Red Hood and the Outlaws #6

We get answers to the first issue and yes Kori DOES have a personality! This issue shows how Jason met Kori and sets the record straight.

SPOILERS AHEAD


Previously: Doesn't matter much since this issue takes place prior to issue one.

Title: Take me Down to Paradise City Where the Sea Runs Red & the Girls are Pretty

The dialogue was written by Josh Williamson as Scott Lobdell plotted it. In terms of writing I think the only bad dialogue was Jasons' exchange with Nightwing which seems to come out of no where. Maybe I just prefer how it was handled in Nightwing Year One. Though it should be noted that Dick and Jason are closer in age now. There was a noticible gap with Jason starting out as 12 and Dick being 20. Now there has to be at least 2 to 3 years between them which might up the competitive feelings Jason has.

I'm amused at these random characters that show up to threaten Jason. It shows that he has a life outside of Gotham but it also gives him a James Bond like vibe. Like the nameless bad guy with a metal jaw in the sub. I'm also amused as hell that after the scandal with Kori in her swimsuit in #1 they have Jason nude for most of the issue. Unlike the scenes in Winicks' last Red Hood story it actually makes sense for the story because Jason was injured and Kori was taking care of him. All he has is his hands and artistically placed leaves to hide his umm, batarang.

Kori can remember Dick but she says it won't be complete until she sees him. A sleeping (nude) Jason reminds her of him. Freaked out Jason takes advantage of her musing to gets some answers. The first thing he asks? "Where are my pants?" He asks again along with a few other questions but he tires himself out. He wakes up to find his caretaker discovering her crashed ship/makeshift home. Gotta say I loved her outfit in this scene. There are a lot of answers here like why Kori said both Roy and Jason are clowns and how alike they are. Because Jason is more than a little stunned and starts a very Roy like babble. Which annoys her but he say he's sorry. I liked his eagerness because many forget that Jason loved learning and many characters have commented on how fast a learner he is.

Seeing he needs clothes she reveals Dicks' costumes which makes Jason upset because he thinks it's a joke. She knows he's not Dick and talks a little about her memory. Kori states that she does not define herself by the men she knows or their clothes and neither should Jason. He wears something else, armored pants made by her people, and delights at the tech. But then he realizes all he can do is think how it could hurt people and that's not in line with the teachings of Ducra. He goes to talk to Kori although she misunderstands his meaning by kissing him. Jasons' startled and asks where that came from. It's a callback to her first meeting with Dick as she explains how her people learn a language by kissing and how she assumed that was what he wanted.

Feeling the need to be honest he tells her everything wondering if she hates him. Kori being Kori doesn't explaining how her people live for the day and don't live in the past. There's a lovely comparison to her powers and Jasons' rage. Warning him not to let it consume him. They embrace (it's a hug) and it's never stated that they had sex. Hell even in issue one Jason NEVER stated it flat out. He put "with" in quotes, Roy draws his own conclusion saying she'd never be with a guy like Jason and Jason taunts him because Kori does notice him not Roy. Jason acts like her memories are no big deal, says that she doesn't remember Dick (she does) because he's freaked out over letting someone get close to him. Twice he distanced himself from her danger only to have Roy point out his responisblity to her.

Jason sees Roy is going to be put to death in Qurac and asks if she feels up for a road trip. Next issue gets back to the main story. I loved this story and I hope at the very least people will stop being so cruel to this series, the creative team and the characters. It was unfair when we all thought she slept with both men and it's unfair now that we know that wasn't the case.

Questions Raised?: How sheltered Jason was as Robin in terms of the superhero community? He states that he never saw an alien before orange or otherwise. Pre-Flashpoint he met Starfire on the TT during his brief venture on the team and also met Superman. In fact he was the Robin that saved Supermans' life in "For the Man who has Everything." Which was still in canon post-crisis as it showed the event in an issue of Green Lantern Corps during the Black Mercy arc. Batman was rather protective of Jason when it came to bonding with other superheroes as Dick had left to be with them.

Did UTH happen differently? Or did the blue Nightwing suit exist? Jason has a flashback to tearfully yelling at Bruce for his role in his death with Dick arriving in a red Nightwing suit to knock him away.

Koris' people have lazer weapons? Kinda weird if they all have fire power in their hands (which was basically confirmed by Kori saying her DNA was different than the norm but Crux didn't realize that when he researched her race.) It might be part of the ship which would make sense.

Is Dick taller now? I know that artist don't always get the height of the characters right (Kori was supposed to be an amazon like woman) but Dick was shorter than Jason. He was stated as 5 10" while Jason is 6. Kori says they look like the same size.

Kori suggests that she remembers things best when a person is present. Roy appears in her memory but she has said nothing one way or another about their past. Is she ignoring it like her refusal to talk about the past last issue? Roy was upset that she didn't say hi but he later admitted he didn't know her too well.

Did You Notice?: I believe Crux called the ship that killed his parents a royal crusier? I think the implication is that this is the ship Kori crashed--which is no where near where Crux lived. But he blames aliens in general her race in specific.

Kori warms a bowl with her powers.

Among Dicks' former uniforms is the "classic" Robin suit complete with the scaly green "shorts" that may be actual underwear in this canon.

The uniform she gives Jason has a bat on each shoulder.

"Crazed vigilantes pretending to love us like a son..." further proof that Jason doesn't believe Bruce ever cared about him.

Despite being held at gunpoint and being sentanced to death Roy throws up a peace symbol (bunny fingers) in his photo.