Fans of the hit 2003 series Teen Titans may be surprised to learn that the disappointing series finale actually got a continuation in the comics that gave it a happy ending. From 2003-2006, Teen Titans ran on Cartoon Network, and is a series that has continued to grow in fanbase. After it was abruptly cancelled after the fifth season, fans took issue with the episode that served as the series finale, Things Change, that reintroduced a fan favorite character, Terra, with a mystery behind her surprising return after becoming a statue in season 2. For years, the finale was panned by fans for being anticlimactic and not being a satisfying conclusion, but they'll be surprised to know that there actually is an ending in the comics, and it's incredibly satisfying.
Releasing alongside the main series, Teen Titans Go! was a comic run that gave the Titans solo adventures while maintaining the show's established universe. For the most part it would remain its own thing, but issue #51 by J. Torres picks up not too long after the series finale. It introduces Geoforce, Terra's brother, who comes to Titans Tower to find his sister. There, he recounts her past as a princess of Markovia before escaping after experiments gave her the ability to manipulate earth. He's shocked to learn that she's gone after the Titans explain to him what happened, until Beast Boy speaks up and tells him where she is.
When Geoforce and Beast Boy arrive at Terra's school, he's at first elated to see his sister again. However, when he notices that she's happily among a group of friends, he makes no move to speak with her. "She looks happy," he says to himself, "I can't even recall the last time I saw her smile." With that, he and Beast Boy leave her be as Terra looks on after she notices him flying off and smiles. This is an amazing conclusion to the series because it gives some closure to where Things Change left off. It may not answer the question of why Terra is back, but it still closes the book on Terra by finally closing all loose ties and allowing her to have a new life away from Slade, the Titans and other memories of her past.
What this new ending does best though is highlight just why Terra is a tremendous character. She's dramatically altered from how she is in her original comic form by becoming more of a tragic antihero rather than a full-fledged supervillain. A lot of interest in her character comes from her constant shift between good and evil as she deals with the hard life she was given. She betrayed the Titans after gaining their trust and breaking Beast Boy's heart, so her final sacrifice in season 2 gave her a major redemption after her fall. The comics give her a much-needed relief from the tragedy that surrounds her character. She's now happy to be who she is, and Geoforce knows that keeping her isolated from her past will help her to grow and become her own person. Her character has finally come full circle, as has her connection with the Teen Titans.
Issue #51 of Teen Titans Go! may not completely fill in the gaps left by the show's abrupt cancellation, but it does deliver a satisfying end that fans should check out. It's been years since the series has been off the air, but this is an epilogue that has largely gone unheard of as criticism for Things Change continues to mount. This is a comic that's well worth the search for any Teen Titans fan, especially for readers that love Terra. The original finale may have been disappointing, but the comics give it a happy ending and brings Teen Titans, one of the best superhero shows, a satisfying ending.