Comics! Death of the Family Tie-Ins: Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 & Nightwing #15

Death of the Family Tie-Ins:
Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 &
Nightwing #15

Scott Lobdell, Timothy Green II, Wayne Faucher, Kyle Higgins, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira

Solicitation and Preview - Red Hood
Solicitation and Preview - Nightwing

Review
Hello Death of the Family tie in books! There were a couple of books that caught my attention from the recent Bat-crossover so I decided to take a look at them to see what was going on when other writers could play with the concept of Joker attacking the Bat-family.

First up is Red Hood and the Outlaws #15. At this point we know that Teen Titans #15 has come out, and the issues indicate that these two books will directly intersect with each other. Hell, even when you compare them side by side, it is sickening how close and how far apart they are. But let's focus a bit.

The very first page of Red Hood's art is just messy, and if you check out the preview pages above then you will see why. Just like the fight in Batgirl #14 that I reviewed before, you can't have characters doing flips and running around a room, and flipping over people without me wondering when they are going to run into some furniture or the ceiling. I get the same feeling later on when Jason is running through some sort of tunnel system. I would say it is concrete, but that wouldn't make sense later in the story when the floors give way and then Jason is able to break through the floor that is seemingly made of the same material as the walls.

That aside, and seriously the art is something I'll just have to look past, basically what we get from Joker in this book is him revealing that he knows Jason Todd = Red Hood because Joker created Todd's back story. It is pretty much the second half of issue #0 being told to Jason instead of the reader. So, sorta re-using the same imagery and plot device. Take note of that for the review of Teen Titans #15.

So, when given the chance to go a little crazy with the Joker, we get an electrified crowbar and an artist who can't determine how many hooks Joker has in place to hold the face on. Seriously, go back and count them on each panel. Their placement tends to shift, so be careful.

Over in Nightwing, which does have a step up in the art department but still drives me a little batty, I have what feels like a much more complete story and introduction to all things Nightwing related. Yes, it might be a good idea that when you have a book that is part of a crossover that will get readers who haven't read your book before that you take some time to introduce the characters a bit. Which, this books does except for one person: Raya. I don't really know who she is besides a circus criminal and that she isn't too friendly with Nightwing.

What Nightwing does differently than Red Hood is that Joker's presence is more felt than he is actually seen. That makes him scary, because he could have honestly shown up at any point in Nightwing's story and it would be something the book can roll with. Red Hood feels deliberately structured, and I think that becomes more apparent when you read Teen Titans #15.

I've also held a theory that Joker doesn't really know the Bat-character's true identities, save for Jason Todd apparently. Nightwing #15 was the first real chip in that theory for me, if only because I don't know Raya's connection to Haley's Circus too well to be able to point out something that would make sense for Joker attacking her. But then I thought about it a bit. The story did open with Joker attacking Jimmy, who Joker took some offense to about people saying Jimmy looked like him. Haly's Circus could just be used by Joker to get back at them and have them be some innocents that Nightwing has to rescue. It just happens to be coincidence that Grayson is the owner Haly's Circus.

Hey, it is the first time I've had to reach with my theory, but it can still be justified.

Overall, one book is successful, where one book is just failure to me. Want to know how? Let's grade these books.

Grades
Words: Red Hood - 4/10; Nightwing - 7/10
Pictures: Red Hood - 2/10; Nightwing - 7/10
Buy Next Issue: I'm only going to get the Death of the Family tie in books for these series unless there is a huge 180 degree turn towards awesomeness happening very soon.