Written by Scott Lobdell
Illustrated by Dexter Soy,
Philip Hester, Trevor Hairsine
Published by DC Comics
This is one hell of an issue.
This series has been getting darker and darker. Lobdell has been raising the stakes higher and higher.
So now we get Batman versus the Red Hood. And it’s completely amazing. It’s even a double sized issue so what more can you really ask for?
The opening sequence is a flashback to when Jason Todd was Robin.
It’s beautifully done. Jason has to go underwater to save Batman. He does in a completely epic way.
When Jason asks “Thought you can get rid of me that easy?”
Batman replies “Jason if you ever leave, it’ll be your choice not mine.”
It really is a beautiful counterpoint to the rest of the issue.
Then we see the police hunting down Jason in present day. They think they have a handle on him. They are mistaken, of course. Then of course, he bumps into Batman. And they fight. The shot of Batman kicking Jason in the face is amazingly illustrated and heartbreaking.
The fight rages on. Batman tells Jason that he was a fool for ever believing in him. It’s brutal stuff for sure. Batman just beats the hell out of Jason for shooting the Penguin in the head point blank.
Artemis and Bizarro try to save Jason. But they are no match for Batman. It ends unexpectedly but leads to more story possibilities. There is a backup story here that isn’t of much consequence but is fun enough.
This is some great stuff. Kudos go to Lobdell and Soy for keeping things so interesting these past 25 issues. It’s been great. It looks to get even better. And that’s what comic books are all about.
RATING: A
