Red Hood and the Outlaws #6:
Summary: This issue is exactly what it says on the cover, the first meeting between Jason Todd and Starfire... I bet you can guess how it ends! Anyway, Jason destroys a submarine that was trying to smuggle a nuke into Miami. He's knocked out by the explosion and is found by Starfire, who nurses him back to health. Jason rapidly realizes that Starfire knew Nightwing(really well!) after she offers him some of Dick's old clothes. Jason declines Nightwing's duds, and instead decides to wear pants that look strangely like Lex Luthor's. From there, Jason reveals his connection to Dick and Batman to Starfire, who doesn't care. The two presumably sleep together(a lot I'd imagine), before Jason sees a news report that stated that Arsenal was going to be killed by terrorists in Qurac. With that, Jason and Starfire head off to save Roy.
Thoughts: Eh. This was what it was, a filler issue... BUT, it was one of those rare cases where, while it was a filler issue(as evidenced by the fact that it wasn't scripted by series writer, Scott Lobdell), it was a filler issue that helped fill us in on some of the past of the new DCU... Which is something ALL of the DC books should consider doing! We get to see Jason as Robin interacting with Nightwing, we get to see Starfire, Nightwing and Arsenal working together, we get to see Nightwing and Starfire together, we get to see the meeting between Jason and Batman after Jason's return to life, and more! And all of this is shown in little flashback sequences. Yeah, the Jason/Starfire stuff on the island offered nothing in the grand scheme of things since we knew a) they'd become intimate at some point, and b) they'd end up heading off to rescue Arsenal in the end. But those little flashback scenes made this issue well worth a read since it actually shined some light on the murky darkness that most of the DCU's past contains.
Score: 7 out of 10.
I'd REALLY like to read the storyline where Jason returns and attacks Bats in the post-reboot DCU...
Damn blogger ate my comment. :-(
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I really enjoyed this issue of Red Hood. Because lord knows I was confused as hell in the last two lol. I really liked the little back ground we got behind the creation of Red Hood and the Outlaws. Also, I never thought I'd say I liked Star Fire. Lol. She's growing on me...and I don't know how I feel about that lol.
Great review as always.:)
Also I'm noticing some of the 52 comics are using their #6 issues as fillers before the next arc. Batwoman and Animal man just to name a couple. It has to be because Animal Man's issue had NOTHING to do with the story line before. And I absolutely hated it, lol. So I'm hoping we can get back into some good comic reading in #7 issues.
I was gonna review this myself if I wasn't happy with your score but this was exactly what I would've given it. I did mark out upon seeing Jason and Dick as Robin and Nightwing, I really enjoyed that and seeing Starfire with Roy and Dick and knowing that eventually she's gonna see Grayson and remember everything.
ReplyDeleteI also like that Jason could've killed Bruce but Nightwing stopped him, as that opens the doors for interesting conversations down the line, and lastly I enjoy the explanation of why he has a suit with a bat on it. All in all this issue didn't really add anything storywise but we learned a lot about this DCnU Jason, which I really enjoyed as a Jason fan.
I HATE when Blogger does that, Lisha! That drives me crazy!!
ReplyDeleteTotally agreed with this issue as opposed to the past few.. It was SOOOO much easier to follow, without all of that All-Caste and Untitled nonsense. I didn't realize that other DC books were taking the sixth issue and using it as a filler issue... In the case of this series though, I'm all for it just staying set in the past! :D
Exactly, JT. The Starfire/Jason stuff was okay and all, but those little glimpses into Jason's past was what really made this issue for me. I mean it wasn't great, but it DID let us see some background with Jason, Starfire AND Nightwing, which makes this issue a good one in my book.
Damn blogger!! lol
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong about the sixth issue X, but for the most part the few that I read had a new story start off and then had a different title for issue 7. Who knows I could be wrong. lol.
As for this issue...with this team up...I would love to see more things from the past being brought to light especially with the other comics in the New 52. Especially when dealing with groups or partners.
And a smile crept across my face towards the end when I saw they were going to get Roy, lol. It was awesome to see this flashback.
"I would love to see more things from the past being brought to light especially with the other comics in the New 52." Yes, yes, yes! Exactly!! With the exception of the Justice League and Superman(Action Comics) we really know little to nothing about the pasts of so many characters in the rebooted DCU! I'd be ALL for a flashback issue of Teen Titans or Justice League Dark(anything would be better than the present stuff in THAT series!) just so we can get to know more about these characters. I mean in the past, if you wanted to know more about a character, say Wonder Woman, you could read a mess of back issues. Now, if you want to know more about Wonder Woman, you have to hope for a flashback issue.
ReplyDeleteactualy.......... the whole point of the issue is to show that jason and star didnt actualy sleep togethor, sure they could have between there end conversation and when they go to save roy buy there no proof of it, other than jasons arogant line "heah shes had me"
ReplyDeletei think he was just trying to sway roy from trying to get with her cus he as we see her has a deeper connection to her than just phisysical attraction.
here look thats what everyone else got from the issue also
http://www.comicvine.com/news/five-revelations-about-starfire-from-red-hood-and-the-outlaws-6/144293/
if i may be so bold as to go a little psychiatrist on you here
i really think your past hatred/dislike/infifrence to star makes you want her to be a slut a little too much
again sorry if this is rude i just think you read this a bit off so i was just pointing this out for you to consider.
have a great weekend ttly
Heh-heh... Well, my past hatred of Starfire COULD have colored my view of this issue, but they at the very least kissed here, and I'm pretty sure Jason made a comment to the effect that him and Star WERE an item in the past... Although maybe he was just embellishing things and/or I'm just plain misremembering stuff(which is a strong possibility!). Regardless, I could care less about Starfire, so I don't really care if she did or didn't sleep with Jason. It just seems likely that something probably happened. With the key word naturally being "probably". Maybe she did, maybe she didn't, but it seemed pretty obvious that she wanted to, but again, I'm not gonna really overthink this, because as you know, I don't really care about Star one way or the other! :P
ReplyDeletecools cools
ReplyDeletealso damn good ironman review man
makes me wish i was still buying it :(
id like to see more of that chinese super team mabye have them confront/team up with one of the russian teams Winder Guard/supereme soviets (lol)
hey the 11 villians that mandarin was speaking to at the end
who where they? any of note
just curious
oh and lastly mister frezze will be introduced to the new 52 in may
ReplyDeletein Batman Annual #1 and in red hood and the outlaws
he has been redsgined thruoly for his appearance in red hood
what do you think of the new version
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzjzwb3Hvr1qdodo2o1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1329630158&Signature=iz6zdHoxKIvSjV2KEsyAs3VnrUY%3D
Thanks, Movieartman. IM HAS been pretty solid for a while now, and looks like it's about to really pick up over the next few issues. As for the 11 villains in question, I'm gonna have to wing it 'cause I don't have my copy of IM handy(I lent it to my sister)... I know the Titanium Man, Melter, Firebrand were there... I'd guess Living Laser and Blizzard were there as well. I think Vibro was there... There was some big dude in armor there too, but I can't remember his name... I should be getting my copy of this issue back tomorrow, so I could always list off the full roster then. Fraction went out of his way to make the Dynasty seem heroic and not your typical evil Chinese super-team, so I'm hoping he does plan on using them again sometime down the road.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually kind of excited for Freeze's reintroduction. He's one of those villains who I always thought had an AWESOME look, demeanor and powers, but was never used to his full potential. Same as Scarecrow. Here's hoping the new, scrawny Freeze manages to become a major thorn in Batman's side!
Completely unrelated comment, but did you stop getting Deathstroke or have you just been unable to get them? Interesting developments this issue.
ReplyDeleteNope, I dropped that series, Vancelot... Feel free to let me know what's happening though. If it sounds appealing enough, I would be willing to give it another shot.
ReplyDeleteSPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHe's fighting with another of the hired guns that the parents hired, this one a lot stronger with an Nth metal suit, finally managing to get the best of him. It also flashes back to the past with him interacting with his son, pushing him. Even his mom was pushing him. Back to the present, Slade is asking Legacy "Where is my son" while the parents look on from a monitor. Behind them a guy in the shadows says, and I'm paraphrasing "Isn't a son supposed to best his father?" and Ravager steps into the light, revealing himself to be the one behind the attacks.
Huh, so everything must have been leading up to Ravager(Grant) returning to face Slade. With how murderous Slade has been this series, it should be REALLY interesting to see how he deals with his own son... I may have to give the next issue a look. I only dropped Deathstroke because each issue seemed like a carbon copy of the prior one, so with things changing up, now may be a good time to jump back in... Provided I can remember to... Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, there was still a lot of the "minimal dialogue, lots of violence" to open the issue, but it went both ways, with Slade taking some blows. He had to use his smarts to get the advantage. The flashbacks to the training of Ravager in this issue and the last, showing Slade's interactions with his son were well done, and the storyline leading up to this issue's end could have been a little quicker, but I'm enjoying it.
ReplyDelete"minimal dialogue, lots of violence" Yup, that's exactly why I dropped this series. I mean I really enjoyed the first issue because it was SO over the top violent and different and turned Slade back into the serious killer he had been WAY back in his early days. But then with each passing issue it was the same thing... You'd have to think Slade dealing with his son would change that pattern, but still, maybe I'll flip through issue #7 in the shop before I decide to put money down for it... Just in case!
ReplyDeleteExcellent, excellent point about the back issue/flashback issue problem. I hadn't really thought about it, but it's so true. It's like every character will eventually need their own three-issue miniseries so we know what the Hell actually happened! (Maybe the point of the reboot was to sell these miniseries...) It does make you wonder what the reboot is going to do to DC's back issue sales. I mean, I'm a back issue-aholic, and I find myself just not bothering, because, really what's the point? For example, I always meant to get the "No Man's Land" cross-over, but, if Sarah Essen wasn't married to Commissioner Gordon, then why does it matter?
ReplyDeleteI liked this issue, but, like you, it was mostly because of the Jason flashbacks. I haven't seen anything here to make Starfire even remotely interesting to me. I didn't really read DC until a few years ago, so, for me, I only vaguely know her from the one or two issues of "Teen Titans" I wound up getting in the JC Penney's comic grab-bag every year at Christmas. I just don't feel like Lobdell is doing anything with her that would make me care.
You know, I hate to admit it, but if DC were to release a mess of three/four issue minis about certain characters detailing their pasts(since they apparently have no pasts anymore...), I'd be all over those. And great point on DC back issues. I've been reading Marvel for all my life, and only started reading DC after how much I hated the end of Civil War. So needless to say, I was all over eBay and various comic shops looking for tons of back issues over the past few years. But since the reboot? I haven't brought a single DC back issue. I've actually been collecting older Marvel stuff that I hadn't really cared about before(like older Dr. Strange and Iron Man comics), simply because the older DC stuff has no appeal to me anymore. I have a mess of old DC back issues I brought but haven't read that I just have zero interest in reading now... It's sad really.
ReplyDeleteI guess Starfire is simply being played as eye-candy right now... Because yeah, she hasn't done anything that would make you want to become a fan of hers. It seems that Lobdell has some story ideas for her(like with that Crux guy), but so far she's just sort of there.