Red Hood and the Outlaws 24
James Tynion IV, Julius Gopez
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
The newest issue from writer James Tynion IV and artist Julius Gopez seems more like an issue of League of Assassins than an issue of Red Hood and the Outlaws. I’m okay with that, but only if it is a one time thing. To be completely honest, this series has never really seemed like anything other than Jason Todd and his recurring secondary cast members. Roy Harper has never really felt like Arsenal to me since the reboot. And Starfire hasn’t really had any depth of any kind since Scott Lobdell left. I was okay with that because Jason is so well written, but it’s starting to seem like Tynion just doesn’t want to write the other two main characters at all. I’m glad he didn’t just do what a lot of other lesser writers would have done and just kill them off, but he might as well have.
The issue, which seems to be mostly a filler and recap story, continues the ongoing drama between Jason and his reluctant role as leader of the League of Assassins. The League’s members themselves are actually more interesting than the rest of the regular cast, so it would be beneficial at this point to just get used to them. I have a feeling that they will be joining as series mainstays at some point. Perhaps that is just wishful thinking, but it sure would make sense at this point. So there’s a lot of posturing and fighting (both among and against) and even though Roy and Kori are present, they are nothing more than plot devices to move the story along. This is forgivable if Tynion has bigger plans for them down the line, but it is getting a little tiresome at this point. But the one saving grace for this particular issue is the return of… Wait for it… Ra’s al Ghul!
After the Villains Month Batman and Robin tie-in issue last month (featuring Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins), I knew Tynion would be bringing him back. And he writes him so well, that I know for a fact that the continuing storyline, even though it is getting quite lengthy and starting to drag on, will be excellent. I look forward to see what the creators have up their sleeves. And the fact that Ra’s referred to Jason as a “young detective” harkens back to the original theory that Jason really truly is more like Batman than anyone, including themselves, are willing to admit. Whatever they have planned, you can count me in.
My Rating: 3/5
