Comics! Red Hood and the Outlaws #19

Red Hood and The Outlaws #19 

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Julius Gopez

Solicitation and Preview

Review
I've longed for a fresh start to the Red Hood book for awhile now. I didn't realize it would be taken so literally!

Red Hood and the Outlaws #19 takes us on a different path than what I thought it would. I thank incoming writer James Tynion IV for that. While I haven't been too much of a fan of his previous works, which honestly felt bogged down by Scott Snyder, we get to see what he can do with this trio of characters in a post Scott Lobdell world.

When I've read Tynion before, I really felt like his writing was very formulaic and very predictable. It just wasn't anything that held my attention for longer than a few pages. Here, it feels different. There is a sense of character here amongst the cast. Hell, I think we get more of a sense of who each of these characters are more so than we did in issue #1 of this series. Especially Roy.

The big twist at the end of the story is done very well. If it helps push this book to the outskirts of the Bat-family of books, I'm down with it. I'm more willing to see Jason truly start fresh in a world where he seems to play second fiddle to everyone in the Bat-family. Let him be his own man and let's see where he will go.

About the only thing that really turned me off from the book was the art. It just seemed to be very disorganized and really went all over the place. At times it would be clear and perfect and could hold the story on it's own, other times it felt like it didn't know where to go. The biggest turn off, which I'm sure was meant to be more of a draw for the book, was the over sexualization of Starfire in the comic. She wore more clothing on the cover than in the actual book. Hell, she should pretty much be running around nude. The costume looks more like boots, nipple covers, and some weird double layer panties. And something to cover her shoulders. The art always seemed to reinforce the fact that she was posing for the camera in any panel she was in.

Also, pay close attention to her eyebrows. They go from being red, to black, to joining up with her hair to being their own entities, to who know what they are even doing there. I just had no confidence that Gopez knew what to do with them in any given scene.

Outside of the art, I really was surprised with the book. This is the first issue that I think has really impressed me since very early on in the series. Let's just hope the second issue can keep things rolling.

Grades
Words: 7/10 - and almost an 8. Gotta see if next issue makes this one a fluke or not.
Pictures: 5/10 - Nothing interesting here, unless you are into seeing orange boobs with blue nipple covers.
General Feeling After Reading: Impressed, and interested.
Buy Next Issue: I'm down, which that itself makes me feel weird when I saw that about a Red Hood book.