The one where the team and the students all come together.
SPOILERS AHEAD
While going to save Shay the team has to face off with infected personnel and Caden as he controls Artemis and Bizarro.
Overall: I thought this issue was well paced until it started tying up all the loose ends. I don't know if Lobdell is being told to wrap up his arc fast but I've been noticing a lot of plot lines ending in a rushed fashion. Solitary, the mastermind that brought the second group of Outlaws together and thinks he's Jason's dad is killed off not long after meeting Jason. The Underlife story just ends with Solitary. Bunker might have had his mind messed with but abandons Jason before we can find out. Willis shows up but doesn't reveal himself to his son (though I'm glad that wasn't rushed.) At least the Essence/All Caste plot will be revisited soon.
As for this issue the team splits up and separately resolve all the dangers Caden posed. Which wouldn't be bad for an arc but for a single issue it felt like a breakneck pacing. Clara/Cloud 9 didn't think the others would bother to help them but Jason believed they would because of their massive egos. I think he's comparing them to himself but I still have trouble reading Robin Jason as someone that had a massive ego. He tried really hard to prove himself because he was insecure about being Robin though.
Jason's "for a girl" bit is a direct parallel to Artemis' "for a boy" response after they kissed. I've seen readers view the line as a comment relating to sexuality but I never read it that way. Yes, Artemis is bisexual/pan but I saw that more as a comment about Jason's age/lack of experience. (She does refer to him as a kid when they first meet.) Otherwise she could have said "not bad for a man" which seems more gender related to me. It feels more in line with her giving him a hard time and constantly teasing him. Jason on the other hand is giving a nod to what she said with a little humor. Sort of like him calling her princess even if she dislikes it, it's teasing.
Caden/Vessel isn't the innocent kid he pretends to be just like I predicted from his interaction with Jason in the third Annual. It's confirmed that he's too ambitious to be part of the team and Jason is able to figure out who was behind the mind control easily. The exchange about Cloud Nine's abilities and what Jason knew was interesting. Jason comments about not knowing that she could see heat signatures probably due to the students keeping secrets from him. Artemis just assumes he should know as their teacher. Jason turns it around on her asking if it wasn't her job to keep the team together. I don't think it was.
The closest to her promising to hold things together (at least that I recall) was their talk while Luthor worked on Bizarro. They were basically just saying that they only really had each other. I can only read his "your job was to keep us together" bit as him being mad that she didn't let him come with them. I didn't expect to see bitterness at being left behind but it's not really touched up on any further.
One of the most awkward bit, for me, with the extremely rushed pace was the lack of reactions to big changes. Jason has nothing to say about Pup Pup, he apparently just accepts the toy he bought can speak and has powers. I did like how the students were able to solve the problems and managed to act more like heroes than villains. It is nice to have Ma Gunn redeem herself by taking in the students and creating a school for them.
Jason admitting that he gave up on himself years ago, was just so sad. More so when you recall how happy he was when Batman believed in him which Bruce later says he regrets. Ducra believed in him too, which he also appreciated, but she ended up sending Essence. He promises not to give up on the kids which is pretty touching.
If this is the long awaited good direction that Soy and an editor talked about I like it. It's a fun way to show how Jason has matured and how much he connects with his students. Artemis herself actually played a big part in training Cassandra Sandsmark and Kara Zor-El in old canon. Next issue we'll see how a seven month old Bizarro will teach as well as getting some answers on the Artemis/Jason potential romance. Judging by this issue Jason has it bad for her and even Roy noticed it. I'm not expecting them to get together since Artemis believes she ruined Jason's life. She likely believes she killed Jasons' father at the prison. Honestly I rather have the two together than any other pairing but it sounds like DC is going to start some shipping drama.
Regardless I liked seeing Roy again and his dynamic with Jason. It's a shame we couldn't see all the Outlaws together.
Questions Asked?: How does Artemis know Jason is their instructor? They just got there, did Caden pass that knowledge along?
Did You Notice?: Artemis doesn't have green eyes, she has them colored brown this issue.
For some reason Artemis is a lot shorter than Jason. She's listed as the same height as him and is usually drawn around his height or taller.
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