Follow TV Tropes

Following

Comic Book / Red Hood and the Outlaws

Go To

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rhoutlaw50.jpg
Clockwise from centre: Red Hood, Arsenal, Crux, Starfire, Bizarro and Artemis.
"The only reason I’m here is ’cause if anything happens to you–that would make me the worst former sidekick ever."
Jason Todd to Roy Harper, Red Hood and the Outlaws #1

Red Hood and the Outlaws is a comic book series released as part of DC Comics' reboot initiative New 52. It follows former Batman sidekick Jason Todd (the second Robin) as the titular Red Hood, a dual-wielding pistol marksman, accompanied by Green Arrow’s former sidekick Roy Harper, originally Speedy and now Arsenal, a skilled archer and damaged soldier of fortune, and the alien princess Starfire, former Teen Titan as well as former prisoner of intergalactic war who won’t be chained again. Scott Lobdell conceived and wrote the majority of the series from 2011 until 2020, with a break from June 2013 to July 2014 wherein James Tynion IV and then Will Pfeifer wrote the series.

In June 2015, the book was retooled into Red Hood/Arsenal, while Starfire was spun off into her own solo ongoing, Starfire (2015). In 2016, the title returned as part of the DC Rebirth initiative, with Red Hood recruiting Artemis and Bizarro, forming a dark counterpart for DC's Trinity.

The series went under a minor retooling in September 2018, with Jason going on his own and the title changing to Red Hood: Outlaw, now dropping his compunctions since losing his friends and Roy's death as a result of Heroes in Crisis, back to a mad-as-hell Pragmatic Hero who kills criminals and villains freely as he had when he fist became Red Hood. Lobdell's 9-year run ended with issue 50. Issues 51 and 52 saw Shawn Martinbrough writing a two-issue story for the series, now renamed to just Red Hood but retaining the numbering of the Rebirth series.

After almost ten years of publication, the series finally ended in December of 2020.

This work is part of the following storylines:


This comic provides examples of:

    open/close all folders 

     General Tropes 
  • Art Shift: Due to the series having artists with pretty distinctive art styles, guest characters tend to look different from the way they look in their own series. This goes both ways, with the Outlaws looking differently when appearing in other books.
  • As You Know: A very common trope in the series is for characters to provide exposition to the reader by telling each other information that they should already know, or is apparent on the page. For example, the first issue of the relaunch starts off with Ma Gunn telling Batman that she had shot him for sending Jason to her school and that he was probably wearing armor that saved him. She says this immediately after having shot him on the page.
  • The Atoner:
    • Ducra, regarding her inability to stop the Untitled while she still could.
    • Jason is trying to learn to accept the sordid details of his past while forging ahead on his own path. He even promises to uphold Batman's "No Killing" rule during his undercover investigation into Black Mask.
  • Badass Normal: Red Hood and Arsenal are normal men fighting alongside Starfire and can hold themselves even against supernatural enemies and aliens. Red hood does have magical swords, but it only works against the Untitled, and he relies on his own skills against other enemies.
  • Beware the Superman:
    • Jason has respect for Superman as much as a surfer has for sharks. After having worked beside him after all those years ago has more or less taught him to be Properly Paranoid the second that the Kryptonian gets involved.
    • Jason and Artemis initially approach Bizarro in this way, not knowing just what kind of potential threat a Superman clone can pose.
  • Broad Strokes: The book retells Jason's history in a simplified form while adding Jason's history with the All-Caste. The most important parts of Jason's pre-flashpoint history like Batman: Under the Red Hood and Batman (Grant Morrison) are reworked to make an updated and more appropriate version. Other parts have characters vaguely referencing some points of Jason's pre-flashpoint activities or rendered Canon Discontinuity.
  • Continuity Nod:
    • For Volume 1:
      • Issue #2, Red Hood gets an air hostess' number. They met in Batman #426, 20 years ago. She still remembers his drink order, although, in modern continuity, they probably met 2-3 years ago. And he mentions 'A Death in the Family', although that is a Shout-Out. Her name is Isabel Ardila, by the way.
      • In issue #6, it's revealed that Red Hood's costume is actually one of Nightwing's old costumes. Though in-universe information is lacking thanks to the recent reboot, it seems to be based on Nightwing's Renegade costume.
      • The Night of the Owls tie-in nods to the revelation in Batman that Haley's Circus (of which Nightwing was a performer) was a recruitment service for the Court of Owls. It may also be a reference to Red Hood's pre-Crisis history as a circus performer.
      • The Death of the Family tie-in has the Joker forcing Jason to relive the circumstances of his death in the original A Death in the Family arc.
    • For Volume 2:
      • As is expected of DC Rebirth, the second Red Hood and the Outlaws brings back several of Jason's post-Crisis origin elements like his first meeting with Batman by (attempting to) steal the Batmobile's tires, as well as Jason's time under the care of Ma Gunn.
      • Issue #8 shows a newscast that played during Detective Comics (Rebirth) #951, indicating the two issues are happening concurrently.
      • Bizarro's origin is directly tied to the events of Forever Evil (2013).
      • Issue #9 has Jason acknowledging his time with Roy and Kori.
      • Jason uses the All-Blades and alludes to the All-Caste in issue #11.
      • Issues #16 and #17 have the Outlaws and the Suicide Squad traveling to the Colony, where the events of The Culling took place. These issues also have Jason and Killer Croc on speaking terms due to their common friendship with Roy.
  • Crazy-Prepared:
    • He's one of the Sons of Batman, so obviously Red Hood is going to be this. A confrontation with gangsters in China shows he hides guns in the potted plants just in case he gets held up without weapons. A flashback in RHATO: Rebirth #2 further reinforces this mindset when Jason formulates a way to get closer to Black Mask.
    • Arsenal has a detonation device in his quiver, in case it's ever taken from him.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Red Hood, although Arsenal and Starfire do get their shots in. Batman, bizarrely, gets in on this in RHATO: Rebirth #2, after getting shot up and talked down to by Ma Gunn.
  • Dysfunction Junction:
    • Frankly, the "team" is a host of issues prior to coming together. And as the comic moves along, they only seem to mount. It should be noticed that all these issues have a common thread between them, Trust is a major theme.
    • The second iteration is identified by the editorial as "the Dark Trinity", consisting of Red Hood (Batman), Artemis (Wonder Woman), and Bizarro (Superman).
  • Even Evil Has Standards:
    • Arsenal's most cherished memory? Hitting rock bottom, trying to fight Killer Croc in order to "suicide by Croc" only to have Croc realize this and tell him to get his act together. A scaled-up beast told Arsenal he was embarrassing, meaning there was nowhere to go but up. Later Waylon Jones, a.k.a. Killer Croc becomes his sponsor in his Alcoholics Anonymous Program.
    • Ma Gunn may be despicable for using the children under her care to grow her own criminal empire but Black Mask bombing out her children's home with the intent to kill the children living in it is crossing the line. It's a good thing Gunn had to delay opening up so no one was else was there to get hurt!
  • He Who Fights Monsters:
    • The fact that Crux turned himself into exactly the type of monster he's dedicated his life to hunting is called attention to in #5. Late in the series, he later admits this to be true and thanks to Jason for setting him straight with a bear hug, much to Jason's utter befuddlement.
    • One of the tensions stemming from Jason's undercover mission is whether he can avert becoming this again when investigating Black Mask.
    Jason: Do I want to kill Black Mask? Absolutely. But I made a promise to Bruce... so this one's by the book.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Red Hood, to some degree. He deeply cares for the All-Caste, considering them his family and hesitating when confronted with their zombie forms, and saved a village. In "Rebirth" we learn that he keeps memorabilia from his past, like his "graduation photo" with Batman from when he became Robin and the tire he took off of the Batmobile.
  • Magical Weapon:
    • Throughout the series, Jason's All Blades function like this. They are only capable of hurting the Untitled and other suitably evil (though distinctly magical) creatures.
    • Artemis's main weapon throughout volume 2, Mistress, has a will of its own. Later on, she also acquires the Bow of Ra, a magical bow created by the god Ra as a gift to the champion of the Bana-Mighdall Amazons.
    • During Prince of Gotham the Blood Blade is introduced, wielded by Essence. Unlike the All-Blades, the Blood Blade is effective against anything but if the wielder ever draws the blood of an innocent, then they will be trapped inside the blade, forever.
  • Pragmatic Hero: Red Hood states that he's become Lighter and Softer in recent years, noting that while he will see the criminals receive his comeuppance he no longer enjoys killing people, and tries to avoid it when possible. However, when pushed into it, Jason will force his hand. In Vol. 2 he goes so far as making everyone—Batman included—believe he attempted to assassinate the Gotham City mayor when he was, in fact, curing a techno-virus infecting the mayor. All for the sake of winning favor with the Black Mask, much to Batman's discomfort.
  • Rag Tag Bunch Of Misfits:
    • A former Robin who came back from the dead and have a strained (if somewhat civil) relationship with the Batfamily, Green Arrow's ex-partner on rehab from his alcoholism, and an Alien Princess who as a young child was sold into slavery by her sister, to save her homeworld, spent much of her life in death camps and doesn't really remember a lot of things concerning earth clearly.
    • Vol. 2 sees the same former Robin still working through his issues joining forces with an exiled Amazonian and a half-baked Superman clone all while the three are deeply embedded within Gotham's criminal underworld. Oh, and the ex-Robin is operating as a mole.
  • Shadow Archetype:
    • Red Hood, to Batman. After being revived, Red Hood trains with the All-Caste, a secret, a somewhat mystical sect of warriors who mirror Batman's League of Assassins. Red Hood is also Crazy-Prepared like Bats, with safe houses around the globe, each one full of weapons and supplies.
    • Starfire, to Superman. She's basically the flip side of Clark's coin, both being nearly all-powerful aliens that are powered by the yellow sun. Both came from being traumatically removed from home into unfamiliar surroundings, with two every different upbringing. Starfire's perceptions of humanity, along with her tendency to attempt to kill whatever she doesn't like directly contrast Clark's. Star wishes to remain very private, only presenting herself willing to the public eye when it's unavoidable. She doesn't wish to come off as friendly or there for others' protection, she just wants to do what she wishes. if Clark and she were to ever meet it'd a lot of friction between the two. In issue 14, they do meet... and it nearly breaks out into an all-out brawl involving the "team" and Sups, mostly due to her and Jason's character traits. It takes Jason's date, Isabel, from keeping things from getting out of hand while getting them all to sit down and talk.
    • Jason, alongside Artemis and Bizarro, form a Dark Trinity directly contrasting Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman respectively. The trio is considered successors who can never actually succeed the originals and so must grow into something of their own.

    The New 52 (Vol. 1) 
  • Adaptational Heroism: Blackfire in this series is shown to genuinely care for Starfire as a sister, Starfire, in turn, shares those feelings. However, Blackfire had reluctantly sold her sister into slavery for the safety of Tamaran, which she deeply regretted. Fortunately, by the time they see each other again, Starfire understood that it was for the safety of their planet and had forgiven her sister. Blackfire does employ some tough love when Starfire becomes addicted to drugs, but not for long mostly she was just worried about her and felt bad because she feels that while she is the Tamaranian ruler, she can't even save her own sister. She pretends to defect to the side of Helspont, but she attacks him revealing it to be a ruse, this almost gets her killed. Starfire is worried about her sister while looking for her and when she finds her she is devastated at the state her sister is in. (Letting out a Big "NO!") Blackfire survives this thankfully, and Starfire accompanies her back to Tamaran so she can recover.
  • The Alcoholic: Arsenal is a recovering one. He laments hanging out in a bar in #4 even though he's only drinking soda.
  • Amnesiac Dissonance: After removing his traumatic memories, Jason became a more cheerful and upright person, even disbelieving his actions as he learned about his time as Red Hood.
  • Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Issue 8 provides a lot of this, bordering on Fanservice.
  • All X: The All-Caste, with their home in the Hundred Acres of All, fighting with their All-Blades.
  • Back for the Finale: A cured, sane, and much more reasonable Crux returns just in time for the series to end.
  • Batman Cold Open:
    • The beginning of Issue #6 is the end of some sort of escapade Red Hood has gotten into on a Nuclear Submarine.
    • In many ways the beginning of Issue #1 can be considered this as well, as we witness Arsenal getting busted out of jail by Red Hood and Starfire.
    • And done again in Issue #8
  • Big "NO!": Starfire has one when Blackfire is almost killed during the fight with Helspont.
  • Blood Magic: Red Hood's All-Swords get extra power from his blood. Or, something like that. It hasn't been explained yet.
  • Book Safe: Red Hood smuggles a collapsible bow to Arsenal inside a bible in the first issue.
  • Breather Episode: Only in Red Hood & the Outlaws can the superhero equivalent of the hospital scene of Hardboiled be considered the "Breather Episode", but Issue # 8 fits the description.
  • Broken Bird: Lobdell's take on Starfire. She gets really snippy and hostile whenever anyone tries to talk to her about her past, and we eventually find out that her most precious memory is killing the only Citadel member who showed her sympathy in all her time as a slave. It's even lampshaded how screwed up the team must be.
  • Brought Down to Normal: What Crux attempts to do to Starfire. It didn't last for long, thanks to the Citadel's experiments on her.
  • Code Name: Played with. The Outlaws have their own codenames but usually call each other by their real ones even in missions, however, everyone else calls them by their code names.
  • Cool Airship: The team takes possession of Crux's airship after defeating him. It has enough features and gadgets to make Arsenal very happy, including a cloaking device and vertical take-off and landing capacities.
    Arsenal: Before anyone asks—yes, I'm in LOVE.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: Starfire has spent most of her life as a slave to the Citadel, after being sold into it by her own sister. She mentions some experiments done on her too, which were all likely horrific.
  • Death by Origin Story: Crux dedicated his life to killing all aliens on Earth after a spaceship crash killed his parents.
  • Death Seeker:
    The Talon: I want to end this "life" on my terms. Sure you can understand that.
  • Demonic Possession: The Untitled are demonic parasites who latch onto human hosts and feed on their hope.
  • Depending on the Artist:
    • Despite the company using the same designs for characters. Killer Croc looks different than to how he was drawn in Batman #1 just a few months before he appeared here. The design for Mr. Freeze by the book's artist also appears different from how he looks on the Batman Annual cover.
    • In more recent issues, Starfire's costume. Is she wearing the same strap across her back she's been wearing since the reboot, a vest that leaves her entire torso bare, or straps that that hook from her collar back around her arms?
    • How muscular is Roy Harper? Are his eyes blue or green?
    • Jason's helmet changes wildly between all of his appearances, sometimes within the same issue. It can go from a smooth, featureless helmet to an expressive mask to everything in between.
  • Doomed Hometown: What happens to All, which Red Hood feels is his real home and where he truly grew up.
  • Eating the Eye Candy: After showing off a fancy new pair of Flight Wings Arsenal remarks on how cool Red Hood looks. Starfire thinks he's talking about Red Hood's "buns" and wholeheartedly agrees.
  • Ethical Slut: What Starfire is supposed to come off as, although she has had sex with only one person off-panel in one issue so far.
  • Expressive Mask: Rocafort's redesign for Jason included a helmet that allowed him to show emotion, however most artists rendered this design choice by giving the helmet a face capable of emoting that looked weird at best, goofy at worst.
  • Facial Horror: In #17's end, a trap the Joker left in Jason's helmet sets off, sending Joker Venom all over him and scarring him deeply. He remains unconscious until the end of #18, and doesn't have his face shown in that time.
  • Fantastic Racism: The gimmick of Crux, a human bent on killing every alien on Earth. He has a special hatred for Tamaraneans, blaming them for the death of his parents after they were killed by the crash of a Tamaranean war cruiser, directly into their car, as he sat in the backseat. He just lucked out as his parents were highly respected alien researchers.
  • Fat Bastard: Suzie Su, the leader of the Familia De Flores Crime Family sees human lives as expendable goods for her to use in her quest for vengeance against Jason, making her a relatively rare female example. Case in point, she tries to lure Jason by holding a children's hospital hostage.
  • Female Gaze: Red Hood and Arsenal provide a lot of this, at least under Rocafort's pencils. Jason even spends most of issue 6 completely naked.
  • Friendly Enemy: Killer Croc took pity on Arsenal after trying a Suicide by Cop, helping him get back up, and even revealed to be Arsenal's AA sponsor.
  • Genius Ditz: Arsenal. He's a cheery clown, but he's also brilliant at making weapons.
  • Great Escape: Issue #1 starts with Arsenal being busted out of a Qurac prison by the Red Hood and Starfire. The reason is detailed in this page's quote.
  • Hand-or-Object Underwear: Red Hood spends part of Issue 6 completely naked, walking about using his hands and a palm leaf to cover himself, along with bandages on his torso after his clothes get destroyed. It could also double as Naked People Are Funny.
  • Hearing Voices: Arsenal and Starfire believe it's the case with Red Hood. Subverted as he's talking with Essence, who they can't see.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Surprisingly enough, Crux does this late in the series, due to the treatments at Arkham actually working on curing his Revenge Before Reason problem. He pretended to still be obsessively insane to stick around and use his genius knowledge to help the other inmates, and also helps Red Hood and Arsenal track down Starfire.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: Jason and Roy become very close over the course of the first volume, considering one another their best friends. Red Hood/Arsenal explores this a little better, and they only "break up" because Jason sees that he's not good for Roy's mental wellbeing. After Roy dies in Heroes in Crisis Jason becomes a Darker and Edgier anti-hero out of mourning, however briefly.
  • Ironic Echo: Zero Year shows Jason joining the Red Hood gang and meets Talia. He immediately leaves after the leader is killed, saying he won't ever be a Red Hood. Guess who he takes over after he came back to life?
  • It's Personal : The Joker is really, really irritated that Jason went off-script and basically ruined one of the best jokes he pulled on Batman by coming back to life. So he prepares a little surprise for Jason as an aside from Death of the Family and booby-traps one of Jason's helmets, who receives a face-full of acid.
  • Knight Templar:
    • Crux. Obsessed with killing aliens? Check. Willing to go to extreme lengths to do it? Check. Honestly thinks he's the good guy, and people should praise him and moreover, side with what he does? Check. He's so much so that he's literally perplexed when Arsenal attacks him to defend Starfire. He does get past this late in the series, however.
    • Jason's character arc primarily revolves around moving on from his own Knight Templar tendencies that he had committed in the past.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: Jason has S'aru remove every single memory of his that The Joker touched to let him start anew. Unfortunately, this is almost everything he remembers. By the end, he doesn't have the slightest clue who Arsenal or Starfire is.
  • Limited Wardrobe:
    • Surprisingly averted even in-costume by Arsenal, who has a lot of distinct baseball caps.
    • So far, no civilian outfit has been used more than once by any of the cast, barring Red Hood's All Robes.
  • Mafia Princess: Suzie Su, whose father was a part of a small criminal family before Jason killed their extended family. She swore revenge against Jason for this, but reconciled with him when he gave her the Iceberg Lounge and made her boss.
  • Male Gaze: Mostly subdued under Rocafort but started to become more prominent with the different artists that succeded him.
  • Mercy Kill: The Talon in Night of the Owls asks this, though technically it was more him desiring not to be reanimatednote .
  • Mix and Match Critter: Crux's mutated form, which is both bat-like and reptilian.
  • The Nicknamer: Arsenal calls Red Hood "Jaybird" and Starfire "Princess".
  • Monochromatic Eyes: Starfire has green monochromatic eyes, a common trait for Tamaranians and Essence has black eyes in relation to her darkness powers.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Starfire that wears an outfit more Stripperific than usual and in the first issue there are many shots of her in a bikini.
  • Murder by Inaction: When Black Mask's body is failing from the techno-organic virus he's using to puppeteer Bizarro, he pleads for Jason to save him using the cure he was about to use to stop him. Jason considers his promise to Batman not to kill, and concludes he didn't promise to help either, and lets the virus run its course as he destroys the cure vials.
  • Never My Fault: An issue late in the run shows this to be Roy's problem with Green Arrow. He blames Oliver for darn near all of his own problems, despite Oli having taken him in and making him more than what he was. Roy knows he's in the wrong for scapegoating Oliver, but at the end of the issue, he is shown to be not quite ready to own up and apologize, though Ollie is also shown to be very patient waiting for him to do so.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: Starfire. She destroyed a group of tanks without even appearing to be winded and then casually asked Jason if there's anything else she can do for him. Some people are even worried that she may be a radioactive hazard. Made scarier when something designed to drain her powers fails to do so.
  • Poirot Speak: Starfire's narration slips into Tamaranean when she's attacked in #4. She also pronounces the name "Richard" as though it were Tamaranean at the end of the issue.
  • Power Trio: Jason, Starfire, and Arsenal are this, as they help each other in whatever problems they face. Even after breaking up, they're still on friendly terms.
  • Questionable Consent: In Starfire's Establishing Character Moment, she narrates how she can't tell humans apart and appears to have selective amnesia. When she propositions Roy for sex, he eagerly goes along with it, like a teenage schoolboy without questioning the ethics of sleeping with someone lacking certain brain functions.
  • Related in the Adaptation: Catherine Todd has been retconned to be Jason's actual mother, with no references to Sheila Haywood.
  • Really 700 Years Old: S'aru the Protector looks like a child but is in actuality a timeless being who is at least hundreds of years old. That doesn't mean he can't act like a brat sometimes.
  • Sad Clown: Arsenal tries to chat and make jokes whenever he can, but it's fairly obvious that he's practically dead on the inside. He admits this in Issue 5 to Starfire, saying he believes that as a team the three of them could help each other.
  • Scenery Porn: Even people criticizing the comic have praised Kenneth Rocafort's art, especially the backgrounds. Issue 6 takes scenery, character, and costume design to a whole new level. Well, except Jim Shooter.
  • Schmuck Bait: A long, empty corridor that leads to the MacGuffin and gives Starfire the creeps is overlooked.
  • Series Continuity Error: While talking to Damian, Jason reminisces on the time when he and Damian were Wingman and Redbird, the one night that Damian died. Hell, the entire chapter contradicts what happened in the Death of the Family as it's shown the entire Batfamily avoiding Bruce in the epilogue, whereas the opposite is shown in the chapter.
  • Shirtless Scene: Jason fought off police in his apartment with only a tiny towel covering his hips.
  • Shoo Out the New Guy: According to Word of God, Crux was going to be a member of the team, but fans disliked him and the writer decided he didn't fit in. Crux is last seen being sent to Arkham Asylum. Subverted when he returns in the penultimate story, now much saner than he left, and becomes an 11th-Hour Ranger to the team.invoked
  • Stripperiffic:
    • Starfire's already-revealing costume gets exaggerated. She now effectively has only a pair of pasties covering her nipples, and the bikini she wears late in the first issue actually manages to be more modest than her default costume. See also the aforementioned semi-transparent bikini.
    • The re-appearance of Blackfire also has her wearing fewer clothes compare to her pre-52 days. Funny enough, Starfire was wearing a bodysuit that covers her entire body sans her face when they face off.
  • So Proud of You: Jason is insanely surprised when Superman tells him that Batman vouches for him and the Outlaws. This touched briefly in #17 and in #18 the reader finally gets to see Bruce, both in Jason's memories and in the present, admit how proud he is of him.
  • Spy Catsuit: In a flashback in #2, Talia al Ghul is seen in a black colored spy catsuit as she goes to the All Caste with Jason.
  • Suicide by Cop: Inverted — Arsenal had attempted suicide by crook when he picked a fight with Killer Croc. Croc was not amused.
  • Tagalong Kid: Isabel, the stewardess whom Red Hood takes on a date, is accidentally teleported with the rest of the team onto the Tamaranean space ship. She reacts as well as you'd expect.
  • Take Your Time: Despite the threat of the Untitled, as well as Red Hood's vow to destroy them all, it doesn't look like he's going to follow up on it anytime soon. Though, mostly because he has no idea where any of them are.
  • Trick Arrow: Though Arsenal has mostly avoided these, he has used a bomb arrow. He also went all out with trick arrows in issue 5, which has him taking down Crux with an electric arrow, and making a fire with a fire arrow. And when he destroyed most of his arrows to stop Crux, we get brief glimpses at a bunch of other trick arrows that haven't been used yet.
  • The Shadow Knows: In the first issue, Simon Amal's shadow in one panel is Crux's shape, hinting at his true identity.
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: Crux, who can turn wholly or partly into his creature form and back again at will and in a heartbeat.
  • Whole Episode Flashback:
    • #6 takes place a month before the events of #1 and details how Red Hood met Starfire in the first place, and there are several other flashbacks within that context. The TPB takes the novel route of opening with #6 before going on into #1.
  • Winged Humanoid: Crux can turn into a massive reptilian bat-like creature thanks to his mastery of reverse-engineered alien technology. He can also swim lightning quick in this form.
  • A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: The Untitled sheriff of a small town. And of course, when Red Hood finally kills her/it, the body goes back to its human form, just as the local villagers are able to come out and see.

    Rebirth (Vol. 2) 
  • Above Good and Evil: How Combat Pragmatist Jason explained his moralities after defeating Essence when she and Ducra believes he's on a road to evil.
    Jason: I'm not evil. Or good. Unfortunately for you, I'm just practical as hell.
  • Art Shift:
    • Issue #13 starts off in Bizzaro's mind, which is portrayed as simplistic chibi renditions of everyone, even the Justice League members.
    • #25 has pages that are a pastiche of an 80's comic book. But considering the context, it serves as a Dramatic Irony from what happened to the Outlaws.
  • Ass Shove: Jason pulls this with a lit flare on a bike gang leader on issue 26.
  • Attack Hello: Wingman did this to Jason in issue 30, ambushing him on the prison he was investigating.
  • Back for the Dead: Arsenal, who saved Jason from Bruce's assault, hangs out with Jason one last time before his death in Heroes in Crisis
  • Badass Teacher: Jason was convinced by Lex Luthor to teach a group of Metahumans in order to raise them to be his Doom Bringers of Tomorrow army. The first thing he does is to fight them all without breaking a sweat.
  • Batman Gambit: The Bizarro Reborn arc can be summed up as one, with Bizarro setting in motion a chain of events to allow him to get hold of Harvest's Synthetic Kryptonite reserves.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Roy comes in the nick of time to rescue Jason from Batman at the end of issue 25.
  • Big Damn Kiss: Artemis kisses Jason before she goes over the portal in order to save Bizarro. Jason later reverses this in Outlaw when he kissed her to creep out the one possessing her.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Artemis and Bizarro are revealed to be under the control of Vessel as revenge for Jason and Dr. Veritas rejecting him as a student. They break out of it quickly anyway.
  • Brainy Baby: Babe In Arms, who is the brains while her undead mother carrying her around acts as her muscle.
  • The Bus Came Back / Back for the Finale:
    • Bunker from Teen Titans was trapped in an abandoned desert is and saved by Jason. He then joined Jason as his bodyguard in the Penguin Lounge for a few chapters.
    • Dr. Shay Veritas and the Block appear during the Generation Outlaw arc after not being seen through all of Rebirth.
    • Doomed from Doomed is found in one of the Block's sites, attacking and later joining Jason's Ragtag Bunch of Misfits.
    • General Glory makes an appearance as a government operative sent to investigate the Untitled recruits and to bring back the obelisks they stole.
    • Monsieur Mallah applies to be a teacher in Ma Gunn's home for wayward boys. And it reveals that Faye Gunn and Mallah knew each other years before.
    • Isabel, Jason's date in the new 52 returns for a few chapters.
    • Essence and S'aru make their first appearance in years during the Prince of Gotham storyline.
    • The Untitled strikes again in issue 43 after being last seen in issue 27 of the first volume.
    • Artemis, Bizarro, and Ma Gunn finally returned to the main universe in Issue 39.
    • The pre-Rebirth iteration of the outlaws (Red Hood, Arsenal, and Starfire) shows up to help the current team to seal off Trigon's lair.
  • Canon Welding: Lobdell has added Jason's stealing the tires of the Batmobile to his N52 origin.
  • The Cameo: Crux briefly appears in issue 5 as the one who designed the vaccine for Black Mask's techno-virus.
  • Cooldown Hug: Jason asks Bruce for one after the latter breaks the news of Roy's death to him.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Batman inflicts this on Jason in issue 25 after the latter breaks his promise of not killing in Gotham. It's so one-sided that Jason doesn't land a single blow, and Bruce can even shatter Jason's helmet and rip off his symbol for extra insult.
  • Darker and Edgier:
    • The new team is specifically described as a "Dark Trinity", contrasting the original Trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
    • The series itself sees a darker Jason than previously depicted in Vol. 1 and in Red Hood/Arsenal, as the ending of the latter left Jason disillusioned and bitter towards people in general. While he makes strides to avoid killing, the desire is still there and the reason Jason already hasn't is out of respect for Batman. However, by the end of the first arc is obvious that Jason is much more restrained and mellowed compared to the way he acted during the first Volume of the series or even during Red Hood/Arsenal.
    • After shooting the Penguin and getting into a brawl with Batman, Red Hood goes solo in a much darker direction, complete with an "edgier" makeover that sees him don a literal red hoodie, a crowbar, and a katana. This takes Jason back to his old Anti-Villain ways for a story arc, returning to being a Pragmatic Hero afterward.
  • Distracted by the Sexy: Jason becomes speechless and has trouble forming coherent sentences after seeing Artemis all dressed up for their date.
  • Designated Girl Fight: Issue #44 has Essence possess Isabel and fighting Artemis while she's undercover to hunt the Untitled. In other words, Jason's ex is possessed by Jason's ex and is fighting Jason's almost girlfriend.
  • The Don: Jason assumes this role during the Prince of Gotham story-arc, taking over Penguin's Iceberg Lounge for a few chapters before handing the position to Suzie Su.
  • Empty Shell: Black Mask's fate after his plan to fuse his mind with Bizarro's backfires.
  • Fantastic Drug: Synthetic Kryptonite becomes this for Bizarro, sending him into paranoia and causing him to have hallucinations of an animated stuffed doll playing the role of his conscience.
  • Fever Dream Episode: After realizing that he is held captive next to the place he died, Jason hallucinates talking to his past self before his death. He didn't even notice he was getting interrogated and tortured until the dream ended.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: Jason's charges all bond together after just one mission, where they're forced to defeat the STAR mutants with teamwork.
  • "Flowers for Algernon" Syndrome: Bizarro finds himself suffering from one as a side effect of being exposed to Kryptonite to save his life.
  • Grand Theft Me: Essence was able to escape her prison by breaking out of the safe Jason put the sword into and possessing Isabel.
  • Greater-Scope Villain: The Underlife, a massive, world-spanning criminal organization that Jason is trying to take down on his own.
  • Giver of Lame Names: Jason turns out to be one of these out of sheer apathy, naming the dog he befriended in Mexico...Dog.
  • The Heart: Bizzaro has quickly endeared himself to both Jason and Artemis, and both are fiercely protective of him.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Bizarro stays behind the Chamber of All to stall Trigon. He ends up defeating him in one blow instead.
  • Home Base: As of issue #16, there have been three different ones:
    • At the start of the series, Jason had set his hideout in an abandoned bomb shelter under a police precinct. It was destroyed during the fight against Black Mask.
    • They temporarily used Ma Gunn's Home for the Criminally Impaired as one.
    • A massive floating building built by Bizarro after he was turned into a genius. It self destruct once Bizarro returns to his normal self.
  • Hope Crusher: How the Untitled works. They prey on hope in order to unsuspectingly infect people and multiply their troops. But it doesn't affect cynic people like Jason or General Glory.
  • Idiot Ball: One meeting after he's seen attempting to assassinate the major in public, Jason is told that he'll be the heir to Black Mask's criminal empire. He then fails a test, is seen by Black Mask's men working alongside an enemy, is captured and unmasked, and is straight-up told by Black Mask himself that the latter had the former's iris scanned. And somehow, Jason doesn't even suspect that his cover has been blown.
  • Informed Attribute: The basis of the series is Jason infiltrating Gotham underworld and pose as a criminal Overlord to take it down from the inside but the series itself hasn't shown Jason doing anything remotely criminal.
  • In Medias Res: We begin vol. 2 with Jason in the midst of attempting to assassinate the Gotham City mayor. It's later revealed that he did this so that the underworld, and specifically Black Mask, will be keen to work with him.
  • Irony: Jason's own "Bat-cave" is a repurposed bomb shelter underneath a police station. Even Batman is amused.
    Batman: "Your new hideout is a bomb shelter beneath a police station. Too clever by half, Jason."
  • In the Hood: Jason ditches the iconic red helmet in favor of a red hoodie.
  • Jerk Ass Ball: Some of the Detective Comics team take ahold of one in issue #15 by acting noticeably more abrasive than usual, even toward each other and even in the context of their skirmish with the Outlaws.
  • Just Friends: What Artemis and Jason agree to be after kissing each other again. But both know they're lying to each other.
    Artemis: "Honestly? It was like kissing my brother."
    Jason: "I was thinking the same thing, and I have four brothers."
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: Penguin conveniently forgot Jason's face after he recovered from being shot in the face.
  • Let's You and Him Fight: In issue #15, The Outlaws' activities attract the attention of the Gotham Knights from Detective Comics (led by Batwoman) when Bizarro broadcasts a suspicious message declaring all Gotham vigilantes but the Outlaws unnecessary. After the Knights kidnap Bizarro for interrogation, Jason and Artemis arrive at the Belfry, leading to a full-blown brawl between the two teams.
  • Lesser of Two Evils: The reason why Jason volunteered to accept Luthor's offer to train his new army. It's either him or some other psycho like the Joker or Cheetah.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Jason shows that he didn't lose his touch during the Prince of Gotham arc as he manipulates Batman, Wingman, The Penguin, Bunker, Essence and Suzie Su into following his plans.
  • The Mole: The entire concept of this iteration of the Outlaws is based on this, with Jason leading Artemis and Bizarro on a crusade against the crime in Gotham City while posing as criminals themselves. Only Batman, Nightwing, and Red Robin are aware of this for certain.
  • Ms. Fanservice: In issue #21 while Jason is playing poker a blonde bombshell named Emory ends up flirting with Jason as he leaves the table with her she is wearing a red two-piece dress with a skirt on the bottom and another piece covering her chest which is showing off her big cleavage, and her stomach is exposed.
  • Not a Date: Artemis takes out Jason under the pretense of having a date in issue #19 but she only wanted to have a private talk with Jason about Bizarro. Jason was disappointed when he realized Artemis' plans.
  • Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Appears that way as of Issue 25, which ends with Bizarro and Artemis disappearing into another dimension to prevent their base from crashing into Gotham City, but Red Hood being kicked out of the Bat-Family for seemingly killing the Penguin in cold blood. Ultimately subverted, as none of those changes stick.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: Jason dons shades and a fake mustache to infiltrate the Iceberg Lounge but he's recognized by the Penguin almost immediately.
  • Pet the Dog: As soon as he find Bizarro and the circumstances of his birth, Jason takes it upon himself to become Bizarro's mentor and protector, constantly putting his life on the line to help Bizarro find his place in the world. Over time this dynamic grows into a parent-son one, with Jason as the parent and Bizarro as the son.
  • Place Beyond Time: The Chamber of All exists outside time and space allowing anyone inside it to travel anytime and anywhere.
  • Red Herring: Issues 34 and 35 heavily imply Jason having ties with Leviathan, but ultimately is revealed during Event Leviathan that he has no relationship to it.
  • Red Skies Crossover: The DC Year of the Villain crossover boils down to Luthor offering Jason to be a teacher for villainous metahumans. The Doom signal from Doom Rising is shown shining in the sky in a later chapter, but it's pretty much ignored by the group as more pressing concerns take priority.
  • Refuge in Audacity: After learning that Jason came back to Gotham to take over Penguin's Iceberg Lounge after his exile, Batman confronts him intending to drag him out. Jason calmly surrenders himself, reminding Batman that it's the Red Hood who killed Penguin, not Jason Todd. He goads the latter to try to charge him for attempted murder and explain why he's dragging one of Bruce Wayne's sons to Jail. Batman can't do anything but leave him alone.
  • Related in the Adaptation: Ma Gunn, the headmistress of the school that Jason was enrolled in shortly after his Post-Cris debut, is revealed to be Willis Todd's Mother and Jason's paternal grandmother. Also, Wingman is revealed to be Willis Todd.
  • The Reveal: Solitary is revealed to be Jason's father. Or maybe, since Jason remembers that his father has a Batarang shaped mark on his right arm and Solidary doesn't have it. Then it turns out that Wingman is Jason's father after Jason left Gotham again.
  • Reunion Vow: Jason promises Isabel to return for Dog before leaving Gotham at the end of Prince of Gotham
  • Revisiting the Roots: As part of the Rebirth initiative, Jason's Post-Crisis origin is brought back alongside elements from his story that hadn't seen referenced in decades like Ma Gunn.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Jason's motivation for taking down the Underlife is Roy's death in Heroes in Crisis
  • Rousing Speech: One happens in a protest in Qurac. It's actually a ploy from the Untitled to prey and assimilate on the unsuspecting protesters.
  • Safety Gear Is Cowardly: Jason's new costume doesn't offer any real protection this time around as he traded his costume armor for a t-shirt, jeans, and a mask.
  • Shame If Something Happened: Jason's return from exile sees him take over Penguin's casino. Batman angrily breaks into the casino to arrest Jason for breaking their agreement but Jason smugly points out that should he be arrested not only would he need to explain his side of the story in full detail but should Batman actually convince authorities to place him in Arkham, it'd just give him easy access to the Joker.
  • Sharp-Dressed Man: As the new owner of the Iceberg Lounge, Jason takes to wear a classy three-piece ensemble befitting of his new status.
  • She Is Not My Girlfriend: Jason immediately denies that Dr. Shay Veritas is his girlfriend when teased by Cloud 9.
  • Shout-Out:
    • The way Jason's attack on Roman's limo is drawn very similar to the S.U.V. action set-piece from Deadpool.
    • Lobdell loves to put literary references on his stories focused on Bizarro. Issue #7 cover is a direct one to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men while the entire plot of Bizarro Reborn is a huge shoutout to Keyes' Flowers for Algernon
    • Generation Outlaw is very obviously inspired by Lobdell's own work in Generation X, complete with Jason taking all the kids in ala Professor X.
    • Jason teases Batman by asking him if he's quoting Pretty Woman at him.
  • Stalker without a Crush: A new character named Solitary introduces himself as being the one responsible for bringing this iteration of the Outlaws together and showing extensive knowledge of their activities in issue 19.
  • Shifting Voice of Madness: Bizarro slips into using his regular "Bizarro-speak" or regular speech at random times as the side effects of being exposed to Kryptonite start to wear off.
  • The Gambling Addict: In issue #21 Jason is at the Iceberg Lounge in Gotham in the casino wing and playing poker or as it's called “Gotham Hold’em” and purposely wins a lot to attract the attention of the Penguin.
  • Thou Shall Not Kill: Bruce makes Jason promise not to kill anyone as an agreement so he can operate in Gotham. Jason upholds his promise until he shoots The Penguin in live television
  • Timey-Wimey Ball: In the Chamber of All, time flows in different ways allowing the past iterations of the outlaws to help out the current team.
  • Unscrupulous Hero: Played with, Jason is at his most vicious during the Outlaw as a means to cope with Roy's death in Heroes in Crisis but he mellows out once he defeats the Underlife and returns to Gotham.
  • Unperson: Jason is exiled from Gotham thanks to seemingly killing Penguin on live TV. While it's revealed that Penguin is still alive, Bruce still forbade him to return to Gotham.
  • Wig, Dress, Accent: Jason's disguise as Mr. Spanky, complete with glasses and a southern accent to infiltrate Penguin's lounge.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: The common link between all three members of the "Dark Trinity" can be summed up as them living in the shadow of their mentors.


Top