I'm going to do this review a little differently than normal. Kind of long.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Despite not visiting forums much I still managed to hear some negative talk about the writer, the previous series and the character of Jason Todd. For the first two I can say that I've enjoyed most of what was written by Lobdell during his RHATO VOL. 1 and RHA runs. I've had a couple people question this thinking I was blindly liking the two series which puzzles me. I kind of make make my opinions known in my reviews writing the good and/or the bad. I tend to over-analysis everything because I love stories that make me think with all the tiny details. I might give something a try because my favorite character(s) is in it but I have a cut off point. If I don't like it I'm not wasting more money on it. The only time I almost left the first series was with Tynion.
As for Jason Todd I've never understood the hate and from what I've read the prime complaints seem to be based on the retconned idea of who he was. Because street kid Jason Todd wasn't written like he was after his death or the many different interpretations after UTH or even some of the current DC writing staff. The point of the character wasn't a stereotypical bad boy or an arrogant angry kid. Jason was the type of kid Bruce wanted to protect, a poor kid that had lots of guts and with help could make something of himself.
Now I have seen this characterization with some other writers that used him for cameos but yeah I honesty think that thus far Lobdell has done the best work on him. Jason has progressed in the other two series where most writers just stick to the one note characterizations and bad boy cliches that don't suit the character. There have been things Lobdell has done that don't work for me although their usually small things in comparison that I can usually shrug off. For example the stealing from Leslie plot.
While I understood the change in Jason Todd's origin for the relaunch I'm glad to have the return of the tire stealing origin. It really tells you so much about his character. One thing that always felt off with the previous reboot origin was the lack of spunk. Jason stated he was scared of Batman there when a defining detail about his character was that he's never been scared enough. It's something Batman has remarked on and I could see that being seen as reckless. But he was a survivor that had to fight most of his life which is an interesting combo with his greatest strength/weakness of caring too much about others. Jason simply empathize too much with the victims and wanted justice for them. I'm so glad to see it acknowledged that Jason is a fighter and him calling Batman out on being a bully.
The original post-Crisis origin will always be special to me but I like how Lobdell changes the scene just enough to make it different but also keep that defiance. One of the big reasons Bruce was so affected by this kid was his gutsy nature, he was the bravest person in Crime Alley and he got a kick out of that. I can acknowledge that the old origin was silly after this point (although Ma Gunn was hilarious) and this one has a great humanizing factor for Bruce by having him give Jason food.
I'm not sure about Jason having plans for stealing from Wayne Manor as he was never the master thief like Catwoman. That said I could see it being a dream to stick it to the rich guy and get enough to take care of himself. Jason has shown a slight disdain for the upper class with his previous comments of "rich folks" in RHATO #9 VOL. 1 and his remark to Ollie. I like that in general this trait hasn't been overblown and is basically a background detail about his character. It's a nice dimension to how he sees things and his relationship with Bruce.
The advance education Jason gets from Batman was mentioned before although it always bugged me when people forget it. Thankfully Jason is shown as a smart kid which was how it was before his death. In canon he even loved learning so I appreciated these details. Some don't like the narration but I've always loved it. One reason for that is the fact Jason Todd hasn't been defined as well as the other Robins before his series. Sure his Robin stuff was good but then we got the negative biased "bad Robin" retcons then the various out of character stories when he returned. Winick and some other writers added depth but not nearly enough. We never got into his head before and his POV is fascinating. I truly enjoy reading his side of the story.
I can and have gone on about what I love about the narration. Jason isn't always the most reliable narrator as he hides things but you can always tell when he does. It's usually because he's hurting which brings about a vulnerability you wouldn't get if we didn't know his thoughts. There's lots of little bits that make your heart ache for him like thinking he found people that believe in him. The almost acknowledgement of seeing Bruce like a father followed by a dismissal because of who he is. While I don't like seeing "problems" on their first mission I do like that Jason attacked to protect Bruce. Having him simply beat villains for kicks or because of issues never rubbed me the right way.
Nor does the idea of Batman helping Jason to prevent him from being a bad guy. Mostly a pet peeve of my because of it previously being used to prove he was a bad kid and absolve Batman of blame. Even so this works here because: a) it's Jason's POV and b) the idea for this series is to address what direction Jason takes. Here's where things get changed from the norm. DC is pretty much doing a back to basics approach with its characters. Returning them to more "iconic" roles which means the Red Hood from UTH. Which could create problems of it's own since Jason Todd has developed from that point. In general Jason was not handled well after that story since no one knew what to do with him. As many fans wrote he shouldn't be a villain.
So what do you do in order to take a character back to a certain point without ignoring years worth of character development? Have Red Hood work undercover for Batman. This creates another potential problem since many have assumed that wouldn't change enough and would be too similar to Dick Grayson working as a spy. The difference is the issues between Jason and Bruce. Then take into consideration how the operation differs from Dicks' too. At worse everyone thought Dick was dead Jason on the other hand has to look bad.
I love Batman, truly I do, but his behavior never fails to drive me up the wall. It's a well established character flaw that he has trust and control issues. I love the exchanges because their so in character and emotionally packed. It's just Bruce, he of all people has the nerve to ask why Jason didn't tell him something. The man that constantly does things behind everyone's back. The one that more than once excused his own actions by saying others had to trust him.
Needless to say Jason notices the lack of trust. He calls out the fact Dick got to go undercover and Bruce admits he doesn't think it's a good idea because Jason has crossed the line before. I'm surprised Jason decided to go undercover as I expected Batman to suggest it although this makes sense. More so if Bruce realizes what Jason recently went through.
In general I'm leery of possible DC mandates forcing the writers' hand but regardless of what's to come this is written really well. I came in expecting one thing and got blindsided by emotions at the end. I can't tell you how brilliant the trophy bookcase and photo is. The trophies Batman gets has been mentioned before and Robins have had their own elaborate set ups for these. Yet Jason Todd has such a simple one that you probably miss it if you weren't looking for it. That says so much about him and what he values. Not achievements to showcase how awesome he is but memories to remind him who he is. One of them being a freaking bat tire! I'm getting misty eyed over a tire which makes the origin have even more of an impact.
Which is one of the main reasons I love how Lobdell writes Jason Todd. He gets what is important and manages to write an emotional journey through his character development. Much is explored and the real essence of Jason Todd shines through. Hell we even have a reason for him not killing. I never liked the idea of Batman taking Jason down though since this raises questions with the ID and imprisoning him with the rogues is cruel. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. That line was still brutal.
The art was solid and has plenty of detail. Extra points to Soy for being the only artist I've seen to almost get Rocaforts' Robin design perfect. I think it's just missing a few things. The image of Batman and Jason eating fast food on the batmobile is glorious. The bomb shelter lair is also a lot of fun. I loved his issue and have high hopes for the series. Happily the next issue will be coming up and I can't wait.
Questions Raised?: What is the story with Jason's mom? Catherine was his biological mother in the relaunch which combined the Shelia Haywood character story of DITF. But Jason usually refers to her as dead from an OD when she couldn't have been if she was the reason he died. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be Jason mentally avoiding the incident in a "she betrayed me so she's dead to me" way, denial or bringing back Shelia into the biological mom role. I don't see either in the flashback so maybe this version excludes the mom?
How long would Jason have to be Red Hood for him to get this warning now? I guess no one saw them fight in public so they figure they never met. I could buy that. I forget if most assume Joker is dead though.
Jason had no mask? Not that it matters since Joker (Jokers?) knew for awhile in the relaunch.
Did the "we have no idea how he came back" get dropped for the Lazarus Pit again? I was really looking forward to that explanation. It would have made Jason's return different from the others too. Or is this like the RHATO #0 issue where it just not mentioned?
Wouldn't Black Mask hate Red Hood for UTH?
Say What?: I know Bruce is trying to help Jason but asking why he thinks it's okay to steal? But the kid is starving and he knows it. I've seen him ask this in other situations it always strike me as odd.
During the Robin War tie in Jason claimed he was 17 now he says 16. I prefer younger or for this to be vague. The whole thing is even more confusing with the missing five years plot from DUR#1. Jason's only supposed to be a couple years older than Tim minus the months he was dead. Yes this is a pet peeve of mine that I can't help.
Jason called it cheating but in a fight with Batman? I think anything goes.
While I was never a fan of Jason being in a bar all of the time in other books I love that everyone seems aware of how young Red Hood is. I don't just dislike the drinking because of his age it also feels odd for someone who's been around people with substance abuse problems. Plus it usually comes off as the creators trying too hard to say he's a rebel.
Not surprising I just wanted to mention that I love Bruce complimenting Jasons' cleverness. It makes me excited about what's to come.
The talk about S&M not being his thing. Now I'm sure Jason is just being a smartass and knows who this henchman works for. From a meta standpoint this makes me happy because of all the toxic talk about Jason online and how people think he acts. I don't try to give these things any thoughts but unfortunately you find these views if you look up fan sites, headcanons, etc. Before anyone says it yes I know that's not S&M is supposed to be. It's about trust and all that which probably would be another reason he wouldn't be into it. Anyway I'm talking about the negative view that some seem to think he'd have that goes along with the BS bad boy image.
Did You Notice?: I have to say the image of the bat symbol on his chest acting as a tazer is incredible. Also? I love seeing a return to Jason planning ahead which reminds people that he has gone toe to toe with Batman. With Kori and Roy it was more by the seat of your pants. Which was fun although I missed this part of his character.
Tim is present as Robin when Jason attacks Joker.
Two-Face was the first villain Jason fought but he didn't freak out on their first outing as Batman and Robin. He later did on the same case when he found out Two-Face killed his father. Jason flips this time because Batman (his adopted father) almost was killed by Harvey.
I noticed the tire when Jason entered but the impact of the bookcase still hit me hard. I love that Jason has tons of books as past canon has his shown his love of books. Art of War is on the shelf.
Batman tells Jason their going to take a serious picture but Jason's copy shows Bruce smiled. That's a great detail that conveys a lot of characterizations with the art. I'm going to love Soy if he keeps putting in stuff like this.
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Yeah, definitely I'm very surprised by the positive reaction the book is getting. I never doubted Lobdell's skills but is nice to see him changing the mind of so many people.
ReplyDeletePersonally I believe he managed to find a perfect middle ground between Jason's UTRH characterization and the one he developed over the course of the N52. This Jason is more mellow and mature but still has plenty of hang ups regarding Bruce (unlike the way they've mostly buried the hatchet on RH/A) and while I'd liked to avoid trust issues between them, is an acceptable compromise.
As for the criticism Lobdell, the series and Jason get. I do believe most of it is unearned and in Jason's case it comes down to people having a very black and white idea about what Batman should be. For them Jason is sort of a black hole that (in their words) "bends other characters personalities to fit". Is baffling really. A constant complaint about this issue is why Jason didn't told Bruce and why he dragged their trust issues. That is something very easy to understand if you look at their dynamics but, well, the "critics" refuse to see that.
Soy really knocked out of the park, his work here was very superior to the one he did on RH/A although no doubt having a great colorist helped a lot. It was a great idea the way colors are washed out in the flashbacks, aside of Jason's reds of course. It really helps to build the perfect mood for those sequences.
Jason's backstory likely isn't set in stone yet. Lobdell was asked on twitter about the All-Caste and he answered that it was to be determined, so I bet is the same thing regarding Catherine. Same with what have been Jason's actions since UtRH. I certainly hope they keep his time with Kori and Roy canon though.
Going to be interesting to see if Lobdell keeps the conflict between Jason and Black Mask, right now it could go either way.
A neat detail about the bar scene is that Jason is never shown drinking. He's just there, chilling when the masked guy gets close and then the scene ends. A far cry of the drunk other books tend to depict Jason as.
The S&M talk I doubt is nothing more than Jason being a smartass but the only rumbling I've seen on other forums is people taking this as sign he is bi. I think that is really off the mark though.
I'm so happy that it's getting positive response. The only thing I was worried about was if DC was going to push the character into a darker direction. Not "villain" per se but by making him revert to the emotional place he was in UTH.
ReplyDeleteI think so too. I wouldn't say RHA had them mostly bury the hatchet as Jason was just glad Bruce was alive. Given the way it's presented I totally buy the friction because Jason isn't just helping out for a short term mission. He's in Bruces' city which always ruffles his feathers and their forced to address things more head on. It's one thing to say "sure do things your way but not when we team up" and another to isolate Jason with the worst of the worst.
A lot of it is unearned and I don't see him changing characters. Jason didn't need to tell Bruce simply because they had an unvoiced agreement that's been in place since they started teaming up in the relaunch. Jason doesn't kill in Gotham or working with the family. Plus Bruce himself has argued that everyone should blindly trust him so it's not a two way street?
"Dragged their issues?" Jason wanted to go undercover and he can't do it unless Bruce trusts him. He calls it out to avoid future incidents when Bruce might interfere.
I only realized that later on since I read it digitally on the guided view. The coloring is a brilliant detail.
That is worrying though I suppose it's for the best if his past isn't addressed for now.
I noticed that too. I can't tell you how much a hate that stupid "underage bad boy bar hopper" image DC is intent on sticking on him. It just reads like they aren't even bothering to learn about his character so they expect drinking to be a character trait. Thankfully Lobdell has a good grasp of the character.
I have a habit for mentioning every detail I can into a meta although I did see it as Jason simply being a smartass. I knew others would read it that way though. Back in Lost Days they swore he was just because he mocked his teacher for his accent slipping. Superheroes and anti-heroes make jokes based on observations. According to the internet the whole bat family is.
I'm happy people are openly positive about this book. That said, it still annoys me when the praise sometimes also comes with incredulity. If they had given the last two series a chance, they wouldn't be that surprised Lobdell could write truly heart-wrenching moments.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that makes this book stand out for me is how well the past and the present are interwoven. So many parallels in both the arts and the words. I like how the underlying theme is 'give people a chance'. It was something Lobdell already said in his earlier interview. At the time, I thought it was about Jason as much as Lobdell himself. In this book, once again, this line applies to both Bruce and Jason, giving each other a chance, and no doubt later on, it would be the same with Artemis and Bizzaro as well.
I definitely love how Lobdell is highlighting Jason's intelligent and tatical side. Like how he chose to show Jason's criminology study instead of his fighting prowess. And his encounter with Batman. Holy cow! Totally exceeded my expectation. I was afraid the fight would be a staged one, with Batman in the know. Didn't dare hope that it would be Jason doing things his way and didn't bother explaining himself to Bruce anymore. Was so proud of him when he asked if Bruce was gonna help... or get in his way. He asked for Bruce's trust, not his permission. And all the while, Lobdell never made Bruce look bad (well he does look bad, a bit, but still in character). In his RHATO and R/A run, I don't think he had ever done a disservice to an established character just to prop Jason up. Anyway, I'm hearing from a few sources that it is indeed his intention to portray Jason as a skilled tactician this time (fanning myself at seeing Art of War and The Prince). Rejoy!
Although the backstory showed is vague enough that it composed most of the complaints I've seen, I personally like it. It has enough room to expand on later. The team did a good job of making every panel count. I don't think people demanding detailed backstory and "show no tell" approach actually took pagecount into consideration. That said, I'd love it if they expanded on the resurrection means, keep it a mystery instead of just the tried-and-true Lazarus Pit. It'll add more weight to the feeling Jason has that he is not normal. That and the image of Jason crawling out from his grave is just too iconic.
Well, to cap off, this book makes me happy. Your review makes me happy. Would you mind if I tweet this to the RHATO team?
I don't think all of the DC Lobdell critics are aware of his body of work although many loved his first Superboy issue until RHATO overshadowed it. Sadly Jason's character might play a part too. There's this idea of limited scope for Jason at the moment that he HAS to be tied into the bat family more and the Titans have to be linked to certain Robins. A lot of change at once doesn't work for everyone. I mean I know there are some that just didn't warm up to the past series but not everyone was part of that group.
ReplyDeleteThat is a huge part of the appeal. As much as I loved RHATO VOL.1 I think the old origin works so much better. You can see that same boy that stole the bat wheels in Jason Todd in this story. The heart of the character is very present. The art and writing were really on point.
Right, it's a lesson Bruce imparted to Jason that Jason has taken to heart and reminds him of. Jason's at a point where he's willing to take risks and it's incredibly heartening to see he wants to give people a chance.
FAR too many writers and readers seem to think Jason is nothing more than the muscle of the family. Despite UTH being the iconic Red Hood I'm always shocked when it's forgotten that he showed smarts. Yeah, I thought the same until Bruce whispered Jason's name. It makes the encounter more impressive because Jason still outmaneuvered Batman.
Agreed. Bruce might look a little bad but it's in character. Far, far less of a jerk than he was in Batman and Robin too. He really didn't, I wish other books would do the same. I'm excited to see tactician Jason Todd again.
I like to speculate, etc. but really I'm in no rush to get all the answers when world building is being done. Exactly, this wasn't an expanded issue. How Jason meet Batman/became Robin, died, the fact he came back and what he's doing now was covered. We wouldn't get the last bit if it was all backstory.
That's how I feel too, especially if they keep the other new 52 bat deaths. I want to see what Lobdell has in mind for that story and like you said it adds to his to fear. It's incredibly iconic.
Thank you. For the time being I'd appreciate it if you didn't. Let's just say I had a bad experience on another site.