Red Hood and the Outlaws #12

Roy tells a story plus we learn what all aliens really think of humans.
SPOILER AHEAD

It's a okay issue but it's problem-some.

Roys' still in storyteller mode so this time jump works. Sadly Rocofort has gone over to Superman and we have Tim Green on art. It's...not as good. He has some nice work on Kori on the first page and I love how she looks in the panel she explains how important her friends are. Although the panel with her happy is very unsettling. (HUGE eyes.) I HATE how he draws Jason. Why can't artists realize that Jason's YOUNGER than Dick Grayson? Before the relaunch there was something like 5-7 years difference between them. The gap is slimmer now. Dick is 21 and Tims' about 16/17. Jason should be 18. That means he doesn't look like he's Bruces' age or older. I'm not sure how much this influenced Lobdells' writing since he has always said that he does plot first then writes the dialogue based on the artist work. The discussion between Jason and Isabel comes off weird. At least the end does.

At first it's okay, Isabel asks why Jason (who she assumes normally travels through space) asked a flight attendant out on a date. He admits that this is new for him too and while he's usually more street level he has been involved in a few weird happenings. I could see it working well with Rocofort, but here Jasons' smile and her hug comes across awkwardly. She comments on said smile (likely charmed by something that looks a tiny bit Liefield like here) and says that if she has to die she could do worse than dying with him. The awkward part (besides the art) is Jasons' response to this:

"Oh, that's the other thing I have no experience with: letting innocent women die. You're going to be fine, Isabel."

A little oddly phrased but it's not a bad thing to say on the surface, and Jason has a very pro-women history. While he's never willing let a civilian die innocent women have died around him. Gloria, a rape victim, killed herself much to his horror. Shelia, his birth mother, wasn't innocent but he tried to save her by taking the blunt of the explosion. He died and later on so did she. Knowing that it just seems weird that he'd say this any context.

Roy's adorable as he saves everyones' life. It makes me wonder how much he knows about alien ships since he has no trouble understanding this and the one Crux put together. Koris' response of "that's my Roy" is cute, while her stance of throwing her arm around him might be a little too cutesy it's a solid scene. The Blight attack and Roy throws himself in front of the teleporter beam to protect Kori. Back at present time Blackfire is unimpressed with the implication that Kori has been intimate with Roy saying Kori has insulted their family enough. Still being a nice guy Roy reveals that the whole reason he got captured was to get close enough to teleport Blackfire out. (That bit at the sickbay where he was "injured" did seem odd.) I like the touch of Jason not thinking it's a good idea for the sisters to be left alone together while Roy doesn't think it's a big deal. The embrace was more than a little surprising. No matter how much they change Blackfire it will always be shocking to see them get along for any amount of time. Plus she has that whole punk rockstar vibe going on.

It gets weird again when Jason and Roy have a little heart to heart. This time Jason tries to be there for Roy as he says it's okay to be upset, that he doesn't have to always shrug everything off. It's a nice twist in their friendship since Jason is usually the one bottling things up. The mood shifts suddenly when Roy bitterly remarks that he doesn't let things like being tortured get to him after all the mistakes he's made. Including waking up to find his best friend beaten bloody. Apparently Roy is under the impression that he deserves any pain he suffers or at the very least has no right to complain after the trouble he caused in the past. Koris' "ladies" comment doesn't seem like her but I'm guessing it's another "let the artist decide where this goes" moment. But in general I see her more earth based phrases as things she's picking up from the boys.

I honestly have no idea if this "13" is connected to any past stories. Nor why the Blight knows human phrases or why a Tamaraean would use "hell." Since this arc only has two issues left after this (in October and November) I'm not sure how these plots will be completed. Mainly because the last one seems to be about the team returning home.

For some reason the two sisters decide to be the ones who end the Blight by themselves. (With blasters?) I liked Kori demanding they avenge her if it fails. It just suits this group and I loved Roys' reply. Although it would have been funny if Jason spoke up given his own history. Next issue has Dwayne Turner on art duties. I found a mixture of art online but I'm not sure what his current work is like. I hope he can draw Jason young because next month has Jasons' origin.

Say What?: K'tten says she's surprised humans aren't as dumb as everyone says. Since Earth doesn't have too many aliens on it in this DCU I'm totally assuming this train of thought has to do with the earth Lanterns. (Mainly Hal.)

While Kori and Roy are growing closer, talked about dating, etc., he refers to himself as her "boy toy" to Blackfire. He doesn't know that she was serious about not letting him get hurt when she talked to her first mate.

Roy refers to himself as one third of a not team. He thinks they should have a name. I'm curious what names he has in mind.

I don't think I mentioned it last issue but this pretty much confirms it. In the old DCU Tamaran had more than one ruling house. Blackfire refers to her family (The House of Tamaran) meaning there's only one royal line.

Blackfire claims she got the information from Roy when he was already telling his story before she came around. While he was stalling and she called him on it they don't actually learn anything they didn't already know. Also, Tamaran? That's the name of the planet, she would be a Tamaraean.

Roys' friend was beaten bloody green? I'm not sure who that could be. Maybe Killer Croc but I was under the impression Roy cleaned up after they met. Maybe a nod to Ollie being dressed in green?

Did You Notice?: Umm, the panel where Jason tells Isabel to stay back? It kind of looks like he's looking forward while shooting and trying to move Isabel back by pushing her chest. Yeah. That page in general is odd. There's a floaty head (that I assumed was one of the guys listening to Roys' story.) Jasons' helmet has no mouth, parts don't look finished, one of their allies looks like he's going to chop Jason from behind and Isabel is just kind of standing there.

I had to check to make sure that there wasn't another artist listed. The unmasked Jason looks different than the art for the unmasked Roy. At least Roy looks young.