…this is not what apple pie life is supposed to mean.

Red Hood: Outlaw #28
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Pete Woods
Inks: Rex Lokus
Letters: ALW’s Troy Peteri
Covers: Yasmine Putri; Pete Woods
Editor: Marie Javins; Rob Levin

We catch up with our boy as he gets fully immersed in the seedy underbelly of Appleton, where the pie is delicious and the townsfolk are armed to the teeth. However, before we get to that, we have a bit of extra mystery going on as Wingman is hot on Jason’s trail. I’m not super familiar with the character, beyond Jason taking on the mantle at one point, but so far he’s creepy af and weirdly hilarious so I’m looking forward to where this goes.

In the meantime, Jason gets to know the citizenry of Appleton, up close and personal, as he was identified (as Red Hood not Jason Todd, thank Zeus) in the previous issue. This leads to him getting hit on, and then just hit, by what appears to be the entire town. Again, it’s oddly funny, with Lobdell leaning hard into Jason’s dry humor as he literally takes on an entire town of people and almost wins. Unfortunately he doesn’t and ends up in a situation that is deeply disturbing and gross  – and that’s before Kate shows up.

Once again Pete Woods puts my fears to rest as he stages one badass fight scene after another. One of the things that Lobdell does so well is show just how intelligent and intuitive Jason is, and Woods firmly enhances that with both the clear and brutal fight choreography but also the little things like Jason’s facial expressions which show everything that’s going on in his mind, with or without the thought bubbles. Rex Lokus guests on this issue for the inks, and it shows, as he brings a distinct brightness to Appleton that’s almost too bubblegum sweet, making the viciousness of the townsfolk even more jarring and therefore adding to the overall creepiness of the issue.

Red Hood: Outlaw knocks it out of the park and I’m ready for the next issue now.

Five apple pies out of Five

PS: Check out Yasmine Putri’s variant covers when you get the chance, they are truly stunning.
PPS: Where dafuq are Artemis and Bizarro? I’m getting worried…