The 52 Project: Red Hood and the Outlaws #1

Well, you called it, Don. None of what you said above turned out to be true but it was pretty awful. You can see why below:



(cross-posted from my Facebook account. I hadn't originally intended on picking up all the new #1s but the 50% off deal at DCBS turned out to be too good to pass up. Feel free to discuss, agree or disagree







So what the hell is this? I'm going to try to write a review of each of the new #1 issues put out by DC Comics. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, DC Comics (home of Superman, Batman, etc.) is completely restarting most* of the history they have established with their comic books since 1939. (* some continuity remains but all events that remain are considered to have happened within a five year span of time) If you're still confused, think of it as everything being set back to square one and all these superheroes are new things to show up rather than a given part of the world.

Anything I say from this point on is my opinion and reflects only my feelings. Please take your nerd rage elsewhere if you disagree or at least be civil in your disagreement.


NOTE: I have not read Flashpoint #5 which kicks off this new history so I'm going to try to approach these issues as if someone completely new to comics were picking them up for the first time. If you're interested in what I have to say, I'd encourage you to go to your local comic book shop (if you have one) or you can buy them digitally at Comixology (http://www.comixology.com).







PLOT SUMMARY:
Roy Harper is in prison in a foreign country after the "grateful" citizenry tossed him in jail after overthrowing the dictator that had them oppressed. He is visited by a priest who turns out to be the Red Hood and they bust out of jail. As they flee, Starfire destroys a bunch of tanks they run into. Later, on the tropical island of St. Martinique, Roy and Jason have a talk about Starfire. Jason is called off to speak to a woman he knows named Essence from some sort of secret cult or caste that they used to be members of. Roy sleeps with Starfire as Jason sneaks off to the Himalayas to investigate the massacre at the caste. He find the head woman dead before a bunch of assassins surround him.


THE ART:
Kenneth Rocafort does the art. I'm not familiar with his work but I do like it. It's a good fit for this comic with Roy and Jason well rendered and Starfire cheesecakiing it up. Colors were done by "Mr. Blond" and help bring out the linework and enhance it. There isn't anything that is going to blow you away with a experimental art style but sometimes the classics just work fine and this is such a case.


THE STORY:
Scott Lobdell is the responsible party and if there was ever a comic that made you want to beat your head against the wall - this is it. It starts off with a lot of action and fun banter between Roy and Jason. It's like a lot of the buddy action movies that are so much fun. The problem comes when Starfire gets shoehorned in. I have no problem with her there for firepower or even that she's with Red Hood. It's just mentioned with enough humor that it sells itself. The hamstring comes when it is explicitly stated that she doesn't remember her time with the Teen Titans at all because of basically a short-term memory. Wait? WHAT? I would have even been okay with her not being with the Teen Titans due to the Flashpoint universe altering event but we get the equivalent of forgetfulness?! I didn't even have a problem with her sleeping with Roy given what we've gotten in the past with Tamaraneans being a sensual race but, by this point, I was so disgusted with the whole thing that I was just rolling with it, trying to get to the end of the comic. Sadly, the plotline being developed with Essence and Jason's past was wasted on me and I think that it could develop into something interesting. Basically, they took a cheap out and, not even just a cheap one, one that just completely trivializes a established character and made her into nothing but a sex kitten.


VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY:
Save your $3 if you ever liked Starfire at any point. I like the interaction between Roy and Jason. The plot with Essence could be cool but they just went and butchered a beloved character and made her into nothing but a shared sex toy. Ugh. The art is good but it isn't enough to rescue this comic from wholesale character assassination.


NEXT WEEK:
Birds of Prey #1, Blue Beetle #1, Captain Atom #1, Catwoman #1, DC Universe Presents #1, Green Lantern Corps #1, Legion of Super-Heroes #1, Nightwing #1, Supergirl #1 and Wonder Woman #1.