Customer Reviews

The New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Viewed by many as DC's X-Men, the New Teen Titans surpassed their Marvel rival and this book is the proof. Less wordy, better artwork and fuller plots and characters, Wolfman and Perez created something that has not only defined their careers, but has been a benchmark for all comic creators. The story is actually the culmination of 4 or 5 years of Teen Titan comics, starting with #1, but "The Judas Contract" is only the last year or so. Wolfman's writing appealed to his target reader, young adults, as their inner conflicts about fitting in, unrequited love or growing up was reflected in the heroes in the Titans. Looking back 20 years later, it may seem quaint, but it holds up, as does the main action and storyline. As for Perez's art, it is his finest. Not only is he able to create a different, unique look for each character, he was able to do it every month, plus provide inks for the first 3 chapters. It is true that the New Teen Titans never was as good a book afterwards, and near the end was embarrassing for all involved, but how many years did Claremont get out of the X-Men after John Byrne left? "The Judas Contract" ranks just below "Watchmen," "Dark Knight," and "Batman:Year One" as 1980s' DC product, and is still in the top 10 or 20 of all time.

This storyline was the starting point of many changes in the Titans lives.
Wolfman and Perez brought us into the lives of the Titans and showed that they have more problems in their everyday lives than just defeating the bad guys.
Then the real plot comes in. I love the way they have it sneak up on you. They make Deathstroke what he is: The perfact assassin. The leaving of Wally West showed his low self-esteem. Dick quitting as Robin was a major decision that has affected the entire DC world.

The Titans at that time were a team proving their own value and they did it with this stroyline.
I'm not trying to go into too much detail without telling the story so I don't ruin it for new readers.
All Have to say about this book is that once you read it, you will be looking for more Titans books (Trust me, you will)

The Judas Contract is the pinnacle of the Wolfman-Perez era of the Titans, thats all there is to it. Action, adventure, betrayal, and tragedy are all enveloped within some of Perez's greatest work ever. I would recommend this not just to any Titans fan, but any comics fan at all, and you couldnt ask for a better introduction to the Titans if you've never been a fan. If you didnt like The Judas Contract, you just dont "get it" and never will. Its easily one of the Top 20, maybe Top 10 stories ever told. Forget Crisis, Identity Crisis, and Avengers Disassembled, if you want an "epic" story arc or an "event", this is it.

This is it. One of the greatest stories of all time, and possibly stands as the greatest story to come out of the eighties. The Teen Titans were THE superteam of the era, and this collection was the high point of its run.

Someone has betrayed the group, and one by one they are dismanteled by Deathstroke the Terminator. But this is only after battling Brother Blood, watching Kid Flash (Wally West) leave the team, and Dick Greyson give up the identity Robin.

Marv Wolfman's writing is awe-inspiring in these six issues, and George Perez's art is beautiful. So much so that I am now in love with Starfire. Overall, this is a must read book, not just for Titans fans, or DC fans, but for all fans of comics.

Viewed by many as DC's X-Men, the New Teen Titans surpassed their Marvel rival and this book is the proof. i love this book when i first read it someone betrays the titans.

This is my favorite graphic novels. Marv Wolfman and George Perez did some excellent work here. The story has several great twists. Terra is a Teen Titan who really is a spy, Robin decides to take up a new identity as Nightwing, and Deathstroke's past is revealed. Any fan of comics or superheroes should have this.

This is the series that introduced me to the New Teen Titans. Being a Robin fan, I was interested in the story of his decision to give up being Robin (Yes, HE WAS NOT FIRED BY BATMAN REGARDLESS OF THE RECENT REVISIONS) and his evolution into Nightwing. Oh, yeah, it also introduces a new character, and gives the origin to Deathstroke, the Terminator, the New Teen Titans best "villian." I have the original issues, but flip through this version to have it all in one collection. There will be an animated movie based on this saga, but this is the ultimate comic saga!

One of the best and first teen titans books I have ever read! In this adventure we learn how Slade got his powers, and that he has a son well another son called Jericho. Jericho is mute but he's a mutante err I mean meta-human that can jump into a persons body and take over them. Jericho for some reason seems to have a uncommon effect on people, this effect is to make people around him, trust him! For some strange reason, the writers never took advantage of this and they actually made the character trustworthy. Slade himself, vouches to BeastBoy that his son is on the up and up.

The story starts off with the Teen Titans kicking butt, The butt of the previous Brother Blood (There is a new one now) while unbeknowst to the Titans. One of there own is recording there every movement. The cute Terra who is about 14, I think, ... oh and by the way, she has an inappropiate relationship with Slade! Not like in the cartoon, where Slade is taking advantage of her. She is working with Slade, because Slade is ... well I was going to say bad guy but Slade isn't really evil here. (He's really not) She working with Slade because he is going to take down the Titans and she wants to join him, just for the fun of it. Unlike in the cartoon, Slade doesn't really have anything against the Titans; Brother Blood is paying him to do it, so that is what he's going to do.

I got to mention, that we see how powerful Terra is. She gives Slade a run for his money in like the second chapter of the book and then what really warms my heart is that we get to see BeastBoy almost take Terra down (Combate Training). Yes, BeastBoy! He's not the buffon Teen Titans: The TV series makes him out to be. BeastBoy while he has a sense of humor, just like in the TV series. Here, he combines his levity with a little bit of wit and abit of lasivousness. I'll just say, one particular joke has to do with snakes and kisses! HAAHAAHAA.

Let's see what else, Robin quiets and becomes NIGHTWING in this book! Becomes a full-fledged superhero with no batstrings attached! Jericho joins up! Kid Flash leaves to go to college! Seen in the first four chapters I think and is not heard of again.

The reason this book doesn't get four stars is because I feel they left it incomplete. BeastBoy really liked Terra, even when she tried to kill all of them BeastBoy still defended her. Saying "Slade was controlling her!" To be honest that isn't so far-fetched not in his world anyway. SuperMan gave BatMan Kryptonite just in case something like that happened to him, as an example. However, and sadly for BeastBoy, Terra was doing everything according to her own freewill. I'm a stickler!!! until the matter is completely closed, the Judas Contract for me was not yet over! Luckily, I was able to find out what happens to BeastBoy and how he was able to come to terms with Terra being evil. So for those of you who are like me, and there's not many of you (I'm Weird, and damn proud of it!) Here is what happens next and how BeastBoy gets over Terra!

BeastBoy, in the next couple of issues plans to get Slade Wilson out of jail and the same time he learns that Jericho is Slade son and starts to hate him. The Teen Titans captured Slade and he is now on trial for being the Terimantor! BeastBoy uses an ingenious method to make the court doubt that just Slade is the terimantor plus he also tries to beat him up right in front of the judge. The Titans are all appalled by BeastBoy's behavior, little do they know he's acting out because he has a plan. A plan to kill Slade Wilson and if he's behind bars, then killing him will be much harder to do! So, he needs him to be a free man. BeastBoy fails at this and Slade Wilson is sent to jail but BeastBoy breaks in and tries to kill him. He's so mad at Slade that he yells at him, just so he can know that our hero wants to kill him. Slade is released because a meta-human is trying to kill him in prison. Slade not wanting to fight BeastBoy gives himself up! Foruntately, BeastBoy can't go through with it and the two of them end up having coffee. The Judas Contract is now said and done for me! I end there because, if you were ner ... err curious enough to read this far then you must want to know too and I don't feel that I can give that part good enough justification for you anyway, so your'll just have to read it. The issue has the Title "BeastBoy V.S The Terimantor!" Which is after the trial of the Terimantor.

2 things to note. first - george perez is at his best!!!! great artwork! second - nightwing is unveiled!! but thats it. yes we get a showdown with brother blood - that storyline at this point SUCKED!!! then we move forward with the deathstroke storyline - the description of DC comics - bottom line in all of comics - one of greatest villains in earned in this storyline - moves forward with his contract to kill all the titans with help from his spy - terra. marv wolfman hit the ball for a home run creating these two villains!! unfortunately he blew it at the final showdown. fans were left wishing for more - kinda like the ending of the tv show lost. and what the hell was he thinking when he created jerico? what a useless piece of crap!! of course george took credit for making him - but marv as the writer and senior editor should have nixed that nonsense. bottom line - buy for memories if you read it before and missed a chapter or two - otherwise go on wikipedia and read about the judas contract.

This trade paperback collects what is possibly some of Marv Wolfman's most pointless writing for this classic DC series. The New Teen Titans started off with a bang back in the '80s and rightfully became one of the top-selling comics of the period; however, as the series went on, even the appeal of George Perez' art couldn't rescue the increasingly tired and ludicrous plots. Competition in the comics industry was very tight back in the '80s, and any mis-step spelled disaster. For the Titans, this was it.

This collection starts off with the resignation of Kid Flash and Dick Grayson tossing his Robin identity. So there's two appealing key characters out of the picture. At the same time, we get the return of Brother Blood, who looks like an alternate member of KISS. The Titans must expose Blood's evil intentions to the world governments, as if his name, demonic mask, and position as a cult leader wouldn't be enough of a giveaway.

Then we have the issue of Terra, a super-powered spy sent by villain Deathstroke to destroy the team. This whole plotline could have been addressed easily by the Titans, but instead, we have to put up with the whining of Raven, the empath-half-demon-mystic who primarily wallows in self pity and never lives up to her powers. Generally, when a character like Raven gets bad vibes from another, she should do SOMETHING besides question her feelings, don'tcha think?

The saving grace of this collection is the origin of Deathstroke the Terminator. I feel this was one of Wolfman's best issues on this title, but it is countered by his son, code-named Jericho, joining the team. Jericho is easily one of the most inexplicable characters to ever appear in comics. Not to mention that his code-name is meaningless, and his costume looks like something out of Mardi Gras. He joins the Titans at the conclusion of this book, and that's when I knew something was wrong back in the '80s. I gave up on the Teen Titans soon afterward.