Red Hood

Red Hood and the Outlaws #4

/ / Comics

Red Hood and the Outlaws #4Red Hood‘s undercover mission inside Black Mask‘s criminal organization is put in jeopardy by the realization that the crime lord has gotten his hands on Bizarro. Jason attempts to make nice with the immensely powerful Superman clone while also attempting to keep his cover intact. Well, one out of two ain’t bad.

The reveal at the end of the issue that Black Mask knows who Jason is and what he’s really after (and has for some time) makes him a far more dangerous adversary (especially now that he’s figured out a way to control his super-human wrecking machine). It also raises questions as to just who is supplying Black Mask with such specific information, and why? I’m not sure the comic has any plans to reveal that information and the final panel suggests a more action-oriented next issue.

…

Red Hood and the Outlaws #4Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws #4 Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3

/ / Comics

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3With both Artemis and the Superman clone now prisoners of Black Mask, the Red Hood struggles with how to proceed. Watching the deformed creature go through a similar process of rebirth as he himself survived at the hands of the Lazarus Pit, Jason can’t help but feel some empathy for Bizarro.

Other than the odd sequence where writer Scott Lobdell mucks up the origins of Bizarro to make it completely unclear whether the creature is a clone of Superman or an alternate version from a parallel Earth, the latest issue works well as it pushes the Red Hood to the precipice of having to choose between saving his acquaintances and blowing all the hard work he has done to install himself within Black Mask’s organization.

…

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3 Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws #2

/ / Comics

Red Hood and the Outlaws #2While still keeping the focus on Red Hood, Red Hood and the Outlaws #2 introduces us to one of the characters who will eventually make up a third of the new team. While attempting to acquire a weapon for Black Mask, Jason Todd runs into an unexpected complication in the form of the Amazon Artemis who is also searching for a powerful weapon on the derailed train. While it takes the a little while to consider they may be after different prizes, the pair fight and then form a tentative truce as the series reveals just what Black Mask is after – the eventual third member of the team.

…

Red Hood and the Outlaws #2Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws #2 Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1

/ / Comics

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1Just like Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth #1, Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 proves to be an entirely Red Hood-focused story. This actually turns out to work quite well and, not for the first time, I’m wondering if the character actually needs odd sidekicks to make his own series work.

Setting up Red Hood’s infiltration of Black Mask‘s rising criminal empire, including an introduction Red Hood-style, Jason will run into and old friend and make a new one before the end of the first issue. Jason is swimming in dangerous waters attempting to take down Black Mask from within, especially not knowing what exactly the would-be kingpin of Gotham has in store for the city.

…

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth #1

/ / Comics

Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth #1Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth #1 doesn’t introduce us to the new Outlaws, but the issue does catch-up readers on the history of Jason Todd from street urchin to Robin the Boy Wonder to the Red Hood. It also introduces a plot to keep Jason a part of the extended Bat-Family but still separate from its core members. It’s a little odd that both Red Hood and Nightwing are going undercover with underground criminal organizations, but the set-up (at least for me) works far better here than with Dick Grayson.

We’ll have to wait for Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 for the introductions of both Bizarro and Artemis, and the how and why they team-up with the vigilante. While certainly doing its job to reintroduce Jason to the DCU the comic doesn’t do much to explain the set-up of the new series with two of its key figures (and their relationship to Jason) unexplored.

…

Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth #1Read More »

Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth #1 Read More »