[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artists: Dexter Soy & Alisson Borges
Colors: Veronica Gandini
Summary
After a short tussle with The Penguin, the story goes backwards a year and examines the relationship between Red Hood, Artemis, Bizzaro and a sinister plot by Lex Luthor. How will Luthor’s devious ways effect Bizzaro? Can the team stop him before it’s too late for their friend’s sake or will Bizzaro not be ok?
Positives
The cover art is for this book is phenomenal. The shadows and shades mixed with the foreground colors really blend well, and combined with the pencil work really gives every panel depth and a three-dimensional effect that opens the story in the readers’ imagination.
The opening scenes of this issue are awesome and really draw the reader in. The book opens with an action scene that leads to Red Hood stumbling upon a secret operation of The Penguin. The opening dialogue between Oswald Cobblepot and Jason Todd is wonderful; mixing the sarcasm of Todd with the arrogance of Cobblepot was a nice touch.
Negatives
The story starts fast and heavy but then heads into a flashback story that is a substantial slowdown from the previous events.
Verdict
Red Hood and The Outlaws #22 is a very good issue that has lots of emotion, future set-up, and great dialogue, but not enough exciting moments outside of the first two pages. The opening sucks you in while the rest kind of leaves the reader desiring more. However, it is very nice to see The Penguin and Lex Luthor in the same issue that doesn’t involve Superman or Batman.