The New Teen Titans: Terra Incognito

     
     The Teen Titans have just accepted their first new member since this incarnation's formation. Her name is Terra and with the ability to manipulate earth and soil, she's like a muddier version of Magneto. Claiming to have been a member of the Markovian Royal Family and recently escaped her kidnappers, elements of her story don't add up. Can Terra be trusted or is she a wolf in sheep's clothing?
       Meanwhile Dick Grayson is struggling to maintain balance as the Titans' leader, Robin, as well as being Batman's sidekick, and as a college student. Trying to become his own man, Dick's relationship with fellow teammate Starfire is in serious jeopardy as well. Adding to his problems is an Assistant District attorney named Adrian Chase, who's quest for justice against a mob boss who keeps skirting jail time, may send the Boy Wonder down a rabbit hole of bent rules and lawless vigilantism to which there is no return.
       The New Teen Titans by the legendary team of Marv Wolfman and George Perez were DC's answer to the revitalized X-Men. Those merry mutants from Marvel were a great read, but unless you had a chart to assist you, it was really hard trying to keep up with the endless characters and soap opera style story-lines that writer Chris Claremont weaved throughout a number of titles. Titans seems to have that same soapy feel as X-Men, and there are quite a bit of players all over the place- but it's of a lesser (and easier to follow) extent.
      Recently, I've been trying to clear my bookcases of things that I amassed but wasn't 100% sure if after I did, that I'd want to keep it. This volume was from my best friend's collection I inherited a couple of years ago. He was a huge Teen Titans fan and I had held on to it because of that. 
    So, what's the verdict?
    I'm hooked. I want the other volumes! This was a tremendously fun read and I want to know what happened before this storyline and I definitely have to know what happened afterwards. 
    Plus, if you collect the short-lived 80s series Vigilante like I do, then you will want this volume as it details the character's origin are covered in great detail. 
     There might even be some backstory to the Crisis on Infinite Earths lurking around a few corners in this awesome collection.
     A true classic made by some of the masters of the comic book industry.

    Worth Consuming

     Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Gotham Underground #

   In the 80s, there was a short-lived comic called Vigilante. A district attorney named Adrian Chase, whose family was killed by mobsters, found that doing things the legal way took far too long and sometimes it didn't do enough with loopholes and corrupt cops letting crooks run free. Donning a fancy biker's suit and an arsenal of elaborate guns and ammo, the Vigilante was essentially a poor man's Punisher.    

   Over time, Chase would give up the mantle but other troubled lawmakers bear the helmet and take aim on the Big Apple's criminal syndicate. At the time of this 2008 miniseries, the latest Vigilante was named Dorian Chase, a long lost brother of Adrian's.

   Dorian also operated out of New York like brother Adrian but upon seeing the lawless situation in Gotham, he's decided to pick up where a seemingly absent Batman left off. Unfortunately, for Nightwing, under the guise of one of the Penguin's goons, he's the latest target. It's a good thing Dick Grayson decided to rely on the Riddler for assistance, right?
 
   I enjoy the twist of the placing the Vigilante within the story. I've only read a couple of stories about him but the ones I did were fantastic. There's one tale in particular by Alan Moore in which the Vigilante protects a woman from an abusive husband. Yeah, this isn't the same anti-hero but he adds a new dynamic to this already thrilling story.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.