The Culling was cool, but the best part about this was the DC Universe Presents issue with Kid Flash, it was hilarious! Starting to get to know these characters better and enjoy the series more. It was also cool to get the origin story of Red Robin, even if it wasn't as traumatic as other origin stories. ( )

I definitely think the issues could have been collected better for this volume. There were some interesting stories BUT

a-we start off with the end of the culling crossover so a bit lost of what had happened between vol 1 and 2
b-had dinosaur side story that just stopped with no note on where it is concluded (really want to know what happens with Kid Flash)
c-we just jump straight into wonder girl having issues with her armor but it almost seemed like it came out of nowhere

The artwork was nice even though the artists changed and I'll still be continuing. Just need to figure out what I've missed now... ( )

I was only mildly entertained by this book, which surprised me because I enjoyed the first volume so much. The art was the same, but I felt the story wasn't as coherent. ( )

The first quarter of this book is The Culling story, but the rest of it is about the origins of Wonder Girl I"m familiar with Donna Troy from the days before the New 52, and this Wonder Girl is nothing like her. Also, pre New 52, the Teen Titans were based in San Francisco - about as far away from Gotham City and Metropolis as you can get, but this version of the Teen Titans has them in Manhattan. Yet, they run into the Justice League just as often, or maybe even less since we have not seen any of the adults pop-up yet. I don't think that is a spoiler. ( )

The first half of the volume concludes the culling storyline, as the Teen Titans square off against N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and their leader, Harvest. They have learned that the teenagers who survive the culling are formed into teams, the Ravagers, supposedly for the greater good. Fortunately, the Titans have joined with Legion Lost, and together they destroy the NOWHERE base and escape. However, the cost is high.

I was not drawn into this part of the story, which is disappointing, because I liked the lead up to it. Pretty much the entire first volume of the graphic novel series was about N.O.W.H.E.R.E. hunting the Titans and other teenagers, and I really enjoyed it. Then we have this second volume, and I was bored. The main problem was that I didn't read the special Culling annual volume, and I didn't read the Legion Lost tie-ins, so I had gaps in the story which bogged down the momentum. Instead of repeating the issues that were published elsewhere, this volume just gave us a few quick synopsis pages to fill in what was happening elsewhere. I am considering buying the Culling annual, to see if it revives my interest in a plot that started out so engaging (and because I am OCD, and it bothers me that I just had black pages for big chunks of this story).

The second part of the volume regained my earlier enthusiasm for the series, though. The stories have smaller narrative arcs, showcasing the team working together and learning some more about the mysterious background of each one. They begin with the teens on Lost Island, the place they somehow landed after barely escaping the destruction of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Who doesn't like a little dino adventure? Nothing heavy happens here, and the team has some wonderfully revealing dialogue. Danny the Street uses his last energy to transport them back home, and the team grieve yet another lost member. Next, the volume focuses on Kid Flash, as he works with a humanoid dino teen who hitched a ride with the Titans off olost island, unbeknownst to them. He came with two friends, only to learn that they lied to him and weren't just off for an adventure, but want to take over Earth for reptile kind. Dinoboy and Kid Flash stall their projects, but we last see the baddies plotting in the sewers, undaunted at the setback. This was such a fun story, and I hope they return to it in the future.

After these shenanigans, the emotion intensifies. Wonder Girl loses control of her power and tries to kill the rest of the team. Superboy and Red Robin chase her, and manage to remove her armor from her body. On the positive side, she is no longer trying to kill anyone. On the negative side, her ex-boyfriend shows up and absorbs the armor for his own world-dominion purposes. The trio hunt him down and force the armor to return to Wonder Girl, who will continue to wield her will power to keep the malicious technology in check. Throughout this adventure we learn much about Cassie's history and transformation to Wonder Girl, and we have plenty of opportunities for Red Robin and Superboy to demonstrate their feelings for her. Flirting and jealousy abound, mingled with life-and-death situations as in the best of comic story lines, and the reader is left with a better read on how each of the three are reacting to their emotions. The second half of the volume developed many of the characters on the team, and left several intriguing plots open for future development. It ends with Joker's abduction of Robin, in itself a narrative I am anticipating, making it likely that these new narrative threads will be postponed for now. However, they did a great job in persuading me to move forward with the series. ( )