Dooky and Toot Jokes (and Humor, Too) in Teen Titans Go: Eat, Dance, Punch!

When there's trouble, you know who to call. From their tower they can see it all.

That better be the Justice League you're thinking of these days, because this Teen Titans team is a different breed of superhero, far more interested in leaving butt-impressions on the couch, raiding the fridge, and putting up with Robin trying to impart his questionable wisdom.

By now anybody familiar with DC Comics related animation knows that TEEN TITANS GO is basically a stiffly animated Looney Tunes using familiar superhero faces. It isn't the TEEN TITANS, it certainly isn't YOUNG JUSTICE, and yet the younger viewers -- those whose ages haven't crossed the double-digit line -- can't get enough of dooky and toot jokes (as appalling as it may be to parents to see Beast Boy shaking his tighty whities at the screen, to be later emulated by their child; believe me, I know of where I speak).

If you can make it past the borders of taste, however, there's a lot to enjoy in TEEN TITANS GO, especially in the pokes that it takes against the established comics universe. We see some background homages to BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, get a nod to Cyborg's future with the Justice League, and learn the real reason why Spider-Man (not a typo) won't fight Darkseid (brilliantly portrayed against type by Weird Al Yankovic).

Even the aforementioned TEEN TITANS series gets a nod (and the closest we'll get to an apology for its cancellation) in this collection,as Control Freak breaks "The Fourth Wall" and informs the Titans that they're a television show in danger of being rebooted--again. And after three years of disappointment at Christmas, the Titans infiltrate the North Pole to find out why they're on Santa's naughty list, and remove their names from it. We even learn just how far Robin will go to gain Starfire's undying affection and attention -- and it's not pretty.

The highlight of this two-disc set, however, is not the two-part episode that finds the Titans taking on the roles of the captured Justice League and rescuing them from Darkseid. Rather, it's "The Cruel Giggling Ghoul" that quite effectively casts the Titans in the roles of a crime-fighting team more familiar to their parents: Mystery Inc. The entire episode beautifully captures the spirit of a Scooby-Doo episode so well, including the animated guest star, LeBron James! I'd love to see more like that.

So hold your nose for the lowbrow humor (that you'll hear over and over) and check out this incarnation of TEEN TITANS GO -- before they become something else entirely. (My vote is on a DC Animated Universe release of THE JUDAS CONTRACT, if anybody is taking notes.)