"Rescue" might be over-selling it.
Well folks, with this weeks releases of new number ones from DC Red Hood and the Outlaws has been one of the most talked about among DC fan boys and girls as the former Robin, turned dead, turned alive and then turned psychopathic foil for batman leads his own team of, so far, two former Titans on missions and jobs around the world. What is it that’s got everyone talking about this number one? Lets pick up Red Hood and the outlaws #1 and find out.
The issue opens with Roy Harper, a.k.a. Arsenal, a.k.a. Green Arrows former sidekick Speedy, as he’s escorted out of a prison by two prison guards. As he walks out of the prison thought boxes tell us who he is and why he’s here. Roy apparently came to the Middle Eastern country of Qurac to help the people there overthrow their cruel leader, but once the power of the nation had changed the new folks in charge turned on him and arrested him for war crimes. As he’s walked out into the court yard, with all the parapets filled with armed men, he’s met with a largely built pastor who’s there to allow Roy to confess his sins before his inevitable execution. As the Pastor asks for a moment alone with the convicted, and before Roy can kindly turn his offer down (you know, due to his Native American upbringing) the pastor opens his bible, to revile Roy's bow folded into
the book. As Roy realize what’s happening the pastor flicks his suspender, and all of a sudden the pastors body blows apart reviling Jason Todd, a.k.a. The Red Hood and the two of them take out the mercenaries and armed guards on the parapets while Roy explains who Jason is. As the shoot their way out of the prison and jump into a jeep the two exchange some funny banter before their confronted by a line of tanks, which are then quickly disposed of by their third member the Tamaranian princess Kori, a.k.a. Starfire. Do the three of them get away safely or do they all end up in front of a Qurac shooting squad? Pick up Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 to find out.
Starting with the pro’s, Scott Lobdell gives the beginning of this book with the break out and the banter between Roy and Jason really gives this issue the feel of an 80’s action flick with lots of explosions, and where shooting things is the best idea to solve problems, and that is a good thing considering the premise of this series. These two characters know each other, and their witty banter is really nice. Jason Todd is given more development than any of the other three characters, but considering that he’s got top billing in the series title “Red Hood and the Outlaws” it makes séance. Nothing much is said about Roy in the issue, apart from the whole “he’s a nice guy. But an idiot.” Enough is said to tell us that he was a member of the Titans along with Starfire long ago, and this acts as a great transition to the character that people have been raging about in this issue. Starfire. In this issue Starfire has been the magnet of most controversy with people stating that she’s not acting like or appearing like her other self with her being “to violent” or “wearing to little” or “being to provocative and open to sex”. To those I say codswallop. Sure there is a problem with Starfires depiction in this issue, but its none of those said above. She’s been violent before, and has killed, so this isn’t new to her. When she first appeared her costume, for comic character of the time, was extremely sexual, showing more than had been shown before. And as for the sex, well she is a character who is open about it, and even in the pages of her last
series R.E.B.E.L.S. she was bonking Captain Comet a good few times. Those aren’t the problems with her depiction here. He problem is that she lacks emotion, which has been the backbone of her character from her first appearance. Her species are considered very emotional characters, wearing their emotions on their sleeves and expressing them openly no matter the consequences. All the reasons that I mentioned above about her killing and having sex has been justified by her emotions before, but here with her lack or emotion she just isn’t the character that we remember. Hopefully this will be undone in upcoming issues, or during an issue focusing on her character (along with her “memory”) and we’ll either get the return of the Starfire that we all know and love (see the emotion that I used there) or an explanation as to why she’s acting this way. Other than the Starfire problem the issue dose give off that action flick vibe that I like which has intrigued me. Now onto art, and well, what can I say. Kenneth Rocafort can draw, but it dose seem to change from page to page. You look at the first page and see a Roy Harper being walked out into the prison court yard and he looks like death, then we get Jason and his strangely shiny helmet. We get the two of them together and the art style helps emphasise that action film vibe I was talking about. Then you switch from dirty dessert fighting to the fan-service scene in St Martinique and the depiction seems to change. It’s just a bit weird is all. But on the plus side the colouring by “Blond” is fantastic and pulls the artwork of the issue up, not going to dark with the sketchy looking pictures.
Overall I did enjoy Red Hood and the Outlaws *ducks to avoid rocks being thrown at him again* but am also aware of the controversies of the issue, and as such give it a 3/5. I don’t want to bark and rage at the issue as, as I’ve said before, I like the action flick style banter and scenario at the beginning, and for a series called “Red Hood” and “the outlaws” I’m not going to complain that we didn’t get much of an explanation for Ray and Kor. Jason is top billing so we focus in him first. I’m pretty unsure as to recommend this issue or not, as it up their on the fence for me as a recommendation, so I’d advice that you think about it for yourself and read a few other reviews to see weather you want to or not. So before I go back to my island paradise and I give Red Hood and the Outlaws #1:-
3/5
