Red Hood and the Outlaws #22 – Review

By: James Tynion IV (writer), Julius Gopez (pencils), Ray McCarthy (inks), Nei Ruffino & BLOND (colors) 

The Story: Jason prepares to lead to the League of Assassins into battle against the Untitled, not knowing that they’ve enlisted Arsenal. It’s up to Starfire to save the world, and, hopefully, her friends as well.

The Review: This month the Outlaws are on their own. James Tynion has created a fascinating web of alliances that pits our heroes against each other. As ever, Roy Harper is a standout character, his combination of brilliance, directness, and unwavering loyalty making him hard to dislike, but easily the most desperate of the trio. He’s even got a new hat!

Starfire is still struggling to find her voice. Thankfully, she’s the one getting things done and working for the good, but the star of the show is still Jason Todd.

Jason’s plotline sees him exploring the underground utopia that forms the core of the League of Assassins empire. Though Jason is a little bit of a blank canvass after his mind wiping adventures, it’s great fun to get to know the League’s members. The Bronze Tiger and Lady Shiva give a great sense of the League’s ethos and power, and focus on their interactions with their peers help the issue feel immersive and connected to the greater DCU.

Tynion has also  come a long way in his portrayal of Cheshire since Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #1. Where she came off a little generic and oversexed there, Tynion’s settled into a much preferable playful rhythm for her sophomore appearance that makes her an oddly likable cuthroat assassin.

Team Seven #4 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (story), Jesús Merino (art), Nathan Eyring (colors)

The Story: The difference between Slade and Eclipso is like night and later that night.

The Review: For any of you interested in the reviewing experience, let me just say the obvious that you never want to be in the awkward position of recognizing a writer’s talents, but concluding that his story is kind of lame anyway.  While you can definitely appreciate the rhythm and flow of Jordan’s writing, the plot itself has been less than inspired, with definite shades of editorial mandate.

It’s very, very hard for me to believe, given the mission statement and tone Jordan set up for this series at the start, that he ever intended to feature the Black Diamond and Eclipso as the primary plot device and antagonist for his first arc.  After all, Team Seven is a gang of highly skilled fighters and shooters; what do they really know about fighting demonic possession or demons themselves?  How can they use their mercenary know-how to defeat things that bullets can’t touch or simply bounce off of?