As Jason Todd chooses between the friends he can’t recall and leading the League of Assassins, Roy Harper is ready to kick their front door down.
Positive
For a long time on the Red Hood and the Outlaws title, and in the New 52 Universe in general, Roy Harper aka Arsenal has been a sort of running joke, much to the chagrin of his previous fan base. There’s always mentions of his being kicked out by Green Arrow, his carefree attitude, and his dumb luck being the only thing keeping him alive. I think writer James Tynion IV had recognized this, and perhaps that’s why he’s chosen to play Roy front and center as the de-facto leader of the book for his arc. It all paid off in this issue as we get to watch Roy take on the entire League of Assassins himself, and do quite a good job of it.
The Roy we remember has come home: confident, intelligent, caring, and capable. Every time he takes down one of the League it almost feels like he’s tearing down a piece of his New 52 persona, utilizing his brains, talents, and sense of strategy. Tynion does a fantastic job managing all the action and giving it purpose, and it makes this issue stellar.
Negative
It’s tough to find a negative in this one. Tynion has had a great run on Outlaws so far, and it doesn’t look like the quality will be dipping any time soon. There are some pages where Julius Gopez’s art comes off a little shaky, but for the most part it’s just fine. An overall negative about the arc is having to rely once again on the Untitled but it feels like Tynion is almost using this arc to wrap all that up before moving the team on to new pastures, in which case I’ll accept it.
Verdict
5/5
Another solid issue from Tynion that gives us the return of the Arsenal we remember and have wanted to see for quite some time. What’s not to like?
