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blackbird9805's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
squid7000's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars maybe? I know a lot of people don't like this book, and I totally get the reasons they don't. I think there are a lot of issues, particularly surrounding the politics of Starfire. I really, really like that she's so confident in her sexuality -- and think any criticism that gets slutshamey about her is hella gross -- but I also think that a lot of it stems from male titillation, rather than honest to goodness respect of women. Most of the art in this book is beautiful, but sometimes the way Starfire is drawn is just like -- ok. She's a hot girl who doesn't wear a lot of clothes. Got it. There are some character issue for Jay and Roy as well, but it's not as annoying to me for obvious reasons.
That being said, I do think this is a really fun book. I love the dynamic between the three of them and wish we could have even more depth to that relationship. The art is really pretty. There are a lot of sweet and sad moments and in the New 52, I try to find joy where I can.
That being said, I do think this is a really fun book. I love the dynamic between the three of them and wish we could have even more depth to that relationship. The art is really pretty. There are a lot of sweet and sad moments and in the New 52, I try to find joy where I can.
rhganci's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5 stars) This book reads like a tapered down superhero FIREFLY, with trio of broken crimefighters and heroes whose motives seem to stem from their past traumas, some external and some internal. While the climactic events of the story were a bit strained due to a lack of efficient development up front, the witty script by Scott Lobdell and the strikingly-detailed art by Kenneth Rocafort more than carried the arc and its re-introductions to the characters in a readable and enjoyable manner.
Each of the three gets a traumatic backstory, but Lobdell is careful to keep them from waxing sentimental--harsh and troubling, certainly, but not sappy. Most of the story time is appropriately lent to establishing Jason Todd as a reluctant leader, using some swift flashbacks from Judd Winnick's superb run on BATMAN back in 2005 that introduced the Red Hood as an anti-hero, and developing the central plot of the arc from the blanks that Winnick's arc left for later. We get some eastern mysticism along with our backstory, and with that the inevitable link to the al Ghul clan--Talia makes a fun cameo to keep it all in the Batman family, and Jason Todd's backstory melds pretty well with the core of the arc, and even though the climactic battle was anything but, the character story was quite good due to the development of the Red Hood as a reluctant leader.
Starfire's appearance establishes her as an escapee from political imprisonment and slavery, and we catch up with her having embraced her Tamaranean royalty along with her independence and freedom on a desert island where she and Red Hood form a pair of sorts. The biggest unanswered plot questions are in her character, as her memory and past with Nightwing get a brief reference, and then dismissed, hopefully only for the time being. Lobdell and Rocafort characterize her independent self through a scanter costume, sexual agency, and a proclivity toward extreme violence that fully embraces the nature of her immense power. She acts decisively and extremely in most circumstances, and while her past remains confusing to the New 52 reader at this point, as a character she operates appreciably in stark contrast to the other two.
Arsenal is estranged from Oliver Queen, a junkie whose destructive behavior leads him to take ill-advised risks. Like Starfire, he acts impulsively, but without the power level that she possesses, he becomes the jester of the group, a necessary part of the trio whose humor and recklessness are both foil and negative to the actions of the other two. He wears a trucker hat with the full Red Arrow costume, instead of a hood, and speaks mostly tongue-in-cheek. His role is most significant in that he ushers Red Hood into the leadership role by naming him as such, and from there, as the conflicts develop and they become a team in their own right, he can assist the others in their battles, which in turn give his life meaning. I sincerely hope we'll see an Arsenal-centered story in the future.
Rocafort's art--angular, and immensely detailed--is a severe compliment to the darker nature of the anti-heroes. However, he makes too much a point of sexualizing Starfire's form and posturing nearly every time she appears, which I found an unnecessarily adolescent contribution to a thematically-advanced book. But the action sequences pop with sharpness and the panel structure is an aesthetic boon to the story's mystical nature (I'd love to see what he'd do with JUSTICE LEAGUE), and the book looks and reads pretty well as a result.
On the whole, VOL. 1: REDEMPTION is another winner in the New 52, and while it might try to accomplish a bit too much in just seven issues, the humor and characterization are more than enough to make it more than passably entertaining--it's a fun read, and one that I look forward to enjoying more with future volumes of RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS.
Each of the three gets a traumatic backstory, but Lobdell is careful to keep them from waxing sentimental--harsh and troubling, certainly, but not sappy. Most of the story time is appropriately lent to establishing Jason Todd as a reluctant leader, using some swift flashbacks from Judd Winnick's superb run on BATMAN back in 2005 that introduced the Red Hood as an anti-hero, and developing the central plot of the arc from the blanks that Winnick's arc left for later. We get some eastern mysticism along with our backstory, and with that the inevitable link to the al Ghul clan--Talia makes a fun cameo to keep it all in the Batman family, and Jason Todd's backstory melds pretty well with the core of the arc, and even though the climactic battle was anything but, the character story was quite good due to the development of the Red Hood as a reluctant leader.
Starfire's appearance establishes her as an escapee from political imprisonment and slavery, and we catch up with her having embraced her Tamaranean royalty along with her independence and freedom on a desert island where she and Red Hood form a pair of sorts. The biggest unanswered plot questions are in her character, as her memory and past with Nightwing get a brief reference, and then dismissed, hopefully only for the time being. Lobdell and Rocafort characterize her independent self through a scanter costume, sexual agency, and a proclivity toward extreme violence that fully embraces the nature of her immense power. She acts decisively and extremely in most circumstances, and while her past remains confusing to the New 52 reader at this point, as a character she operates appreciably in stark contrast to the other two.
Arsenal is estranged from Oliver Queen, a junkie whose destructive behavior leads him to take ill-advised risks. Like Starfire, he acts impulsively, but without the power level that she possesses, he becomes the jester of the group, a necessary part of the trio whose humor and recklessness are both foil and negative to the actions of the other two. He wears a trucker hat with the full Red Arrow costume, instead of a hood, and speaks mostly tongue-in-cheek. His role is most significant in that he ushers Red Hood into the leadership role by naming him as such, and from there, as the conflicts develop and they become a team in their own right, he can assist the others in their battles, which in turn give his life meaning. I sincerely hope we'll see an Arsenal-centered story in the future.
Rocafort's art--angular, and immensely detailed--is a severe compliment to the darker nature of the anti-heroes. However, he makes too much a point of sexualizing Starfire's form and posturing nearly every time she appears, which I found an unnecessarily adolescent contribution to a thematically-advanced book. But the action sequences pop with sharpness and the panel structure is an aesthetic boon to the story's mystical nature (I'd love to see what he'd do with JUSTICE LEAGUE), and the book looks and reads pretty well as a result.
On the whole, VOL. 1: REDEMPTION is another winner in the New 52, and while it might try to accomplish a bit too much in just seven issues, the humor and characterization are more than enough to make it more than passably entertaining--it's a fun read, and one that I look forward to enjoying more with future volumes of RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS.
apageinthestacks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5. A fun, enjoyable read, but it didn't have me dying to read more (though I do want to keep reading the series eventually...).
jenniferlynnkrohn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
justabookholic's review against another edition
2.0
The only person who came out of this story looking good was improbably... Killer Croc. Starfire has been reduced to being an amnesic male fantasy with little personality and even less clothes. She was not only stripped of her memories for reasons I cannot comprehend but the powers that be decided to redesign her costume into what can be generously described as lacking. Arsenal was simply tragic comic relief, and Jason (our leader in this toxic band of misfits) can only be described as a mess with little of the wit given to him when he was first introduced as the Red Hood. A highly nonsensical plot with little that makes me want to continue.
cynz's review against another edition
3.0
Can't say much for Lobdell's writing. DC is doing this weird editorial mandate where Jason is NUMBER ONE PRIORITY(!!!!) but instead of developing his character they're just inserting him into Dick's relationships. I like Jason, but not like this, and not as a replacement for Dick.
phon3orion's review against another edition
4.0
My biggest problem with series is starfire, I adore her character but I don’t like how she was dumbed down to a s*x toy, Jason and Roy were amazing as always, but the plot to the story wasn’t really good, although I did enjoy the dialogue. Overall I do recommend it, especially if you’re obsessed with red hood like me.