New Titans #67 – “If Looks Could Kill” – Marv Wolfman, George Perez/Tom Grummett/Al Vey
Last issue, Raven told Jericho she was dating Eric Forrester, the studly asshole the Titans met at STAR Labs a while back. Raven hasn’t banged him yet and Forrester seems very understanding about it, but we saw him leaving a dead woman’s body in his room last issue, so I’m thinking Raven’s first time might be her last if she bangs him. The cops find the woman’s desiccated corpse in a junkyard and they also find a bracelet with Forrester’s initials on it. At Raven’s place, she puts
Forrester off again, claiming she’s sick. Forrester is pissed off but plays it cool, obviously hoping to get into her pants. When a report comes on the radio about the dead woman, we see Forrester turn the radio off with a blast from his eyes, but Raven doesn’t see that. In Bermuda, Donna and Starfire discuss Raven and her new beau, but agree that they can’t run her life for her. Jericho flies to a ranch in the middle of Wyoming where he finds Arella, Raven’s mom. Arella tells Jericho that she’s been shielding herself from Raven so she could learn to deal with her newly-awakened emotions on her own, instead of using Arella as a crutch. When Jericho mentions Raven being sick, Arella 
says that’s impossible because Raven’s soul-self protects her from disease. Jericho gets a report on Forrester (and the bracelet found with the dead woman) and tells Arella about Raven dating him. In New York, Forrester and another guy break into Allenberg Electronics and Forrester apparently absorbs all the power (or maybe data, I’m not sure) from the computers. But he goes too far and overloads, forcing him and his lackey to retreat. Later some of Jericho’s mother’s operatives find the owner of Allenberg Electronics and tell him they need his help. Forrester shows up at Raven’s place and pressures her into sex. She’s about to go through with it when she sees inside Forrester’s soul and is repulsed. Allenberg shows up and tells Raven that Forrester is a cyberpath, who can interface with computers and assimilate their data. But
he needs to absorb human souls to keep himself from turning into a machine. Forrester freaks out and attacks and we see that Jericho is hiding inside Allenberg. Jericho goes inside Forrester, but he turns out to be more machine than man. Raven tries to use her soul-self to free Jericho, but Forrester can’t absorb it while he has other souls (of women he’s banged) in him. The trapped souls are freed and Forrester starts fading away. Raven is devastated to learn that he just wanted to steal her soul-self to stay human, and she lets Forrester devolve into a robot. Later, Jericho takes Raven to Wyoming to see her mom.
Legion of Super-Heroes #8 – (No Title) – Tom and Mary Bierbaum/Keith Giffen, Chris Sprouse/Al Gordon
This story is mostly a flashback to the origin of the Legion, presumably establishing the new history after the universe was destroyed and rebuilt (twice!) in the last few issues. The framing device is about Marla Latham getting word that Reep (Chameleon Boy) Daggle’s mission was successful. Marla starts thinking back about how he met Reep’s father. Marla worked at Metropolis Spaceport decades ago and stopped some of his fellow workers from pounding a Durlan. He wanted to get the Durlan home, so he
asked Theg (another Durlan … and a smuggler) to take him. The mysterious Durlan had total amnesia, but Theg agreed to take him home to Durla. But once they got there, the planet was so isolationist they couldn’t leave. The amnesiac Durlan (who eventually took the name R.J. Brande) married Theg’s sister, but a fever epidemic (brought to Durla by Theg) killed her and many other Durlans. Her sister took the kids—one of whom is Reep—and Brande and Theg started hanging out with some real lowlifes. They managed to get off the planet to get treatment for the fever 
and Brande took human form to marry an heiress and inherit her father’s business. Brande hired Marla and bought out Theg (now calling himself Doyle) because he was living a life of debauchery and neglecting the company. Brande was also taking memory treatments, which seemed to stir memories of the 20th Century. Doyle wasted all the money he made and when Brande refused to give him more, he sent assassins to kill him. But Rokk Krinn, Imra Ardeen, and Garth Ranzz saved him and he sponsored them to become the Legion. Despite some early setbacks (and skepticism from Marla) the Legion proved
themselves and added new members. Brande convinced Marla to invite Reep onto the team, although Marla didn’t know until later that Reep was Brande’s son (or that Brande was the same Durlan he’d helped all those years ago). Back in the present, Rokk, Rond Vidar, and Laurel Gand go to Zirr and after Laurel pounds some Khunds waiting to ambush them, she introduces Rokk to her and Rond’s baby daughter, Lauren.
Suicide Squad #42 – “Firefight” – John Ostrander, Kim Yale/Geof Isherwood/Mark Badger
This one starts with continuing civil unrest in Vlatava. Since Zastrow still refuses to use the Red Shadows (a team of Soviet meta-humans) to quell the uprising, the despot Kaligari orders his troops to shoot the protesters. In Paris, the Squad assembles and Batman delivers their last member, Ravan. He’s pissed off about being forcibly recruited, but Waller convinces him to join by telling him Kobra is still alive … and that Ravan will get the chance to kill him if they ever go after him again. Batman’s job is to smoke out
whoever’s behind the trouble in Vlatava, while the rest of the Squad take on the heavy hitters. Batman’s a little worried about Bronze Tiger’s ability to handle Stalnoivolk (and his mental state in general), but Waller assures him they’ll manage. Things get off to a rough start when the Squad (in civilian garb) land in Vlatava and immediately have their passports confiscated. They’re taken to see Kaligari, who hired them to take down Count Vertigo and his rebel forces since Zastrow refuses to send the Red Shadows in. Zastrow doesn’t trust the 
Squad, but Kaligari figures they’ll follow orders so they can get paid … and get their passports back. They’re billeted near the Red Shadows and quickly find numerous listening devices in their quarters. They disable the devices and Waller is happy that things are going to plan so far. In the rebel camp, Count Vertigo is recovering from the damage Molotov did a couple issues back, but his manic-depression is in a depressive phase at the moment. Some of the rebel leaders have been ordered (by an American patron, who’s obviously stirring the unrest in Vlatava) to use drugs to get Vertigo back on his feet and leading the revolution. Apparently, this mysterious patron doesn’t really care if
Vertigo—or the rebels—survive the revolution. That night, Batman lets himself be seen prowling around, which draws the Red Shadows out to come after him (as well as Zastrow). The Squad use the distraction to move around the compound while Batman gets captured … I’m assuming on purpose. Waller is still in the Squad barracks, but she gets a nasty surprise when Deadshot shows up to kill her.