Don’t call it a comeback!

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Adam Pollina; Pete Woods
Colors: Steve Firchow; Pete Woods
Letters: ALW’s Troy Peteri
Covers: Dexter Soy & Veronica Gandini
Editors:  Jamie S Rich; Rob Levin
Publisher: DC Comics

First, dear readers, I apologize for this review taking so long, however real life comes at you fast sometimes and mine has been moving at warp speed. Secondly, as you all know I’ve been taking a review point off of this series for every issue that we get no news, or even hints about Artemis and Biz’s fates. So, imagine my surprise when this issue showed up in my inbox and my babies were all on the cover.

While Jason hasn’t had the best time of it lately it seems that Artemis and Biz have had it just a wee bit harder, what with all the falling into an alternate dimension where metas are hunted like animals. It’s friggin’ bananas you guys, everybody’s dead Dave, levels of bananas. It’s awesome and I love everything that happened to be honest. Frankly, I’d love to see Artemis and Biz’s allies, especially Jack Knife (every version always seems to find his way to Artemis, hmm…) and Flutterby somehow make it to our universe; and since that Quantum doorway is still active, I think it’s possible.

As far as character work goes, watching Artemis truly come into her own as a strategist and Bizarro grow up and become a fully fledged badass is just delightful and everything I ever wanted. What this new dynamic will mean for their return I’m unsure, especially as they’re returning to a Jason who is just done with everyone and has recently aligned with their greatest enemy: Lex Luthor.

The artwork by Pete Woods (prologue), Adam Pollina (main) and the recently returned Dexter Soy and Veronica Gandini (covers) is utterly fantastic. What I found fascinating is how each artist’s different takes on the characters meshed with each part of the story as we move from Jason’s POV to Artemis’ to Biz’s throughout the book and it works perfectly. All four clearly love these characters and it shows.

With Artemis and Biz back in play; Jason trying to train and protect young metas in the way that Bruce never truly did for him and Lex…being Lex, all over everything the next phase of Red Hood: Outlaw should be very, very interesting indeed.

Five Tasers out of Five