Teen Titans #88

Overall: We start things off with the Teen Titans(ROLL CALL: Wonder Girl, Superboy, Kid Flash, Ravager, Beast Boy and Raven)fighting and defeating a bunch of rabid, barely human teenagers who seemed to emerge from the sewer. After the battle, Kid Flash checks out the sewers, but naturally finds nothing helpful down there. Back at Titans Tower, we get a look at each of the Titans and see what they're up to, with the main storyline being that Wonder Girl isn't sure she can continue to be on the team with Superboy, since she tends to worry too much about him during missions since his “death”. From there we head to the underground lair of Doctor Caligan, who was busy creating another rabid youth much like the ones from earlier in this issue. Next up is a stop in Gotham City, where Dick Grayson is watching Robin(Damian Wayne) in action and realizing that Damian is full of anger, and needs something in his life besides nonstop violence and fighting. To that end, he takes Damian to Titans Tower in order to put the little bastard on the Titans, ending this issue.

Well first the positives. This issue was WAAAAAY better than anything that's been happening in this series for the LONGEST time! Hell, I haven't really enjoyed this series since... Jeez, probably since like issue #55 or so... I liked this issue. I didn't love it, but I did like it, which is a start. So there's the good. Now onto the bad... BEAST BOY and RAVEN!!! Why oh why are they on this team? Seriously. Why are they here?! What do they add? Beast Boy has always been a boring loser of a character, while Raven is an enormous walking joke... She either turns evil due to her father's influence or disappears. It NEVER fails! Every 30 issues or so Raven either turns on the team or disappears, leading to the Titans inevitably searching for her. And finding her. And then starting the whole process all over again. As for Beast Boy, he's useless. Especially on this team. Bart is the comic relief, which makes Beast Boy totally redundant, since all he's ever been about is comic relief(and to me, not very funny comic relief). I guess he also has the unrequited love thing going with Raven, but that's been going on since the mid-1990's, so to say that storyline is played out is an understatement. I'll be honest, I'd happily welcome Damian onto the ranks of the Titans if Raven and Beast Boy went away, and I hate Damian! But at least he actually adds something different to this team as opposed to those two has-beens. So there are a few pros and cons to this comic, but hey, at least for once there are actually some pros to mention!

Score: 7 out of 10.I'd trade Beast Boy and Raven for Damian anyday!