Red Hood: The Hill #1 – Shawn Martinbrough, Writer; Sanford Greene, Artist; Matt Herms, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Delayed several years but well worth the wait, this new series that saw Jason Todd in a new environment and tackling a much more down-to-earth form of crimefighting continues to impress. Writer Shawn Martinbrough set the initial arc on the eve of Joker War, when the crime spree shattered the lives of the Harlowe sisters and their family. In the present day, Dana Harlowe is moonlighting as the vigilante Strike—and the wave of attacks on the working-class neighborhood that began with the Jokers haven’t let up. After a recent supervillain attack, just about everything is on the table, as a harrowing assault on a church makes very clear. Dana is a very compelling lead character, as her interactions with her journalist sister and the people she works with at the diner make clear. Martinbrough does a great job of making the neighborhood feel alive only a few pages in.
Of course, I haven’t mentioned one character yet—Jason Todd—and that’s because even though his name is on the title, he doesn’t exactly feel like the lead character here. He’s still settling into the Hill, with Dana as his closest bond, and it’s clear he’s a little out of place. This extends to his vigilante activities, with him joining a team of local vigilantes that does things very differently. We get some intriguing villains as well, as a character who was quickly sidelined in the first arc returns with a new plan. It’s pretty rare we get to see a superhero story that puts the focus on the people on the ground, and this run definitely seems to have shades of greats like Rucka and Brubaker’s Gotham Central in tone. Sanford Greene is stepping in on art for this arc, and what needs to be said about his wildly expressive, stylized art? We’ve seen how exceptional it is many times, and it’s just one reason this story is looking like a sleeper hit.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
