New Teen Titans (1980) 22

New Teen Titans (1980) 22
Aug 1982

Ashes to Ashes!
By Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Romeo Tanghal

Brother Blood has three of the intruders (Raven, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl) tossed in the pit with the monster. Robin is pulled aside for interrogation. He is tortured but refuses to break. Blood has him thrown in the pit with the others. The monster appears as Robin lands in the pit. The others are still unconscious. Robin takes on the monster solo.

Raven’s soul self arrives back at Titans Tower just as Vic and Gar are about to fight. Vic wants to hunt down Brother Blood but Gar thinks they should wait. Kory is with Vic and ready to go. The trio leave with Raven’s soul self and head for Brother Blood’s cathedral in Massachusetts.

Brother Blood invites television reporter Bethany Snow to his Cathedral for an interview. The televised conversation is occurring when Cyborg, Starfire, and Changeling crash through a wall of the cathedral. Blood warned Ms. Snow that they would attack his church. He is only too happy to have the Titans make his church look like the victim.

Raven tries attacking Blood. She wraps him up in her soul self but he causes her indescribable pain and is able to break free rather easily. Cyborg doesn’t fare any better when he tries attacking the cult leader one-on-one. Once the Titans in the pit have been freed, the team overwhelms Brother Blood and he runs.

Cyborg catches up to him as he tries to escape in his plane. The plane is destroyed. Did Cyborg kill Brother Blood? Raven thinks not. She did not detect his presence in the plane. The next page reveals that Blood escaped in a submarine with a few of his followers.

The last few pages are a preview of the story that begins in the next issue. Komand’r is on her way to Earth with some of her Gordanian allies. She is looking to recapture a runaway slave, her sister, Koriand’r.

There are a few dated reference in this issue. One is to Abscam, an FBI sting operation, and the other is to capped teeth. I haven't heard either term in years.

There is a fair amount of setup in this story, which can stand on its own but definitely leaves me wanting more. The next big confrontation that I recall between the New Teen Titans and Brother Blood's church occurs just before the Judas Contract.