Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 seemed to be surrounded by controversy from day one. If it wasn't the sexiness of Starfire, than it was the violence of Jason and Roy. Issue two hit stores yesterday, and Scott Lobdell wanted to set the record straight on a number of topics with an interview with Newsarama. Below are the questions regarding ties to The Batman Universe.
Newsarama: Scott, the first issue of Red Hood and the Outlaws had a high level of action, energy and sexiness. Was that the tone you were hoping to achieve? And will that be the style of the story and art going forward?
Scott Lobdell: Certainly that was the tone for the first issue… but there is an old saying in writing: "You can't end every sentence on an exclamation point!" That is, if every issue had the same tone it is bound to get boring really quickly. I know as of right now, the action shares equal time with the emotional core of the characters in issue #3, issue #4 and #5 is more horror but still maintains a high level of action, and issue #6 is as close as this series will come to a "love story" as we learn how Jason and Kori first met. The issue is called "Before" — and it is actually planned to be a quasi-ongoing series of stand alone issues throughout the series where we'll be going back and revealing things that happened before the events of issue one.
Newsarama: Let's talk about Jason Todd. He was shown with a bat symbol on his chest, yet he obviously wants to distance himself from the Bat family. Now that the nature of his character has been revealed in issue #1, how would you describe his motivation and status in this series?
Scott Lobdell: I think Jason sees Batman — his mentor — as an exceptionally flawed hero obsessed with cleaning up the streets of a city that will, frankly, never ever be cleaned up. To that end, as far as Jason is concerned, Batman is on something of a fool's errand trying to accomplish something that will never happen. To that end, Jason sets much smaller and manageable goals for himself. Break Roy out of prison, check. Investigate slaughter of ancient assassin monks, check. Destroy the Untitled, check. When Jason sees a problem, he's going to deal with it — with a degree of finality that a Batman does not, because of his rather rigid moral code. In issue #6, we'll learn exactly why the bat is on his current costume.
Newsarama: Issue #3's solicitations indicates we'll hear a lot more about these characters' "memories" and their revamped pasts in this DCU. Is that the issue readers should watch for explanations? Anything you can tell us about what we'll see in #2 and #3?
Scott Lobdell: I think with each issue we'll learn more and more about each character — as is the way with most monthly comic book series since the creation of serialized adventures. Not only would I tell readers they'll learn a lot more about the characters in issue #3, I'd tell them they'll learn more about the characters in every issue. But to answer your specific question, issue #3 is going to show us why Kori is someone you want on your side, always — both in the present and the past. We also pick up some more clues as to Roy and Ollie's original relationship, and a cameo from a Batman character who helped turn Roy's life around at his lowest ebb. Also, we get to see what's really important to a guy like Jason who tires to make it clear that he finds very little sacred or worthwhile.
For the entire interview, including a reaction to the response of issue one, head over to Newsarama. Red Hood and the Outlaws #2 is in stores now.
Posted by Dustin Fritschel
