair shot at the spotlight. And with their new status as the DC Universe’s premier superhero team, it seems their days of playing second fiddle could be behind them. Ultimately, the Titans have always been A-List heroes – and DC Comics is just now finally starting to treat them that way.

More: DC's New Teen Titans Can Permanently Redefine the Team's Core Purpose