Red Hood: Outlaw #32 – Scott Lobdell, Writer; Stephen Segovia, Artist; Rex Lokus, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 4/10
Ray: Scott Lobdell’s comics often feel like they take place in a parallel version of the DCU where nothing makes sense, and that’s definitely the case with this bizarre issue.
It pulls in seven and a half years of Scott Lobdell DCU continuity for Red Hood: Outlaw #32, one jam-packed issue that bites off way more than it can chew. Jason Todd, fresh off a battle with a villain that may or may not have been his father, has returned to Gotham City to take over the Iceberg Lounge. He’s also gone public with being alive for the first time since his return, presenting himself to the media in a way that gets both Alfred and Bruce’s attention.
He’s not back alone, either – he’s pulled in both friends and enemies to back him up. Wingman, revealed last issue as…some guy, is still hanging around as his muscle and has never been named. A mystery without an answer? Meanwhile, the Su sisters, led by obese gangster Suzie Su, are working in various positions in the casino. Definitely not the villains I expected to see make a comeback.
Of course, Jason’s most powerful ally is Miguel Barragan, aka Bunker. The former Teen Titan invented by Lobdell (appearing in a flashback along such long-forgotten characters like Bar Tor and Skitter) is now being reinvented as a haunted, alpha-level metahuman who is just beginning to crack the extent of his powers. I do find him the most interesting part of this issue, but I’m sure he’ll be shuffled off stage soon enough just like Jason’s past partners.
We get another showdown between Jason and Batman, as Bruce tries to intimidate his wayward son and Jason bluffs him off his case. Jason essentially holding Bruce’s secret identity hostage is a ruthless but clever move – but what’s revealed after that is anything but. He’s holding Cobblepot prisoner in his own casino? What is it with the Bat-boys and creating secret prisons lately? I don’t know, but it’s yet another bizarre twist in a book full of them.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
