‘Red Hood: Outlaw #31’ (review)

Written by Scott Lobdell
Illustrated by Pete Woods
Published by DC Comics

I love the turn this title has taken.

Lobdell has taken Jason Todd and made him go from an anti-hero to an anti-hero on the run from the law!

With this issue, he is finishing up an investigation that he and the now deceased Arsenal began a while back. The story has weight behind it from the start because of that and it’s really fantastic.

Last issue, the Red Hood took a trip to Mexico to try to get to  the bottom of his investigation.

Since Roy Harper is gone, the Red Hood gets a new partner. It’s none other than the Wingman. But wasn’t Jason actually wearing the Wingman costume awhile back? So who is this guy underneath the mask? And why did he randomly show up in Mexico?

At the beginning of the issue, the Red Hood immediately confronts the villain who kidnapped a 19-year old meta human.

This villain is crazy looking too and the art by Pete Woods really gives this guy a lot of character. The fight between them is fairly brutal. The villain really keeps the Red Hood off balance. It’s quite a scene and the villain escapes Jason to somewhere in this crazy complex.

Jason goes looking for him. He suddenly gets attacked by Batwing. They have a fight and then they realize that they must team up to stop this villain for they both want the same thing. Then, we get to see the origin of this crazy villain. The way the villain is stopped at the end is quite brutal. Lobdell makes his characters different than so many others out there and it’s great to see that they exist in a grey zone.

The last scene is Jason visiting Roy’s grave. It’s wonderful and a perfect postscript to this story. And it’s been a great one. I hope Pete Woods stays on the book. He works so well with Lobdell. .\

Where will this book goes next? I don’t know but I’m sure it’s going to be great.

RATING: A-