Breaking Point?

The solicits for RHATO #23 sound like the Outlaws aren't doing so well. When things go bad for the team it usually marks big changes.

The previous Outlaws team had a period of darkness (*1) at the end of their first series which I dubbed the drug arc. After discovering the bodies of dead aliens Starfire tracked down the man (alien) that tormented her during her slavery. It turns out that he escaped to Earth when Kori took over the slavers ship and broke free. His time on Earth made him change and he became part of a family. But when Kori arrives to kill him for his crimes he accepts. But Roy and Jason stop her from murdering someone in cold blood.

From there Kori works on a plan to track down a ring of aliens on Earth by using an addictive drug to lure them out. She doesn't inform her teammates (although they later piece it together off panel) and accidentally burns Roy. At the same time Jason became overwhelmed by a group of venom using bad guys. In pure desperation to prevent himself from dying again Jason injects himself with the venom and takes them all out. When Roy is healing in the hospital thanks to Essence boosting the process Jason struggles with the temptation to use the venom to give himself an edge in finding the missing Kori. (*2)

He doesn't use it again but given the fact his (step?) Mom was an addict it was a fairly emotional experience. The Outlaws rejoined to save the world then went their separate ways. Kori went with her sister and then returned to Earth but not the Outlaws. (*3) Roy went back to his soldier of fortune route until Jason found him again. They had a business partnership together and Jason tried to help Roy out with his problems but Roy deflected the attempts. Jason then tried to help Jokers' Daughter even though he suspected she was just playing him. She attempted to kill Roy and Jason killed most of the Iron Rule before telling Roy that he's never be the kind of hero he is. Their time as teammates ended when their series did.

At the moment his status with his former teammates hasn't been properly defined since they left. Jason hasn't mentioned talking to either of them although he has asked Killer Croc about Roy's wellbeing.

The new team is starting to struggle and much like Roy two of the members are hiding things from Jason. Bizarro has a lot of things he hasn't told them about although they know he's been acting strange and manipulating them. At the moment Artemis knows he's been using Kryptonite. And judging by the solicits Jason will not react well to the letters Bizarro hid from him.

Artemis has hid the fact she has a previous history working with Lex Luthor. But much like how she excuses her potential guilt away by saying she didn't lie before she searches Bizarro's room I think she'd use the same excuse. She's been careful with how she phrases things to do with Luthor.

Jason himself has been more open about his life and feelings than normal. He's let himself be vulnerable, I have a feeling that this is going to be devastating. Maybe it won't break the team up but it'll probably be hard for them to get over it. Without his friends Jason could go back to being self destructive. They might try to help him but Jason isn't always quick to forgive when he's hurt. Something big is being built up and the fallout will probably be big.







*1 I'm not counting the Tynion run. It was bad it also made no sense.

*2 The Supergirl team up Jason had in her title makes no sense in canon. Jason only used the drug once and had no time to see her. Jason literally got up after the Venom use, figured out what happened to Roy and refused to leave until he was out of danger. Then he went after Crux to save Kori.

*3 I have no idea if her solo series is actually canon.