Review: In this issue we find Jason Todd being trained by a German killer who was teaching Jason the types of fighting moves that he never learned from the Batman. While Jason is spending his time being beaten up and learning how to be a deadlier combatant, Talia Al Ghul is still trying to figure out what to do about Jason, since she had hidden him from her father, and couldn't return him to Batman. Meanwhile, after doing some sleuthing, Jason learns that the killer he was learning from was also involved with a child slavery ring. Deciding he could not allow this to continue, Jason waits for the killer's men to begin to take the children away, before ambushing the truck and freeing the kids. From there Jason returns to the compound to confront the killer and decides to take him on in hand to hand combat. This goes about as well as can be expected, with the killer getting the upper hand on Jason, until Jason reveals that he had poisoned the killer's drink earlier in the night, which leads to the killer collapsing and dying. Jason then burns the entire compound to the ground to erase any traces that he was there, and heads off to meet with Talia. Jason explains what he did, and rationalizes the death of the killer, which causes Talia to smile, as she remarks that Jason was finally learning.
What I Thought: Man, this mini is one of the front runners for best mini-series of the year! I've enjoyed each issue, this one included. You can see how Jason is slowly transforming from the sad, rage-filled kid he was when he first came back, to the cold and calculating character he was when he first ran into Batman as the Red Hood. The only real downside with this comic is the fact that there's only three issues left! If only we could get a Red Hood ongoing series...
Score: 9 out of 10.
I bet that isn't the first time somebody called Jason a "little bastard"!
I can't believe it...but this sounds like a great issue!
ReplyDeleteReally? It's funny, but I thought the three reviews I posted tonight were just about the worst reviews I've EVER posted! I mean as I was spell checking them, I really didn't think I did a very good job... But I'm glad you got something out of this one Kello!
ReplyDeleteI love when you review stuff and we have the same ratings because it gives me more credibility haha, but I REALLY love when you review this mini because it shows I'm not just showing favoritism because I'm a Jason fan.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a front-runner for Mini of the year, and I, like you wish we could get a Jason ongoing by Judd but at Comic-Con they said we won;t be getting a Jason series. Only that he'll show up in some other Batman-related series... I guess that's better than nothing.
Well, I'm notoriously biased towards and against certain characters, and Jason is one of my favorites, so I can't claim I'm being completely unbiased with these reviews... With that said though, you're enjoying this series, and my sister is also enjoying it, so that's three of us... Although you and my sister are also HUGE Jason Todd fans as well... Hmm...
ReplyDelete"I guess that's better than nothing." I don't know about that! If you had a choice, would you rather Jason doesn't appear at all, are would you rather Crazy Grant takes him and butchers his character some more? Personally I'd rather not see him in the Bat-books so long as Crazy Grant is at the helm. Let him show up in Power Girl or something!
Lol well Falisha loves this series, but she also loves me... when will the BIAS-ness stop?! I think honesty, it's just a damn good written series, the first one with Jason well-written since before Countdown.
ReplyDeleteLol since Judd is writing it? Jason and PG seems like such a weird team but I wouldn't mind it. I figure he'll be around so there's a chance Crazy Grant may mess him up more like you mentioned but there's also a chance writers who I trust like Fabian or Judd or even Bryan Q. Miller solely for his great job on Batgirl may be able to keep Jason from getting screwed up by having him pop up in Red Robin or Batgirl. The best thing about him already dying is the chance I don't have to worry too much about him getting killed again...
HA! I love that all of us have our reasons for enjoying this mini! But yeah, like you said, it IS a really good story, and I wouldn't deny that it's the best one since before Countdown.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I just say let Judd take Jason into any comic he's writing! Sure a Jason/PG match-up makes ZERO sense, but it would still be better then Crazy Grant and the Red Headed Jason Todd! Agreed again, I wouldn't mind seeing Jason pop up in ANY of the non-Crazy Grant Bat-series.
Speaking of Jason, I know I'm not the first person to say this, but doesn't it seem like Jason got screwed considering he and Bucky Barnes have similar histories yet Bucky is current Captain America and Jason is just a red-headed acne having loser in Blackgate? Then again, he could be dead like Jack Monroe, who also reminds me of Jason.
ReplyDeleteI'd be fine with that, hell Jason still hasn't interacted with Alfred, Babs, or ever even met Steph or Cassandra Cain even though he has a lot in common with them both. I still say either give Todd his own comic by Judd, show up in Red Robin now that Tim's wearing his costume, or have him join and subsequently try overthrow Deathstroke's Titans thus turning him into a good guy be default... but give them a better writer first.
I kind of see Jason sort of like Nomad/Jack Monroe, since Bucky and Dick Grayson are linked in my mind. When I think Golden Age sidekicks, Dick and Bucky immediately come to mind.
ReplyDeleteI still like the Titans idea. Putting him with Deathstroke just makes SO much sense. Hell, why not have it that Dick asked Jason to join the team to keep an eye on Slade, and to undermine his authority? That way you have a compelling back story, as well as an instant face turn for Jason?
I just used that since they came back around the same time, but I'd have to agree, even though Bucky was more rough and willing to kill like Jason.
ReplyDeleteExactly dude, exactly. Because you've got him disobeying Slade's orders, and then having plans that still work out better than Slade's. Plus he can't get Grayson so he'd be content with Jason I think, and of course he eventually kicks Jason out, Jason wants revenge, bam, face turn.
Yeah, I can see that point with Bucky/Jason. Bucky was a little hellraiser back during WWII!
ReplyDeleteYeah man, I say do it! If only Judd had that title...
Yeah they have a few similarities.
ReplyDeleteI'd love that, maybe he can take over since he's got three issues of Last Days left, he could write that and PG. I'd love for him to write for Slade, Cheshire, and Jason of course.
Judd actually wrote a pretty awesome Slade in the Outsiders series he did. I def wouldn't mind him taking another crack at Slade.
ReplyDeleteThat's actually next on my list after I read all these comics Falisha grabbed from the library. I was talking to Marc about reading that the other day. Now you've got me even more interested.
ReplyDeleteYou were talking about the Judd Outsiders? It was a pretty fun series. And the first storyarc had both Joker AND Lex Luthor! You can't go wrong with that!
ReplyDeleteYessir, and I recall the scan you posted over at the Uncanny blog. That's one of the things that convinced me, well that and Judd writing it. Did Jason make any appearances in that series?
ReplyDeleteI don't think so......... Or did he... Let me think for a moment here... No, I don't think he did. I keep remembering a scene with Slade and Jason on a rooftop, but I'm pretty sure that was in an issue of Green Arrow, and not Outsiders.
ReplyDeleteSee, I read the Green Arrow issues with Jason, and I don't remember that, so maybe it was Outsiders? Because In the GA stuff he just ran into that big brick dude, and Mia Dearden. And Ollie of course.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it wasn't Deathstroke then... I don't know, depending on time(I got REBELS, Birds of Prey and Red Robin in the mail today, so I kind of want to put some reviews up tomorrow), maybe I'll dig out those Outsiders comics and take a look. The more I think about it though, the more I think he didn't show up in Outsiders... Maybe I just imagined the whole scene...
ReplyDeleteJust looked it up buddy, he was in issues 44 and 45. Apparently he had a run in with Nightwing, makes me wanna read the series even more now.
ReplyDeleteCool, now I want to dig them out as well! I took a sleeping pill a few minutes ago(I had a REALLY sucky sleep last night)and I can feel it slowly starting to work, or I'd go and grab those two comics right now. I have all of my DC books nice and ordered(unlike my Marvels!), so I know exactly where they would be. Speaking of me getting uber tired, I'm probably not gonna be able to shoot you an e-mail back tonight(it would probably be me talking in gibberish for several paragraphs before falling asleep anyway), but I'll def get it back to you tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, but this pill feels like a DAMN good one!
ReplyDeleteNot a problem dude, and when you do check those issues out lemme know if they're awesome. And I'd LOVE to see you email gibberish haha but I understand dude. Oh, lemme know when you check those links I sent too.
ReplyDelete