Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: Red Hood and the Outlaws #4

By Philip Schweier
November 9, 2016 - 05:27

It took me four issues to figure out DC’s strategy with Red Hood and the Outlaws. Seemingly, the team is comprised of Red Hood (Jason Todd, former Batman protégé); Artemis, also of Themyscera; and an imperfect duplicate (Bizarro) of Superman.

Basically, a lower tier version of the Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman team. Should we expect the likes of G’nortt to be far behind?

However, I’m not sure we can fully commit to Bizarro being on the side of the angels here. I assumed that Red Hood’s team of Outlaws would feature a rotating roster, with members often going their own way once their role in a story is fulfilled. That’s speculation on my part, but time will tell.

But issue #4 rolls along nicely, as developments come about that genuinely further the plot, rather concept development. In my opinion, the concept should be in place shortly after the train leaves the station. The narrative should be clipping along to help maintain reader interest. Too often, a book tends to lag as it spends an inordinate amount of time establishing itself, rather than telling a story.

Dexter Soy takes over inking his own pencils with this issue, a strategy I strongly endorse. Some pencilers are able to maneuver more quickly through the rendering process that way, fulfilling a single artistic vision. Admittedly, the downside is that pulling double duty on pencils and inks can be a burden for some artists. It is my hope that most would see the challenge as an opportunity to advance their skill set.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12