…salvation from what?

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Paolo Pantalena
Colors: Arif Prianto
Letters: ALW’s Troy Peteri
Covers: Paolo Pantalena; Phillip Tan & Jay David Ramos
Editor: Harvey Richards; Jamie S. Rich
Publisher: DC Comics

It’s the quiet before the storm as The Outlaws settle in at Ma Gunn’s. Bizarro is the highlight of this issue as he teaches Generation Outlaw how to just be, though some take to it more than others. Babe In Arms hatches a plan that includes Kryptonian dna and bad choices that I suspect is going to blow up in her face but the others, particularly DNA and Doom take to Bizarro like ducks to water. It’s frankly adorable.

However the real story here is Jason and all that internalized pain he’s been dealing with. With the return of Artemis, Biz, Faye and Pup Pup aka people who know Jason and know his deflection techniques, Jason isn’t able to hide that he’s deeply wounded by the death of Roy. Though he hasn’t, as I’m sure more than a few people suspected he would, gone off to put Wally out of his misery and has actually forgiven him knowing Wally didn’t even know what he’d done it doesn’t mean Jason’s okay. In fact, he’s far from it and his constant use of the words ‘I’m fine’ is doing nothing but ringing alarm bells with his family. Unfortunately none of them may have a chance to deal with it as there’s something coming and absolutely no one is prepared to deal with it.

Paolo Pantelena takes over art duties and while the style isn’t my cup of tea, I prefer Pete Woods or Dexter Soy and Veronica Gandini’s art in this specific book, the work itself is gorgeous. Each panel is filled with details and the several, wordless, panels in which Artemis gets Jason to admit, just a little, that he is not fine are absolutely breathtaking.

With an unknown horror lying in wait, unpleasantness happening at the Iceberg Lounge and some of Jason’s wards being absolute brats, things are about to take a turn. Let’s see where this goes.

Four Apples Out of Five