Warning! Spoilers from Teen Titans Academy #8 by DC Comics
DC Comics just made two surprise heroes who are part of their successful lines of graphic novels canon in the DC Universe. In Teen Titans Academy #8, both Primer and Whistle (and her Great Dane Lebowitz) make a surprise appearance as prospective students of the superhero academy. It's both Primer and Whistle's first appearance outside their non-canon graphic novels.
Primer and Whistle both starred in their own self-titled graphic novels for DC Comics. Primer by Thomas Krajewski, Jennifer Muro, and Gretel Lusky starred Ashley Rayburn, a hero who uses superpowered body paints to become the hero Primer. By spraying herself with paint, Primer is granted different powers depending on what colors she uses. Among the colorful hero's incredible paint-based powers include super-strength, shape-shifting, stretching, and teleportation. Meanwhile, Whistle starred in her self-titled Young Adult series by E. Lockhart and Manuel Preitano. In the comic, the 16-year-old Jewish student and activist gains the powers of a canine, including super-hearing and super-smell. The Gotham City resident ends up meeting and taking on a handful of famous Batman villains, including Poison Ivy and Scarecrow.
In Teen Titans Academy #8 by Tim Sheridan, Mike Norton, Hi-Fi, and Rob Leigh, a batch of prospective students and their parents arrive at Roy Harper Academy for a tour by Cyborg and Donna Troy. On the very first page of the issue, both Primer and Whistle and Lebowitz are seen in the crowd, with Whistle taking a picture of Roy Harper's statue. Primer apologizes for accidentally walking into Whistle's photo. Adorably, Whistle asks Primer if they're doing codenames or real names, as the paint-based hero tells her superhero name.
Unfortunately, Red X makes a surprise appearance during the tour and tries to scare the parents about allowing their children to be part of Titans Academy. He questions whether the Titans can keep their house in order. Although once Flash evacuates the new potential recruits, he trusts Whistle to look after them. Following the encounter with Red X, he tells Whistle the Titans would be lucky to have her. Whistle tells the Flash she has a feeling the place might not be around much longer. So, it doesn't seem like she's joining the Titans just yet.
Even if Whistle and Primer don't end up joining Titans Academy, seeing both heroes become canon in the main DC Universe is a nice treat for readers who have read their graphic novels. Hopefully, it's not the last time Whistle and Primer show up in main continuity, even if it means their origins and stories will have to be altered a little bit. Teen Titans Academy #8 is in comic book stores now.