I’m not crying. YOU’RE CRYING!

Red Hood and The Outlaws #22
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Dexter Soy and Alisson Borges
Colors: Veronica Gandini
Letters: Taylor Esposito
Covers: Guillem March; Trevor Hairsine & Antonio Fabela
Editors: Marie Javins & Rob Levin
Publisher: DC Comics
$3.99

It’s a flashback filled, plot forwarding, emotionally traumatizing ride in this week’s Red Hood and The Outlaws. We get a peek into Artemis’ past, a look at Bizarro’s impending future and a view into the present as Jason tries to figure out what, exactly, Faye Gunn (the 3rd apparently) wants from him. All this while their mysterious stalker stays being creepy in the background.

There were a lot of things happening in this issue yet it boiled down to the quiet moments: Artemis humbling herself to go to Lex to ask for help for Biz; Lex admitting, in his own jacked up way, that he’s been keeping an eye on, and protecting, his ‘son’; Biz’s truly terrifying fear of losing himself and Jason’s reassurance that his friendship and love were unconditional, that had me sobbing. It’s these moments that elevate this book to one of the true gems of the DC Rebirth/Universe, along with the consistent character development and growth. Jason, Artemis and Bizarro don’t behave as the plot demands, instead, due to Scott Lobdell’s skill in letting the characters be fully realized people, they react honestly to whatever is thrown their way.

Dextor Soy, guest artist Alisson Borges and Veronica Gandini do a fantastic job of making each moment count and each scene stand out. Whether it’s Artemis’ previous life before the Outlaws, Bizarro’s face when he has a sudden, horrifying realization or Jason’s heartbreak in the face of Biz’s insecurity each panel is filled with detail and care that show that these artist know these people almost as well as their writer does.

With the walls closing in, the mystery of Faye’s fate hanging over everyone’s head and Creepy 3 Headed Stalker ™  becoming more and more blatant in his interference, it’s not looking good fam. Not at all.

5 Hot Dogs out of 5.