Red Hood and the Outlaws (2011)

Red Hood and the Outlaws is a superhero comic book published by the comic book publishing company DC Comics. The series was commissioned in response to the growing popularity of the character of Jason Todd, a former protégé of Batman who took a turn as a villain following his resurrection. The book depicts Jason's continued adventures as the Red Hood, on a quest to seek redemption for his past crimes, forming a small team with two of his fellow anti-heroes.

Red Hood and the Outlaws debuted in 2011 as part of The New 52 event, which rebooted DC Comics' continuity, creating a fresh jumping-on point for new readers. Writer Scott Lobdell chose to dial back Jason's recent villainy for the character's first starring book, pairing him with the characters of Arsenal (Roy Harper), and Starfire, and retroactively establishing a long friendship between Jason and Roy. The title also retold Jason Todd's history in a simplified form and explored his complex relationship with his former mentor Batman and his brothers (and fellow Robins) Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne. The series also debuted a new costume for Red Hood, drawing from previous iterations, featuring his classic biker helmet look but a clear Bat-insignia on his chest, placing the Red Hood more emphatically in Batman's family of supporting characters.

The title's initial featured Lobdell as writer with art from Kenneth Rocafort, and generally received mixed reviews, drawing particular criticism for its confused continuity and accusations that its depiction of Starfire was sexist. For volume two, relaunched as part of the DC Rebirth initiative in 2016, the lineup of the Outlaws was changed to reflect the DC Trinity (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman), with Jason joined by Superman's clone Bizarro and Wonder Woman's friend and rival Artemis, before going solo in the retitled Red Hood: Outlaw then later retitled Red Hood.

Plot

Vol. 1

Jason Todd leads the Outlaws, a team that includes established DC character Starfire and Roy Harper, Green Arrow's ex-sidekick.

Leading up to a run-in with Killer Croc, Roy was talked out of suicide. Croc became his sponsor in recovery, but that did not keep Roy from getting into trouble. Jason, after coming back from the dead, was trained by an order of warriors known as the All Caste that taught him humility and respect. Jason was a part of the order for an unknown amount of time before he was exiled, partially by choice.

After his exile, Jason became Red Hood, returning to Gotham City where he was at odds with Starfire's ex-lover, his predecessor as Robin, Dick Grayson, as well as their mentor Batman. He soon gets tired of Gotham and leaves, organizing the group after accidentally encountering Starfire at her home base, then breaking out Roy from a Middle Eastern prison. The group travels to a tropical island as Jason catches Roy up; the two start on friendly terms. Jason learns that the All Caste have been slaughtered by a group known as the Untitled. He learns about the events from another All Caste exile named Essence, while Roy tries to jog Starfire's memory. He ends up boring her and sleeps with her.

After finding out that he is no longer a killer, Jason takes his group to All Caste headquarters where they discover that the bodies are becoming zombies. Jason destroys the bodies of his teachers and friends, after some encouragement from Roy; he swears revenge for them after the task is complete. The team is led on a wild goose chase across the globe as they come across an Untitled, who was in hiding in Colorado. Jason fights the creature alone after Starfire is attacked by Crux and Roy leaves to assist her. The Untitled tells Jason that they were set up to cross paths, but still fight him. Jason kills the creature, strengthening his resolve to take revenge. Crux's attempt to drain Starfire's power fails due to procedures performed on her during her slavery.

Roy takes down Crux long enough for Starfire to regain her composure and the three leave, taking an unconscious Crux with them. Later disguised as a doctor, Jason puts Crux into Arkham Asylum, where he says to keep Crux sedated. The group has appropriated Crux's personal modified War cruiser, which Roy instantly falls for. Essence confronts them. At first, only Jason is able to see her, knowing she set him up to fight the Untitled. When the others see her, it causes a fight within the cockpit. During the fight, the source of Essence and Ducra's powers and long life are revealed to be the same as the Untitled's. It is also revealed that they were mother and daughter. The group is able to defeat Essence by using one of Crux's weapons.

Vol. 2

After Starfire and Arsenal left his group (Starfire went to outer space to heal her sister Blackfire, and Arsenal left to join the Titans with Dick Grayson), Red Hood finds out that Black Mask infected the Gotham City Mayor with a techno-organic virus. Batman arrives and tells him to stand down. While fighting, Jason remembers his past encounters with Batman. Jason manages to outsmart Batman by fighting dirty and shooting the mayor. Over at the news, it is revealed that Red Hood shot Batman with an antidote and Batman confronts him. Batman asks him why did he not tell him, and Jason retorted that Batman did not trust him and says he needs to act like a criminal in order to take down crime bosses. Batman reluctantly relents, on one condition: Jason must not kill before leaving. At the end of the issue, Jason is at a bar when a Black Mask henchmen gives him Black Mask information.