Red Hood and the Outlaws

After issue #1 of this series, especially if  you are a fan of these characters before the "new 52", you might want to stop reading this series altogether.  My problem is I let books stack up so I can enjoy them all at once, or in the case with novels, to make them last longer.  Reading, to me, is like episodic television.  It is not uncommon for me to be reading 3 or 4 books at once.  I am currently reading Extinction Agenda by Marcus Pelegrimas, Sandstorm by James Rollins, and Star Wars: Survivor's Quest by Timothy Zahn.  It's like turning the channel.  AND IT'S HOW I ROLL.

So it goes with comics.  I let Red Hood and the Outlaws stack up, and I am glad I did.

Jason Todd's Most Precious Memory

Jason Todd is the Red Hood.  Todd, you might recall, was the 2nd Robin to be under Batman's tutelage.  Back in the day, there was a storyline where readers could call into a 900# (not that kind of 900#...so disappointing) and determine whether or not Jason Todd would live or die.  The readers decided Jason needed to go.

The character was becoming a loose cannon, and as a result, Robin got to die at the hands of the Joker, via explosives.  The story was quite sad, and really shaped the Batman character for years and years to come.  Anyway, he's back.

Roy Harper, the former sidekick to Green Arrow, is also in the book.  Roy Harper, formerly known as Speedy had a name switch to Arsenal when DC finally realized the name Speedy was inherently stupid.  The character gained some fame in the 70's as the sidekick who turned to heroin in the infamous Green Lantern/Green Arrow series.  Social relevance and all that.  Dated stories, but man were they great. To this day I will still break them out.

The last Outlaw is Starfire.  She was a Teen Titan regular, former girlfriend to original Robin, Dick Grayson, and current slut with a selective memory.  This was the character that made me want to throw the first issue into the fireplace to use as kindling.  It became clear to me that I do not have a fireplace, so I had to scrap the idea.  

After finishing the 1st five issues, I suggest you go out and buy it.  Some minor dialogue annoyances and predictable formulas aside, I am interested in the story, and I am interested mostly in what happens to Jason Todd.  A very fun book. 

4 out of 5 Red Hoods.