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Red Hood and the Outlaws (2011)

Red Hood und die Outlaws, Bd. 1: Jason Todds Rückkehr

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Batmans ehemaliger Sidekick Jason Todd ist zurück als Red Hood - und als Anführer eines neuen Teams aus Verbrecherjägern, die selbst außerhalb des Gesetzes agieren. Mit dabei Green Arrows ehemaliger Partner Arsenal und die außerirdische Prinzessin Starfire. Aufregend, sexy und voller Action. Dieser Band enthält den ersten Jahrgang dieser neuen Serie. Aufregende neue Serie aus der Welt von Batman! Zeichner KENNETH ROCAFORT gilt in den USA als strahlender Newcomer! Ein ganzer Jahrgang Comic-Action!

296 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

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About the author

Scott Lobdell

1,611 books229 followers
Scott Lobdell (born 1960) is an American comic book writer.

He is mostly known for his work throughout the 1990s on Marvel Comics' X-Men-related titles specifically Uncanny X-Men, the main title itself, and the spin-off series that he conceived with artist Chris Bachalo, Generation X. Generation X focused on a number of young mutant students who attempted to become superheroes in their own right at a separate school with the guidance of veteran X-related characters Banshee and Emma Frost. He also had writing stints on Marvel's Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series with artist Gene Ha. He wrote the script to Stan Lee's Mosaic and an upcoming film from POW Entertainment featuring Ringo Starr. He also participated in the Marvel Comics and Image Comics (from Jim Lee's WildStorm) crossover mini-series WildC.A.T.s/X-Men.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 386 reviews
Profile Image for Sesana.
6,175 reviews330 followers
April 10, 2013
Horrible. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a prime example of character assassination. Poor Starfire. I always liked her, even as her costumes got more and more improbably revealing. (Her costume here is of the "she has to wear something, so let's put her in as little as possible" school of idiotic superheroine design.) I liked that she could be a fierce warrior as well as sweet and sometimes naive. And even in those tiny costumes, she was always in control of her own sexuality.

No more. For some reason, Lobdell decided that a thinking, feeling Starfire was too much and reduced her to nearly amnesiac fanservice. This Starfire sleeps with both Jason and Roy seemingly because they expect her to, not because she has anything that seems like desire for either of them. Her sexuality is not her own, it's a commodity to be used by her teammates. This while both men know that she's lost many of her memories, and that she has a hard time remembering their names and even telling them apart. Neither of them are at all bothered by this, or seem to expect anything else from a woman. When, later in the book, a villain says that Jason and Roy have been treating her like a wind-up doll, it's painfully, horribly true.

I read the entire book, just so I could say that I had. So I can say that the overall storyline was unappealing to me. Things happened here that should have been major events, but were quietly glossed over. The underlying mythology (which was at least new to me) didn't interest me. Roy was unlikeable, and though I feel sorry for Jason, I don't like him, either. A complete and total loss.
Profile Image for Anne.
4,705 reviews71k followers
January 25, 2015
My finger is just itching to give this one 5 stars. Really. I'm sure some of my friends are going to read Redemption, and then come back and crucify me for this review. But I don't care, because I had a blast reading this!

I loved the Jason and Roy team-up!
Oh, and Kori.
Alright, alright. I see why a lot of reviews are burning this to the ground. Starfire is a bit...um, overdone. And I have to admit, I'm not really seeing what the point of turning her into a somewhat emotionally retarded sexpot was.
And I wanted to get worked up over the fact that she casually slept with both Roy and Jason...I did!...but it just didn't bother me much for some reason. I mean, a part of me went ewwww, and a part of me shrugged and went eh, why not?
But other than turning a beloved member of the Teen Titans into something less than totally appealing...this was so much fun to read.

Jason got a nudge toward growing up and letting go of that whole I-Got-Beat-To-Death-By-The-Joker angst. Kind of. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but I'm seeing a tearful reunion with Wayne.
Or not.
Then again, maybe I just have a soft spot for Red Hood. I think he's one of (if not The) best villain/anti-hero to come out of DC in a loooong time. I'm ducking behind my keyboard right now, 'cause I'm pretty sure not everyone is going to agree with me on that one.
*sigh*
Feel free to leave all your hateful comments at the bottom. I have a GR friend who has desensitized me to criticism at this point. And, no. I won't try to get you to read this one, Mike. Not after the debacle that was...Aquaman!
But I would like to see Sesana's take on Starfire...

Alright then.
For me, the glue that held this unlikely team together was the inclusion of Speedy Archer. He provided the right amount comedic relief and helped round out the other two characters. I've never been a big fan of Roy Harper, mainly because I'm not sure that he ever really stood out to me before this. His background story and look has been altered by Flashpoint, but I never really bothered to know that much about him to start with, so I didn't have any feelings about that one way or another. I thought his charming laid-back (somewhat clueless at times) personality helped strike the perfect balance between Todd's more A-type persona.
It made sense that they were friends. I've noticed the people I'm closest to (several of my best friends...including my husband) all have the same high-strung, high-stress, high-maintenance kind of personality....and I kind of don't. It shouldn't work, but it does.

Truth Time?
There is a good chance that the mystical elements of the plot are going to eventually run this title into the ground. By the end of this volume, I was already thinking to myself that this could go really bad...really fast. And I haven't read enough of Scott Lobdell's stuff to speculate on whether or not he can pull off a big bundle of crazy.
But I'm rooting for him!
Profile Image for Scott.
2,209 reviews263 followers
November 28, 2022
"I still can't tell if it's because you're worthy . . . or just so damned stubborn." -- Ducra, the mentor

"Can't I be both?" -- Jason Todd, soon to be the vigilante known as Red Hood

I think a reader has to be pretty damned stubborn to read and enjoy Red Hood and the Outlaws, Vol. 1: Redemption . . . but yet I can't quite completely damn this glorious mess of a graphic novel. With chapter titles that mangle some well-known song lyrics to the teaming of the title character with provocative Starfire the ex-Teen Titan (like Jessica Rabbit used to say - she's not 'bad,' she's just drawn that way) and the quippy Arsenal (Roy Harper, formerly known as Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy), this book occasionally rose above its ridiculousness to be a fairly decent read. But it definitely loses a star rating for the sometimes near-indecipherable thought boxes - the unique red print on black background may make your eyes go crazy late at night - and some of the sci-fi glop worked into the storyline. I mean, if the vigilantes Red Hood and Arsenal are working together I want to see them fighting crime and busting heads on the mean streets of Gotham, not tracking and then battling a shapeshifting and otherworldly demon. But I'll still tune in for the next volume.
Author 26 books37 followers
April 13, 2013
Lord, that was stupid!
Okay, not all of it. I'm a fan of dysfunctional super teams and the Outlaws being a trio was a nice change of pace. Most teams are usually seven guys or the Avengers, which has...what...128 members.

The idea of a group of messed up people trying to find redemtion as well as trying to fight for justice in their own special way, I can also enjoy.

It's Starfire alien warrior sextoy!
This is quite possibly the most adolescent bit of fanfic turned pro that I have ever seen. The guys on team basically take turns with her and she's A-okay with it as all humans look alike to her.

Just so stupid.
Now, maybe you could get away with it as an alien culture POV theme, but it is so badly written and doesn't even make sense. Even if this is a completely new continuity, it keeps referring to the old continuity, like she's been this way the whole time.

So, not only does Starfire feel like a a bland ( yet skanky) character, but you then start wondering 'Why am I rooting for these guys?'.

'They are gritty and hard, but have a code of honor', you say, 12 year old fanboy.
Yes, but that code involves shooting shit up and then getting laid.

Just so freaking stupid.
What happened to Scott Lobdell? He was a solid writer for marvel back in the 90's. Did he suffer a head injury that I'm unaware of?

Read this title only if you are in the mood for a good idea done badly.

Profile Image for James DeSantis.
Author 17 books1,201 followers
March 13, 2018
I should have known better. I'm really loving Red Hood Rebirth so I figured try new52....bad idea...

This is about a man on a quest to be a hero of somesort? He meets up with Starfire and they fuck, then rescues Roy, and he fucks her, then they go on missions together to stop bad guys by being somewhat outlaws? I dunno...who cares.

Good: Nothing.

Bad: Everything.

This is awful. Go right to Rebirth for Red Hood.
Profile Image for Mizuki.
3,338 reviews1,385 followers
September 26, 2020
" We die together like men!"


Oh dear, can we just not? Lol

(1) Btw, I just want to ignore everything about the All-Caste.

(2) Roy with longish-hair is nice!

(3) It's a fun read, the artwork is lovely too.

(4) The plot with these Untitled creatures is.........okay-ish at best.......it could have been better. *shrugs*

(5) Btw I like the sense of humour.

(6) It's doing quite good as the first volume of a series.

(7) I bought the e-book version of this volume and I don't regert it. Hahah.

(8) Well, it does bother me that Starfire is pretty much a 'sexy goldfish' who flashes her body around in bikini and I don't believe for a second her design has anything to do with feminism and/or sexual freedom. However, I'm cool so far.

*goes back to write Batman fanfic*

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) vol. 1 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) vol. 2 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Profile Image for Subham.
3,046 reviews102 followers
April 4, 2022
This was another solid read!

It picks up with Jason meeting Kori and from there we have him rescuing Aresenal and its a fun way they all come together and then we see Jason being confronted by someone named "Essence" who tells him that his teacher Ducra and the All-caste have been murdered by "The Untitled" and thus we have this team fighting against them all over the world and while Jason fights them and accepts the teachings of the All-caste, Kori has to handle someone called "Crux" and then massive revelations with Essence which will change the trajectory and mission of this team!

Its an interetsing book and does a great jb at fleshing out Jason's lost days and does well to hint at whats to come for the series and the threats teh team will be facing and also expanding upon Arsenal and Starfire and giving them dubious motivations and also hinting at their own battles and journeys ahead but I love the dyanmism the team has, they are screwed up but in a good way! The art by Rocafort is the best thing here as its so good and really makes you love it all! So a recommend from me.
Profile Image for Mike.
1,579 reviews148 followers
July 18, 2013
Jason Todd a sociopath who can't relate to people, or a still-healing do-gooder who just has an ongoing battle with his sanity?

I don't freakin care - the first issue alone is filled with so many WTF moments of "the writer put *those* two sentences in back-to-back panels?!?" I could not possibly connect with writing this bad. Justifying a slutty, scantily-dressed FEMALE fucktoy with a pseudo-eastern philosophy is lame, and worse it's such an anachronistic throwback that a universe-wide reboot could so easily ignore. DC, take a look at current Marvel books like Captain Marvel or Hawkeye for how to write a human female like an adult, not a sulking teenage masturbatory fantasy. I think Lobdell is too obsessed with sex and boobies to be put in charge of a whole comic - and I say this as a guy who still laughs at every fart joke imaginable.

There's talk of Jason Todd being a great man (or potentially so) and yet I don't see any sign of it. What I *do* see is a boring "maverick" with guns and a failed sense of 80's action movie quips. Sadly, the creators have to tell me he's charming, mysterious because they seem incapable of showing me.

Maybe if Lobdell's jokes were funny I'd forgive him his hack writing.

And maybe if Rocafort's layouts weren't a pathetic explosive (and impossible-to-follow) mess, I would appreciate his line work and figure/face drawing more.

Oy, forget it. I throw in the towel after the third issue. Not worth my time.
Profile Image for Eli.
862 reviews131 followers
June 10, 2016
3.75 stars

I was impressed with this. I didn't expect it to be this good. It was serious in all the right parts, like plot and villains. But it was also funny in all the right parts, especially dialogue and characters.

I really liked all the characters. They demand to be taken seriously as characters, but not Batman-serious. Arsenal is really funny and jokes a lot, but he's also very caring and protective of his friends. Starfire is so much smarter than she appears and I love that she's not constrained to notions of female sexuality (as in she has sex with who she wants and doesn't feel bad about it, because she shouldn't feel bad about it). And I love that Starfire is the most powerful of the Outlaws. Gotta love a good female hero/vigilante. Red Hood was also a good character with a past he needs to reconcile.

Rocafort's artwork was perfect for the story that Lobdell was telling. The dialogue was very funny and flowed pretty well. The characters meshed well. The plot was pretty strong. Definitely something fun-but-not-mindless to keep an eye on.
Profile Image for Calista.
5,419 reviews31.3k followers
January 30, 2018
I'm am getting tired of these action comics and one fight right on top of another. There is some good characterization going on. Starfire - really, another boob character - over it. This is so convoluted. Red Hood used to work with Batman or something. I don't even know. They are hunting evil. I did like the art. This is a mess in my opinion. I think this is simply not for me.
Profile Image for Kyle.
921 reviews28 followers
August 3, 2013
My biggest complaint, again, is that DC just doesn't seem to want to draw clothed female super-heroes. At least in this issue, the male characters get the same treatment as their female teammate, as they, too, are half clothed for a lot of this book. Maybe my real complaint is that there seems to be only one female body-type that the artists over at DC are capable of drawing: big breasts, impossible waist, long legs, triangular face. They simply are not challenging themselves when it comes to female characters.

With that said, I actually enjoyed this first volume of "Red Hood and the Outlaws". It's a fast-tempo, upbeat, youthful, sexy and more modern comic than a lot of the other titles put out for the New 52. It has three of the biggest fan-favourite characters in DC's line-up: Jason Todd is as disgruntled and moody as ever; Starfire makes a great 'straight-man' in the comedic-trio; but the real surprise for me was Arsenal, who, if this were the Three Stooges, would likely be Curly. I love how they have contemporized this new Roy Harper; he looks new and fresh, he talks new and fresh; he could be a very interesting character to watch for in the future. But truly, the whole team is beautifully dysfunctional.

Didn't expect to like it, but will definitely be following this title from here on in. I could see this title drawing a lot of new, younger readers to the DC label.

4/5
Profile Image for Beth.
154 reviews52 followers
May 18, 2016
Yes, the sexism bothers me. It's not how much sex Starfire has or what she wears. I support women enjoying as much sex as they want with whomever they want while wearing whatever they want (though protection is kind of important, I understand why it isn't always depicted in fiction). It's the poses and the purpose. She is there for people who drool over women to drool over. In those poses she is not a person, she is not a character, she is a sex doll. A stewardess is similarly posed.

However, Starfire is also respected by her male partners as a strong, capable, powerful being and I am of the opinion that the objectification gets toned down as the book progresses, improving things greatly.

Aside from that, I enjoyed this a lot. I liked how Jason was characterized (I haven't read anything other than the prequel to "Under the Red Hood," which film I saw, but I've heard that in between the film and this series he acted like a douche. Not here, thankfully), I liked the interactions between characters, the art is fantastic, and it was just a great read.

I wish there was a guide as to which books I should read to get some more backstory, cause it's a little tricky for the newbies like me, but I was able to follow along and figure things out.

To sum up, the sexism is pretty atrocious, but it gets better and I think the good points outweigh the bad.
Profile Image for Jena.
633 reviews143 followers
January 6, 2013
Not really much to say about it that hasn't already been repeated to death on the internet. If you're a huge fan of Jason Todd, I can see getting into it because it's finally a title for him. I'm pretty ambivalent about Jason, but I was initially interested in reading this all the same. I read the first issue when it came out but I never got around to reading more. I decided to give it another go and...well...

The team dynamic is interesting and with stuff like the Justice League, Teen Titans, Avengers, and X-Men with their 800 billion (and growing) members, it's nice to just see a small team interact for once. That is the nicest thing I can say about this, so I'll just move on to what I don't like. There are a lot of problems here and, like I said, it's been beaten into the ground so I won't go into too much detail. The art is not very good, the dialogue is cheesy, the characters are meh, the writing is hilariously bad, and the whole thing just feels like when cereal companies redesigned their mascots in the late 90s to be cool and use words like "x-treme". Maybe that's a weird comparison, but that's just what this issue feels like to me. Like it's got a backwards baseball cap on and its arms crossed and it's saying "Look how totally rad I am." Beyond that, even. Red Hood and the Outlaws is the dudebro of comics. It goes over the top trying to prove how cool (and totally not gay) it is that it just makes you want to throw a beer in its face.

And then there's Starfire. Hrrrrnngggghh. People have touched on this more eloquently than I ever could but...yeah. Just what the fuck, man? What in the actual fuck. I can't even begin to put my thoughts into coherent sentences. I'm all for sexy ladies owning their sexuality and being confident, but Starfire's characterization in this was clearly not written to show her sexually liberated and powerful. Starfire's personality is scrapped in favor of being fanservice personified. Among other things. I can't think about it for too long without wanting to punch something. I thought the shock and pain had worn off by now and I could stomach it now but I can't. I just can't.

I gave the rest of volume 1 a chance but I will not be extending the same courtesy to issues 8 and beyond. I think I've had enough of this ride, thanks.
Profile Image for Juls Nelyafinwe.
295 reviews55 followers
September 9, 2016
* 3.75 ⭐️ tbh

Okay, it was funny. And I love the relationship between the three of them.
I don't know why, but I find Kori so cute...and now I want to know what kind of relationship she really had with Dick Grayson.
Roy is simply hilarious, but I prefer how he was portrait in the Arrow's tv show.
And what to say about Jason? Omg, I freaking love him. He's the best anti-hero of all times, seriously. He has also a deep angst back story: his best memory broke my heart. He's definitely my bae in the DC comic universe.
Profile Image for Jenna.
62 reviews20 followers
December 9, 2012
I'm giving this a 5 because, despite it's obvious flaws, I think it was high time for Jason Todd to finally be recognised in DC and given some sort of respect.

Ok, so maybe my super fangirl love for Jason Todd makes me a little biased, but I seriously do think that Jay has been bounced around in DC more than a child caught in a divorce. From hero to villain to antihero, no one writer could figure out where they wanted to put him so his character never really was able to flourish in any significant way (this is all, of course, in my opinion; so don't throw flaming comic books at me or anything).

All that being said, even though the super fan part of me is uber glad Jason finally got his own book which opens doors for more face time in DC, this comic had it's share of flaws. Just to clarify, I know that many people are enraged over the way Starfire was portrayed sexually but I, personally, didn't mind that. I guess I just connected with her character in that respect. I don't see anything wrong with a woman having sex when she wants it and going on about her business without worrying over it. I'm sure there are other issues at play here but for me personally, it's what I see and I kind of like it.
Profile Image for Sheida.
652 reviews110 followers
November 16, 2015
The graphics are a bit all over the place tbh but the characters and their dynamics are really likable. I can't wait to continue this series and to get to know them more.
Profile Image for David Dalton.
3,014 reviews
November 1, 2019
The thing I like about Red Hood and the Outlaws is that it seems to be about Red Hood and an oddball collection of characters. I like the newest cast of characters and I really this set from 2011. Still based around Red Hood. This guy has potential. Seems a bit of a shame he and Nightwing do not work together more.

I can see why Starfire is such a hit. And I like reading about Roy (Arsenal). He was portrayed as a burnout, but he just had a rough life and was working his way back. Should have stayed in the team.

Got this volume from my digital library. But they do not have any other Red Hood collection. I will keep looking and requesting them.
Profile Image for Justyn Rampa.
659 reviews25 followers
June 17, 2012
For right now, I'm going to give this a four because it was WAAAAAY better than I was expecting it to be but not quite perfect yet. Time may cause me to change my mind, but we'll stick with four right now. (Ya know what, after writing this enormous review about everything I love about this title, I've decided to just go ahead and give it a 5!)

Red Hood is Jason Todd, formerly known as Robin and formerly known as dead at the hands of the Joker and a crowbar. In Hush, Jeph Loeb merely hints at the idea that Jason Todd is alive and opens the door for another writer to build upon that suggestion. Enter Judd Winnick who pens "Under the Red Hood" and lays the groundwork for the return of Jason Todd. His return is fun and very comic booky in that it involves the Al Ghuls, Lazarus Pits, Superboy Prime, and a heaping dose of crazy because Jason Todd does have claim to some considerable emotional baggage.

Fast forward a bit and Jason Todd is given his own title and companions for one of the New 52 titles. There are two reasons why I didn't bite despite the fact that Jason Todd is one of my favorite characters: 1) Judd Winnick was not writing the title and no one writes Jason Todd like Judd Winnick 2) There was a lot of feminist controversy over the hubba hubba version of Starfire (formerly a Teen Titan) and her views on sex. Being the good feminist I am, I bought intelligent female Bat-titles and ignored Red Hood.

Fast forward a bit more and we happen upon Scott Snyder's crossover event known as "Night of the Owls", which included Red Hood and the Outlaws. I bought Red Hood #9 and really REALLY enjoyed it. The Night of Owls plot was introduced briefly in #8 so I decided to by that one as well. Ya know, to be complete. Then after reading the second issue, I decided I was in love enough with the series that I wanted to give it a try. Also, I was way stressed out at the time and purchasing the previous seven issues of Red Hood seemed like the only logical way to destress:-)

So it was a mission to find them because my comic book store was out of a couple issues, but eventually I tracked down all seven issues and read through the series so far. Twice. This volume I'm sure will only contain the first 7 or 8 issues, but I've read through 9. (I suspect that Night of Owls did so well that there will be a volume of all the crossover titles eventually released.)

Now let's get to this actual review...

The Writer: Scott Lodbell does a really fantastic job of creating a fun and relatively light adventure story with moments of real darkness and pathos. He manages to write Todd in a believable way and in a way needed for the character to survive. While all Jason Todd's I'm gonna get Batman for not killing the Joker after he beat me to death with a crow bar angst served several arcs quite well, that can only go so far before Jason Todd either succeeds or becomes pathetic. Scott Lodbell gives Jason Todd an incredibly fleshed out and rather fantastical backstory and sets him on a new path that will allow the character to have a fuller and hopefully longer second life in comics. Well done!

The Characters: So I love Jason Todd and I still do. The Outlaws that join him are Roy Harper and Koriand'r. Roy Harper used to go by the moniker of Speedy as the sidekick to Green Arrow until Speedy got hooked on heroin and had to go to rehab. So many things about this pairing are brilliant! Namely, both Jason Todd and Roy Harper went through highly controversial arcs in the late 80s. Jason Todd's death was put to a vote and American voted to have him killed because they hated him so much. Roy Harper's heroin addiction led to one of the most...we'll say iconic...covers in comics and eventually to a discussion about drugs in an after-school special kind of way. Both Jason and Roy were sidekicks to fundamentally the same character as Green Arrow was DC's attempt at replicating the success of Batman. The pairing of these two is rather brilliant and really comes across in this title. Koriand'r is also known as Starfire and is formerly a Teen Titan as well as a princess from another planet. I don't know a lot about her but I will say that despite the way she is drawn, Scott Lodbell does attempt to flesh out (ha. see what I did there) her character in way that is somewhat empowering. That is a whole other conversation that would only make this review a lot longer.

The Art: Kenneth Rocafort does a magnificent job. He really does! I have become a huge fan of the art, so much so that I want to try and put pen to paper and replicate it. His detail work is fantastic and he hasn't disappointed me yet!

Unexpectedly, Red Hood has risen to be one of my favorite of the New 52 titles and I will be picking it up monthly now and purchasing the volume once it is released!
Profile Image for Sans.
858 reviews126 followers
January 11, 2018
I've been pondering this book for the past couple days, trying to figure out what I think of it. What struck me the most is what a big deal was made over Kori sleeping with both Jason and Roy. And how ridiculous her costume is. Her boots are literally 80% of it. But back to the issue that's bugging me the most.

The repetition of this fact felt forced. Like Lobdell (via Roy) was saying "wow, look what a slut Kori is, but it's ok because she's proud of it so that makes me pro feminism!". I'm the first to admit that I get touchy about things like this. I try to not get on my soap box too much, but when this fact is really the only thing I remember two days after reading it...

I've already got the rest of the books, so I'll read them. I really hope this was a one off and there isn't a "Kori is the team bicycle" theme running through the series. I'm perfectly happy for Kori to take her pleasure where and when she wants to. I'm just not ok with Lobdell harping on it through other characters.
Profile Image for Angela.
2,591 reviews71 followers
July 28, 2012
Hmmm. Ok, the storyline was good, with a bit more backstory on Jason Todd. My main problem is that the only girl on the team had inexplicably lost her memory and seemed to act totally out of character.
Profile Image for Ricky Ganci.
398 reviews
July 28, 2014
(3.5 stars) This book reads like a tapered down superhero FIREFLY, with trio of broken crimefighters and heroes whose motives seem to stem from their past traumas, some external and some internal. While the climactic events of the story were a bit strained due to a lack of efficient development up front, the witty script by Scott Lobdell and the strikingly-detailed art by Kenneth Rocafort more than carried the arc and its re-introductions to the characters in a readable and enjoyable manner.

Each of the three gets a traumatic backstory, but Lobdell is careful to keep them from waxing sentimental--harsh and troubling, certainly, but not sappy. Most of the story time is appropriately lent to establishing Jason Todd as a reluctant leader, using some swift flashbacks from Judd Winnick's superb run on BATMAN back in 2005 that introduced the Red Hood as an anti-hero, and developing the central plot of the arc from the blanks that Winnick's arc left for later. We get some eastern mysticism along with our backstory, and with that the inevitable link to the al Ghul clan--Talia makes a fun cameo to keep it all in the Batman family, and Jason Todd's backstory melds pretty well with the core of the arc, and even though the climactic battle was anything but, the character story was quite good due to the development of the Red Hood as a reluctant leader.

Starfire's appearance establishes her as an escapee from political imprisonment and slavery, and we catch up with her having embraced her Tamaranean royalty along with her independence and freedom on a desert island where she and Red Hood form a pair of sorts. The biggest unanswered plot questions are in her character, as her memory and past with Nightwing get a brief reference, and then dismissed, hopefully only for the time being. Lobdell and Rocafort characterize her independent self through a scanter costume, sexual agency, and a proclivity toward extreme violence that fully embraces the nature of her immense power. She acts decisively and extremely in most circumstances, and while her past remains confusing to the New 52 reader at this point, as a character she operates appreciably in stark contrast to the other two.

Arsenal is estranged from Oliver Queen, a junkie whose destructive behavior leads him to take ill-advised risks. Like Starfire, he acts impulsively, but without the power level that she possesses, he becomes the jester of the group, a necessary part of the trio whose humor and recklessness are both foil and negative to the actions of the other two. He wears a trucker hat with the full Red Arrow costume, instead of a hood, and speaks mostly tongue-in-cheek. His role is most significant in that he ushers Red Hood into the leadership role by naming him as such, and from there, as the conflicts develop and they become a team in their own right, he can assist the others in their battles, which in turn give his life meaning. I sincerely hope we'll see an Arsenal-centered story in the future.

Rocafort's art--angular, and immensely detailed--is a severe compliment to the darker nature of the anti-heroes. However, he makes too much a point of sexualizing Starfire's form and posturing nearly every time she appears, which I found an unnecessarily adolescent contribution to a thematically-advanced book. But the action sequences pop with sharpness and the panel structure is an aesthetic boon to the story's mystical nature (I'd love to see what he'd do with JUSTICE LEAGUE), and the book looks and reads pretty well as a result.

On the whole, VOL. 1: REDEMPTION is another winner in the New 52, and while it might try to accomplish a bit too much in just seven issues, the humor and characterization are more than enough to make it more than passably entertaining--it's a fun read, and one that I look forward to enjoying more with future volumes of RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS.
Profile Image for Michael (Mai).
879 reviews105 followers
July 8, 2013
I loved this one! I knew absolutely nothing about Red Hood (other than “The Killing Joke”), Arsenal, or Starfire before this but now I have another good/not-so-good female, and two good guys that truly aren’t all that wholesome. Those are my favorite kind.

I found this super interesting and it made me want go back and find out as much as I can about Jason Todd, former Batman minion (Robin.) He’s got a major chip on his shoulder. I mean who wouldn’t if Joker killed you and when you were brought back to life you find out your mentor in life, Batman, didn’t avenge you.


Starfire is an alien and a princess trapped on Earth who joins Jason and his friend on missions. I feel like she does it more for entertainment than anything else but I love her. At one point she’s arguing with the other two about not being able to kill someone who tried to killer her. Arsenal tells her that when she’s on her planet that she can kill whoever she wants. She says something to the effect of, “Of course I’ll kill whoever I want. It’s my planet.”

Arsenal was whatever. If he got his own spinoff I don’t imagine that I’d follow it. But as long as he’s with Red Hood and Starfire, I’ll read about his plight
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈.
1,998 reviews6 followers
July 28, 2016
3.5

I was a little bored at times but overall, the story was entertaining. I'm still fairly new to Jason Todd's character and the writing for him was a little bland but mostly interesting. I liked seeing his loyalty and dedication to Ducra, the All Caste and Roy, even.

The action scenes were well drawn and entertaining. Roy was definitely a bright spot. Starfire was... okay. I like character and I love seeing her kick ass here. Her outfit will never stop bothering the hell out of me. The writing and how the other men treated her bugged me. It felt like every fanboy's wet dream.

Anyway, I liked that there wasn't any slutshaming. I hated that there was a small plot with a boy taking photos of her and posting them because he thought she was hot but other than that, the writing was fine. It was the outfit that offended me.

The best part were the flashbacks to everyone's happiest memories. Especially Jason's with Bruce. My heart melted.

If I check out the second volume, I'll borrow it from the library because I'm not that i vested.
Profile Image for Cale.
3,910 reviews25 followers
September 21, 2013
I liked this better than I expected to. Jason Todd's always been a love him or hate him character, depending on who is writing him, and Scott Lobdell does a good job. and Roy Harper is a lot of fun to read too. Koriand'r is a little less... appropriate - the sexual overtones are a bit much for a mainstream comic. The art is a bit cheesecake and beefcake, at least for the first issue or two. After that, it settles down to more mainstream art for the rest, and it is workable and kinetic.
That being said, the worldbuilding around Red Hood is well done, and interesting, and the group dynamics work really well. The villain of the arc isn't anything too impressive, but it's setting up an overarching story, and I have to say I'm interested in reading more, which was a lot more than I expected going into the book.
Profile Image for Adam Spanos.
637 reviews124 followers
August 28, 2017
I know it might have been a little much for me to expect anything extremely deep or enthralling, but I was still hoping to experience something special. It's a fun read, that's for sure, but the story goes in all sorts of directions that don't always make much sense to me.

The characters are interesting, of course. Arsenal's a bit cocky, the Red Hood is gritty and headstrong, and Starfire is just... Starfire. I'm not exactly sure if I like how she's developed, as there isn't any development at all. At the start she's kind of used as sex appeal, but I'm hoping that they stray away from that eventually.

I might be interested in getting the second volume, but the artwork and storyline isn't exactly enough to draw me in. If you're looking for a quick action fix, this might be for you, but otherwise I wouldn't buy it unless you're a big fan of Red Hood. It's a good borrow at best.
Profile Image for Lina Estacio.
6 reviews
February 15, 2014
¡Me encanto! Tal vez esta opinion no es asi como... imparcial, ya que amo a Jason con toda mi alma D: y a Starfire tambien, en cuanto a harper, ahora lo amo xd lo unico que reaaalmete me molesto es la poca *practicamente inexistente* ropa de starfire, vamos DC no es necesario vestirla de esa manera *mejor dicho no vestirla* para hacerla deseable, creo que es el presonaje mas sexy de DC. Jason, oh pobre chico le han pasado demasidas cosas muere su madre, vivir en la calle, lo mata a tubazos el guason, lo reviven, no tiene alma, recupera *mas o menos* su alma, noo vale y aun asi sigue siendo el mejor <3 ya me desvie, me gusto mucho todo todo todo, el el primer comic que leo de los nuevos 52 bueno por ahora todo bien c: seguire leyendo <3
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