Things go down and it all shakes out this week in Red Hood and the Outlaws as the League of Assassins takes on the Untitled.
Positive
After issue #23’s buildup and climax of Roy storming the headquarters of the League of Assassins, writer James Tynion IV appropriately delivers us an issue focusing solely on the consequences and falling action, and it works.
Sure, there’s plenty of fighting going on, but we get some nice and much-needed character development from Roy and Cheshire as well. Both handle the consequences of their previous actions in a way that appears believable and proper.
Another bonus is the tone. Tynion knows this book has always skewed towards bat-s**t crazy, and he fully embraces that tone. He knows it’s ridiculous, and chooses to have fun with it instead of try to take a war of assassins versus specters seriously. The book benefits as a result.
Negative
This title has honestly been plagued with art woes ever since Kenneth Rocafort left to take over Superman (not that I’m complaining, his work on big blue is the most gorgeous the character has been in years), and this issue is no exception. The art starts out with just a strange style, but at least it looks finished. Halfway through the issue, however, there’s an odd shift to a sketchy, unfinished look that doesn’t work at all. It makes the issue appear as though it was slapped together overnight.
Verdict
This was another strong issue from Tynion, who once again proves that he’s one of the most competent rookie writers we’ve seen in years. He’s managing to keep Outlaws fun every single month, which I personally feel is an important element of the book. He also has a strong grip on the characters as well, which the title benefits from even more. Aside from the art woes, another strong read.
