One of the more interesting concepts to come out of DC Comics’s Rebirth initiative is the revamped Red Hood & The Outlaws. Where the title previously featured Jason Todd, Roy Harper, and Starfire, the Rebirthed title will star Red Hood, the Amazon warrior Artemis, and fractured Superman clone Bizarro as a sort of twisted counterpoint to the Trinity of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman (the title of the first storyline is, in fact, “Unholy Trinity”). It’s a fun idea that could lead to some entertaining comics as the three of them interact and invariably butt heads. Two issues into the Rebirth series, readers are just starting to see the beginnings of the group.
The Red Hood & The Outlaws: Rebirth one-shot established Red Hood’s place within the Batman family, and put the former anti-hero on a path towards redemption. Red Hood & The Outlaws #1, then, picks up with Jason having set out on his mission. Writer Scott Lobdell does a nice job establishing some context for Jason through flashbacks to his brief time as Robin, and he rewards long-time fans of Jason Todd with the return of an obscure character who was integral to his post-Crisis on Infinite Earths origin. Knowing the history isn’t crucial to the story, but it definitely makes for a fun bit of minutiae. The issue also brings a major Bat-villain into the fold, and links the character to Jason in an unexpected way. While the titular Outlaws haven’t yet fully come together by the end of the issue, it at least brings two of the characters together and sets them up well for the next issue.
Artist Dexter Soy’s work is solid throughout the issue. His action sequences are energetic and interestingly laid out, and his quieter moments are still visually interesting. He and colorist Veronica Gandini do a really nice job in particular with the flashbacks that occur throughout the issue as well. Gandini is a standout here, using a muted palette for the flashbacks that makes it readily apparent for the reader when the action switches between past and present from panel to panel. Adding a splash of color to those flashback scenes helps make them pop off the page. It’s really well done all-around.
So far, this latest iteration of Red Hood & The Outlaws has made for good entertainment, and it has a lot of potential for interesting stories. Strong work from Lobdell, Soy, Gandini, and co. will definitely bring this reader back for more. Part of the fun of this opening arc should be finding out how these three disparate characters end up together. Here’s looking forward to seeing how the rest of it plays out.
