Red Hood and the Outlaws #7

SPOILERS AHEAD

Sad to see Crux go to Arkham instead of joining the group. I want to see him with this trio as an anti-hero rather than a bad guy. I don't see this as out of character for Jason since I can't see him being okay with killing someone who's helpless (knocked out in this case.) Although it does sound like he's not letting Kori kill Crux simply because he didn't break any Earth laws which is odd.

Roy shows off the features of the ship Crux put together including tech that can find any person via radio. Jason ignores the Batwing converation telling Roy to turn it off. He thinks how not long ago he'd love to use such a feature against Batman but he has bigger fish to fry. Essence shows up and neither Roy or Kori can see her. They talk among themselves as she tells Jason that she knows that he already killed one member of the Untitled. It's revealed that Essence and him were more than friends which makes her betrayal all the worse. He strikes her with one of the blades he used to kill the cop/Untitled telling her that he knows she's been playing him.

Roy and Kori don't know why he's talking to himself until Essence slowly reveals herself. It's not long before she's pissed off and unleashing her fury. This is where we see the flashback/origin of the Untitled. It actually goes all the way back to cavemen time as a clan finds what is basically a pool of evil. Sensing the power it holds the elder gets the others to approach it. Turns out Jasons' teacher Ducra was the one member who objected but was forced to be bound to it. Essence knows because she was there that day as a child, Ducra was her mother.

There's a fight, Jason shows concern for his friends and uses a device from Crux to either teleport her away or take her apart. He isn't sure which. When Jason asks if Roy and Kori are okay they're amazed he's asking that since he just had a major shock in regards to his teacher and "ex." Roy says that Kori and him are the only normal people in Jasons' life, words that haunt Jason. He tries to call the flight attendant from #2 but hangs up thinking she doesn't need someone like him in her life. In Gotham Suzie Su wakes up and decides to hold the hospital hostage until the Red Hood appears.

I got to say this wasn't the strongest of issues. I didn't hate it but it felt rushed and didn't make too much sense. Why did Essence kill her mother? She says she's trying to kill the Untitled but she never explains that. Is it because she doesn't think anyone else would? There was a truce in place and she did say Jason walked away from his responsibilities in her eyes. But why did she have to lie to him or set up the All Caste deaths in the first place? It's revealed here that Ducra suspected the All Caste wouldn't last and trained Jason because she wanted him to carry on their fight. If Essence killed her mother than why couldn't she kill the rest? Hopefully this will get explained in the Essence back ups.

The art wasn't quite up to par here. It wasn't bad but Essences' scream looked off. Not Greg Land off but more like she was yawning. The writing was bad for some of the lines. The ones that stick out are Jasons' flippant Mayhap line and Starfires' retort about kicking Essences' butt. Throughout this arc there's also been some mistakes with numbers, how long things took then going back on that timescale later.

Questions Raised?: Why does Jason put Crux into Arkham, the place that he knows can't hold Batmans' rogues?

Although I suspect it to be another mistake with numbers it's revealed that there are (or rather were) nine members of the Untitled. Jason told the cop there were around twelve in issue 4, he's also the one who says there are nine here. (The flashback proves nine was correct but it's curious since that means Ducra included herself and her daughter.) With the cop and Ducra dead there are seven, six that Essence wants dead. I suppose Jason might wonder if they breed (which would mean they did it rarely at 12) but they might not reproduce. Or their offspring don't inherit their powers. It's more likely that they don't chose to have children. The cop said it was easier to hide by themselves than in a group and more often than not they are in command of humans. Which makes Ducra a nice twist. I suspected she was Essence mother not that she was a member too.

Why is Essence stronger than the other Untitled? She breaks the All Blade, something Jason says should be impossible.

Who were the All Caste is Ducra and Essence were Untitled? I know Durca put them together but their ancient too. I suspect Ducra looks old simply because she wants to but are the others human? Jason is said to be the first human trained by them in a thousand years.

Did you notice?: When Kori says she's bored Roy says he needs to find the auto pilot. Then tells her to focus on her boredom instead of what Jason is doing. This is a joke about issue #1. Kori says she's bored when Roy tries to bring up the past, not long after that they have sex. She's not amused. Joking or not Jason was literally right behind them.

It's hard to tell if a younger Essence has her top on in the flashback as her hair and arm are in the way. I'm not 100% sure this implies sex since she's wearing pants/bottoms, Jasons' body is partly blocked by hers. If they did then this is the second Robin to have relates as a minor (Steph had a baby.) Yes Jason WOULD have to be a minor in the scene. Of course they were by a waterfall so they might have been swimming.

The art for the cavemen flashback was confusing as the woman supposed to be Ducra (a white, blonde woman with green eyes) is different from the woman Essence is clutching especially since she's stating Ducra is her mother. Also Essence is asian and it seemed that Ducra was too.

Say What?: Jason says that she was kicked out of the All Caste for defying their orders. She told him it was for leaving to help him.

Essence claims she was trapped in the heart of Trigon.