Future of RHATO

In case anyone hasn't been paying attention, a lot of the Batfamily books have been either canceled then relaunched under the same name, canceled then relaunched as something else or writer left but for company consistency it was relaunched anyway. While disappointing books such as Teen Titans were expected to have a major shakeup as Scott Lobdell nearly destroyed a team that at one point rivaled the X-Men (there was a crossover book as well), books that were getting solid reviews and sales like Nightwing and Batgirl still got repackaged.

After looking at the August sales figures, Red Hood and the Outlaws is now the lone straggler of the group getting beat by powerhouses My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and Bob's Burgers though beating MLPFIM's inferior successor My Little Pony Friends Forever. I highly doubt that when we get to the Spring Solicits that there isn't going to be some big shakeup regarding RHATO because by the end of the year, it is highly likely that RHATO will be selling under 20,000 units. It's one thing for Swamp Thing to sell under that, but for a book that has some of the most popular young heroes Jason Todd, Starfire and what's left of Roy Harper, that is unacceptable. If you like RHATO and still read it, I'm not trying to make you feel bad as much as I am preparing you for what lies ahead.

So I have 3 questions:

1) What do you want to happen to Red Hood and people who aren't outlaws come next year?

2) What don't you want to see happen to Red Hood and other heroes with a red color scheme come next year?

3) What do you think will happen to Red Hood and his two stalkers come next year?

If you see it going a different direction, please share what it will be, I'll share my thoughts soon enough (though by reading this post, you probably know what I don't want to see). The snark in my writing is strong, I'm in that mood ;).

What I want to see:

Not that it should surprise anyone but the "Outlaws" should split up, while I haven't read every issue of RHATO, I've read about 25 of them to know that there hasn't been a lot to justify Jason, Kori and Roy being on a team together. I think Starfire would be better off having her own solo (I think that it can work) or in something like Justice League United, Roy in Green Arrow and Jason also having his own solo. I still think that Jason has enough of a base to launch a solo. The book should be one of the darkest books in the DC lineup, with Jason being a darker character, he doesn't have to be evil, but under no circumstances should another Batfamily book be darker than a Jason Todd book. A Jason Todd book that reads like a light romp really removes a lot of the edginess that made him a fan favorite in the first place. Though another solution could be to scrap what's left of World's Finest (which will likely be canceled to save Helena and Karen further humiliation) and have Jason and Huntress team up with Karen staying in Earth 2, which if you've read Earth 2, you know that's not the worst book for her to end up in. I know it's not the Huntress that we want but I still think that Red Hood and Huntress make a hell of a lot more sense than RHATO.

What I don't want to see:

I don't want to see DC pulling what they did with the Suicide Squad which is essentially not fix the fundamental problems with the team and instead just get another writer and throw in more characters. That is essentially putting a band-aid on a gaping wound and within a year or two, they will be in the same place they started. DC better not even entertain the thought of having Donna or Tempest join the Outlaws, don't they f*^&ing dare, no....NO!! If Starfire doesn't fit the Outlaws, what the hell would make anyone think that Donna or Tempest would fit.

What I think we will see:

One of the main goals of the Future's End tie-ins in my opinion is for DC to see which ideas the fans would want to see in future stories involving characters in the DCU (i.e. Aurther/Mera separating, Cassandra Cain in Batgirl) . So the idea of Jason going solo and engaging in brutal justice might just be a pitch for a potential Jason Todd solo series and if the fans love it, they will go ahead with the plans of making a Jason solo. Even from reading the tea leaves of Jason being in other stories (Batman/Superman Annual 2, Supergirl, Batman Eternal) by himself without Kori and Roy means that DC really wants to push Jason on his own or at the very least not with Kori or Roy. I think that we will see a Jason solo at some point next year, even as early as next spring. However the cynic in me is also aware of the possibility of the Suicide Squad solution in which DC just throws in more characters in RHATO hoping that makes fans happy.

Not particularly but if you're going to read it, read the first 12 issues (the Rocafort issues) because in my opinion the first 12 issues even though they were a little inconsistent, they were still the high point of the series.

It's a combination of mediocre story-telling, mismatched tone, mismatched characters with rather shallow characterizations and for a good chunk of it poor art. It's not all Lobdell's fault either because Tynion took over at one point and he was worse.

i want a movie.

I want a new book that's grounded and has a bit more edge. Something that's more of a solo book for Jason-- but I wouldn't mind Roy sticking around.

I agree with everything you said, throw in some witty one liners and we have a potential for a top tier book !

@justthatkid said:

Watch this and then decide:

@justthatkid: You get use to the hair very quickly. I suggest you watch more of his videos, they are very very good.

The reason he does not like the fact that the show was called Young Justice is because the Young Justice comic was about Robin, Impulse, and Superboy. I also don't like that the show is called Young Justice, it's really more of a Teen Titans show.

so @deathpoolthet1000@daredevil21134 what do you think is gonna happen in the spring and what do you want to happen, I think I know some of the answers

This,but just a Jason solo with dark humor

Jason is going to Disneyland!!!!

That sounds like a potential Harley Quinn story arc

Jason going to Disneyland is a Harley Quinn Comic Book.

It sounds legit.

At this point anything that it stop him becoming the next Nightwing.

@deathpoolthet1000: The funny thing is that we almost had that nightmare scenario pre-New 52, when Dick Grayson was originally going to die in Infinite Crisis, Jason Todd was going to take over the mantle as Nightwing.

Great, now i will have nightmares with that.

@youknowwhattodo@daredevil21134 @lifeofvibe....what if Red hood and the outlaws got relaunched with Jason, roy, and huntress ( somehow ) and what if Jason also also got his own solo.

RHTO and a Jason solo title !!!

I haven't read anything with the new 52 Helena Wayne. Would the she fit into the outlaws? Irrc the original Helena Wayne was more like a black haired version of Barbara Grodon and not nearly as dark and violent as Helena Bertinelli.

@aahz: well maybe not huntress since she's on earth 2, but Rose Wilson would be nice to.

Isn't Rose Wilson superpowered? I think since Jason is the Main Charter there should no Member on the Team who is more powerfull.

I think Jason should go back to taken the guys out how are to dangerous to put them only in jail or can't be touched by the law. Preferably with some creative masterplans (like in Burn Notice, Leverage or the Mission: Impossible series). And he should primary take out the guys who deserve it, and not like in Under the Red Hood killing lots of small dealers but leaving Black Mask alive.

If he has a team it should consisted of non superpowered guys who don't believe in the system or the way of the Justice league Heros anymore. So possible team mates could be guys like Roy, Huntress (if she still resembles the old Huntress), Anarky or maybe Katana.

But I still also think a "Buddy Cop"-series with Jason and Tim Drake as a team could be fun.

@aahz: Rose Wilson is superpowered but she's not so powerful to the point where physically she alone could take on all of the threats like Starfire can (not to mention Rose isn't from outer space), so I think Rose could fit. I don't mind Jason not being the most powerful person on his team because there are plenty of teams that are lead by a character that isn't the strongest from a power perspective.

Katana could work, I think Mia Dearden should be there instead of Roy, Anarky is a good choice too. Basically RHATO if it is to be relaunched needs to have darker characters that fit the tone of the book, because Starfire clearly doesn't fit and Roy might have been but he's now a lighter character in RHATO than he was pre-new 52.

@youknowwhattodo: I think Rose would be a good match, we know Deathstroke had a contract to hunt the outlaws, so maybe he just brings Rose along for the lols, setting up the new outlaws. What do you think ?

@youknowwhattodo: To be honest i'm never read any comic with Rose in it, so i can't say if she would fit in or if she is to powerfull, but I prefer street level charaters without powers.

The problem Mia is, that she isn't in the new 52 and it would be strange to put her in without being Speedy first.

I'm just glad Jason is getting a lot of time to shine in the competent weekly Bat-Family book that is Batman Eternal.

Tim Drake and Harper Row.

Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon, and Kate Kane.

Batwing and Jim Corrigan/Spectre.

Batman, Lt. Bard, and Killer Croc.

Alfred and Julia Pennyworth.

WHO EVEN KNEW THAT THOSE WERE THINGS I WANTED!? Because I didn't, but now I know, because I love all the dynamics!

Still have fun with RHatO though. ^-^

If there is one thing the new 52 has shown us is that DC would find a way to put Mia into the continuity without her being Speedy first, we might not like it but it can be done.

Technically Jason does have powers now as he has the ability to materialize "indestructible" magic swords out of thin air.

Remember guys, the question isn't whether or not you like RHATO, it's what do you think will happen to the series come next year and what do you want to happen.

Hopefully whatever gets him a solo

What I really would like to see too, would be a miniseries about his time as Robin. There is a huge shortage of comics about his time as Robin, in which he clearly written as post-crisis Jason, is the main Character of the story and is shown somehow positive.

Seriously one of the best comics about his time as Robin is "Nightwing: Year One" a comic which is all about Dick Grayson.

I'm all in for a solo but I don't want the pre52 Jason stuff. I want the new52 Jason Todd who has moved on from the stuff that happened in Gotham.

Hopefully cancellation.

Beata