Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #1 Review

In Red Hood and the Outlaws' first annual issue, writer James Tynion fills in a few gaps left by previous installments, particularly when it comes to the uneven distribution of character development over the course of the series. Arsenal and Starfire have frequently been sidelined in favor of Red Hood's existential angst, and Tynion sets out to correct the course of this previously sinking ship.

The issue explores Roy's revamped origin by throwing Green Arrow into the mix. Unlike in pre-52 canon, Ollie is like a brother to Roy instead of an adoptive father (or, as the Roybots put it, "new designation 'Royfriend'"). Even so, their dynamic remains largely unchanged -- Roy may be a screw-up, but Ollie's complete lack of faith in him, as a hero and a human being, does little to improve his lease on life. Tynion also deals with the fallout from last issue's reveal that Kori was lying about how much she remembers. It's the kind of character building moment neither Kori nor Roy has received recently. Honestly, this scenario probably should have played out a dozen issues ago, but better late than never.

So far, RHatO has been the Jason Todd show, but here he's been given a much more passive role. He doesn't do things so much as things happen to him. The real star here is Roy, who comes face to face with a love interest from his pre-reboot past: Cheshire. Her dialogue is unfortunately riddled with cliches -- she's the stereotypical seductive femme fatale. While her characterization may leave something to be desired, she does act as an interesting turning point for the series moving forward -- Tynion hints that we haven't begun to scratch the surface of her involvement with the shadowy forces gunning for our Outlaws.

Aside from a few awkward expressions here and there, Al Barrionuevo's art is a marked improvement. The issue's colors -- provided by Javier Mena and Bit -- are occasionally inconsistent, but when they're good, they're very good. They capture Cheshire's toxic vibrancy and the vivid hues of the Outlaws' island hideout with saturated pastels and a well-defined sense of depth. Overall, the issue provides a few good laughs and some desperately needed character development, but time will tell if it's enough to steer the series towards greater coherence.

Melissa Grey is a lover of all things cats, comics, and outer space. She can be found on MyIGN at MelissaGrey or lurking on Twitter @meligrey.

Source : ign[dot]com