OTHER REVIEWS IN THIS SERIES: Raven | Beast Boy | Beast Boy Loves Raven | Robin | Starfire

Starfire is the latest volume in the Teen Titans series by Kami Garcia and illustrated by Gabriel Picolo.

Kori is a college student studying astronomy. She lives in California with her older sister, Kira, younger brother and mother. The sisters are close — but also very different. While Kira is vivacious and outgoing, Kori is an introvert, a condition made worse by Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome ​(EDS), a painful connective tissue disorder that cause her joints to swell. 

Their mother is absent most of the time, preoccupied with her pending marriage to rich douchebag Lynch Fairweather, owner of Edge Pharmaceuticals. Kira is equally besotted by Lynch's nephew, Tate, and Kori doesn't like either one of them. Despite this, she allows Kira and Tate to talk her into participating in an Edge study about new treatments for EDS. While touring the Edge facility, Kori meets and befriends Victor Stone, a.k.a. Cyborg.  Victor also has misgivings about the Fairweathers and helps uncover that the Edge  EDS "study" is actually the an attempt to gauge the extent of Kira and Kori's superpowers at the behest of H.I.V.E.

Yes, this is the same H.I.V.E. from the previous books — the shadowy agency who employs Slade Wilson and imprisoned and tortured Rachel and Garfield in Beast Boy Loves Raven. 

​Kira refuses to listen to Kori's revelations, but Kori finds kindred spirits when the Titans (Dick, Damian, Max, Garfield and Raven) show up with news that Slade Wilson is hunting her.  After coming together, the new team decides it's time to take the fight to H.I.V.E. 
​
One of the things I really appreciate about Kami Garcia's take on the Teen Titans is addressing superpowers as sometimes being medical or mental health challenges as well. This has been done a few times in the DC Universe, most notably with Tom King's Heroes in Crisis, which took a deep dive into how having the responsibility of superpowers can impact one's emotional well-being.

In Starfire, Kori's superpowers manifest originally as a disability. Yet she learns to see her challenges as part of her identity (in the same way Rachel did with her demonic pedigree, Logan did with his amino acid deficiency and Damien did with his abusive background and rage issues). Despite their varied backgrounds and problems, they manage to come together.

I don't know when the next volume comes out, but it looks like we'll actually see the Teen Titans as an organized super team!

RELATED: Comics Collections | Teen Titans Fans Collection | Damian Wayne Collection | Nightwing, Batman and Adoption Problem |  Nightwing Collection

The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins — to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon's Head himself, his grandfather Ra's al Ghul.

But everything changed when his father, the Batman (Bruce Wayne), reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City.

The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins--to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon's Head himself, his grandfather Ra's al Ghul. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City.

As Robin, young Damian suddenly discovered he was merely one of a number of princes, preceded in the role by his brothers Richard Grayson (Nightwing), Jason Todd (Red Hood), and  Timothy Drake (Red Robin)... and Damian doesn't care to be merely anything.

But when his father is forced to leave the city on urgent business, and a rash of abductions is accompanied by whispers of a demon stalking Gotham's dark alleys, Damian will find himself battling alongside his adoptive brothers--and in the process, learning what the mantle of Robin really means!

​Visionary writer/artist Juni Ba makes his mark on the timeless story of Batman and Robin, synthesizing the characters' complex history into an accessible and heartrending fairy tale! Ba's lyrical text and highly stylized artwork may not be what a lot of DC Comics fans are used to, but trust me, it a wonderful diversion. 

If you're not familiar with Juni Ba's work, you can learn more about this award-winning writer and artist on his website or see his books below.  

RELATED FEATURES: Damian Wayne Collection  |  Batman Collection  |  Nightwing Collection  |  Tim Drake Collection  | Nightwing, Batman and Adoption Problems 

I read Brahms Stoker‘s Dracula when I was in college, but only recently found out that this 1903 novel was the basis for Boris Karloff’s The Mummy (1932). Because I love that movie so much, I had to sit down and read this novel right away. 

Like Dracula (1897), The Jewel of the Seven Stars is a horror novel which combines mythology, history, science, and the Victorian belief in spiritualism. The main character is a barrister (lawyer) named Malcolm Ross who is summoned to the estate of a rich nobleman fascinated with ancient Egypt. The nobleman, Abel Trelawny, has been overcome by a seemingly magical sleep. While in this impenetrable slumber, he’s attacked several times by forces unknown which seem intent on procuring a key fastened to his wrist by an unbreakable steel bracelet. Despite the horrific nature of the assaults, no suspect can be identified despite concurrent investigations from Malcolm, the local doctor, and Scotland Yard. Mr. Trelawny’s daughter, Margaret, with whom Malcolm is smitten, can shed no light on the experiences even though she’s the first to arrive on the scene after each attack. As Malcolm continues his investigation, it becomes clear that Mr. Trelawny’s interest in the Egyptian occult, and in particular a female pharaoh called Tera, may have something to do with his troubles. 

Like so many people of the Victorian era, Stoker was fascinated with ancient Egypt and clearly did a tremendous amount of research in preparation for this story. While his attention to detail is amazing, the overly mannered writing style, which often strays into minutia, can make for a difficult read. Told in first person, the reader sees very little of the actual events leading up to the book. Instead, secondary characters provide endless exposition to create the backstory. In this sense, Stoker violates a cardinal rule of a modern author: show, don’t tell. In fact, you might have to drink some coffee or go for a walk if you’re trying to get through some of the ponderous foreshadowing and long monologues.

Stoker was very much a man of his time, and his characters certainly embody his Victorian sensibilities. All the gentlemen are exceedingly proper, honorable and intelligent. They are all keenly interested in understanding the ancient Egyptian mysteries laid before them, while simultaneously considering such things the works of heathens dabbling in realms better left untouched. The central female character of Margaret (who’s almost the only female character), is everything a young Victorian gentleman would want. She’s intelligent (but not more intelligent than the men), exceedingly kind, inquisitive, and in constant and persistent need of rescue. Later in the book, when her mood changes for reasons I won’t go into, and she becomes more withdrawn and haughty, Malcolm acknowledges that he doesn’t find her as attractive as before. To the reader, there’s a clear message here: the woman’s more valuable and relevant when she’s appealing to men.

If you’re reading The Jewel of the Seven Stars as an example of Victorian horror fiction, then you will probably find it interesting, even at times fascinating. If not, you’re going to find it a slog.  In the end, I don’t know that the payoff is worth it. I found the conclusion very anti-climactic. It had a much darker ending when it was originally published, but Stoker went back and changed it a few years later. Perhaps a happy ending was more in keeping with Victorian sensibilities where “civilized” men triumph and “civilized” women get married?

In the end, Dracula's still a better book.

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