Titans has wrapped up its first season on the DC Universe app, culminating in a major showdown between Dick Grayson and Batman and the surprise debut of another major Teen Titans character. Unfortunately, as our review of the Titans finale explains , the season didn't exactly end on the strongest note.

Shortening Season 1

Titans: "Dick Grayson" Photos 13 IMAGES

Showcasing Batman

Loading

When Will Dick Become Nightwing?

Loading

Introducing Superboy

Loading

Cyborg and Batgirl

Loading

IGN's Scott Collura was able to chat on the phone with writer/producer Greg Walker this week to learn more about the decisions that went into the finale and why Season 1 ended sooner than expected. Walker also talked about introducing Superboy, when we'll see Dick don the Nightwing costume, and why Cyborg is being saved for Doom Patrol. Read on to learn more.Season 1 wound up shrinking a bit between the series' original announcement of 12 episodes and the 11 episodes that actually aired on DC Universe - the result being that the season effectively ended on a cliffhanger rather than resolving the overarching Trigon conflict.According to Walker, it was an intentional storytelling choice to end the season on that darker beat. Walker said, "We got into that final episode, or what was the next episode, and started to really look at where we ended this episode and where we wanted to launch and how we really felt it to be a hinge point to do another season. [We] didn’t wanna have it stranded at the end of the season, but rather start the new season with it. So we felt that Dick turning dark was such a great cliffhanger for his character, and for where his arc was."Walker admitted that it took some convincing with the higher-ups at WB, but that ultimately the writers felt it was better to use this cliffhanger as a bridge to Season 2."Trigon’s won now, but how can they get [one] over on Trigon? And to really conclude the Dick, Rachel emotional story to the season, in that kind of way that the whole season has been a struggle with darkness on both their parts, and to really have a big finale that would launch a new season. So, we were able to convince our partners at DC to really get excited about the idea that we loved, and they signed on."The Season 1 finale is the first Titans episode to showcase Batman in a more direct way. Walker told us that this was part of a concerted effort to bring in more popular DC characters as the season progressed."I think there [was] the core team that were in the pilot, and then over time, we started being able to push what the surface could do and what characters could come in by showing what we were able to do already with the existing characters," he said. "And so there was kind of an aggressive attempt on our part to include more characters as the stories felt they could encompass them. And then a conversation, obviously, with our partners at DC and at Warner Brothers about which ones are available, and which ones aren’t in movies and, you know, there’s a lot of moving parts to those conversations. But we were able to push through and get a couple key ones, and that made a big difference for the storytelling we’re doing."While Batman did play a much larger role in the finale, Walker also noted that it was an intentional choice not to show the character's face or give him much dialogue. "We’re really careful... There are a lot of conversations that go on. So I think what we did is judicious. He is clearly in Dick’s dream, so he serves as how someone feels in a dream. Which is sometimes as a symbol rather than a dimensionalized persona."Season 1 has been very focused on Dick Grayson's emotional journey as he breaks free from Batman and tries to define himself on his own terms. One of the key moments of the season came when Dick opted to burn his Robin costume and give up that costumed identity for good. But while the character seems to be well on the path toward becoming Nightwing, he still hasn't made that final transition as Season 1 closes."Robin this season was someone who’s struggling with his father, and his identity as a son," Walker said. "And I think that that struggle continues. He may have burnt the suit, because he knows he needs to leave Robin behind, but to get to where he needs to get to, to kind of embrace what Bruce taught him, that’s a path. That’s gonna take some time. It’s not gonna happen overnight. You have to make the Nightwing suit feel very earned and reflective of a personal journey, rather than a costume change."While Titans Season 1 has mainly focused on the core cast of Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Raven, it's also paved the way for other heroes like Wonder Girl and Hawk and Dove to potentially join the group. The finale threw another big name into the mix. The post-credits scene introduces a mysterious Project Cadmus escapee named "Subject 13," a character fans know better as Superboy According to Walker, this addition was inspired by none other than executive producer Geoff Johns (who's worked with the Conner Kent character a lot in various DC Comics projects), particularly in terms of creating a generational quality to the heroes featured on Titans.Walker said, "This was inspired by Geoff Johns, who was obviously an executive at DC but also wrote [Teen Titans] for a long time. Really inspired by his way of dealing with the new generations and new classes. So, every season, we’re looking at, who can we bring in and have a kind of test of what it’s like to be a part of the Titans family?"Walker wouldn't confirm whether Superboy will be a series regular in Season 2, "because we’re just in the early stages of breaking, but he’s gonna be a character for sure."In light of Superboy's debut, we also asked Walker about the potential of adding two other fan-favorite DC heroes - Cyborg and Batgirl - in future seasons. While he has a long history with the Teen Titans, Cyborg will actually be debuting in the Doom Patrol spinoff series rather than on Titans itself. As Walker explained, the producers were conscious of not bogging down the series with too many characters up front.Walker said, "There was a very, clear attempt on Greg [Berlanti], Geoff, and Akiva [Goldsman]’s part to make a very streamlined, emotional story about Dick, Rachel, Kory, and Gar, all the way through. It felt at that time, coming out of [the Doom Patrol episode], that the best character to kind of come through would be Gar, because of his relationship with Rachel, and where we wanted to go with that."For the time being, it sounds like Cyborg will remain with the Doom Patrol rather than crossing over to Titans. According to Walker, "I don’t think anything is final, but he’s certainly not somebody who was ever part of our conversation once we got going."As for Batgirl, executive producer Akiva Goldsman had previously indicated the character was off-limits to Titans. When asked if that restriction had lapsed in the months since, Walker told us, "He’s probably right. There are times when my partners go out on shopping sprees and see who they can bring back to me, and sometimes we get big yeses, and sometimes we get big nos. And I’m not privy to a lot of those conversations."In other words, don't expect to see Batgirl show up in Titans Season 2.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter , or Kicksplode on MyIGN