Red Hood: The Hill (Red Hood: The Hill

by Shawn Martinbrough, Tony Akins (artist), Moritat (artist)

The Hill was once one of Gotham's most dangerous suburbs, and its residents joined forces to keep themselves safe when the police—and even Batman—couldn’t. A team of vigilantes called the Watch has managed to keep the gentri-fying suburb safe from its latest outbreak of crime, but will even the addition of Jason Todd as the Red Hood be enough to protect the Hill? Collects Red The Hill #0-6, including the story's beginnings from Red Outlaw #51-52.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes

Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2025

About the author

Shawn Martinbrough is the author of “How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling”, published by Random House and reprinted in several languages. He is a critically acclaimed creator/artist whose DC Comics, Marvel and Dark Horse Comics projects include “Batman: Detective Comics”, “Luke Cage Noir”, “Captain America”, “The Black Panther” and “Hellboy”.

Shawn has co-created characters featured in the films, “Deadpool”, “Justice League”, the animated “Batman: Gotham Knights” and the FOX television series “GOTHAM” and “The GIFTED”.

Shawn is the artist of “Thief of Thieves”, published by Skybound/Image Comics. The celebrated graphic novel crime series is written by Robert Kirkman, co-creator of “The Walking Dead” and Eisner Award nominees Andy Diggle and Brett Lewis.

Shawn’s current graphic novel project is “Prométhée 13:13”, presented by ComiXology and French publisher Delcourt. “Prométhée 13:13” is a prequel to the best-selling French bandes dessinées by Christophe Bec and is exclusively on the digital comic platform ComiXology, an Amazon company.

Shawn’s work has been covered by Vanity Fair, USA Today, BBC World America, The New York Times, The Associated Press, ABC News, NBC News, The Washington Post, NPR, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, BET, Essence, Ebony, The New York Daily News, Publisher’s Weekly, SiriusXM and others.

Shawn has been a featured guest and panelist at comic conventions in San Diego, New York, Washington, D.C., the UK, Paris, Angoulême, São Paulo, Rome and Algiers.

As an artist, Shawn has given lectures on his career at Walt Disney Animation, Lockheed Martin, The Pentagon, TEDx Mid Atlantic, The California African American Museum, The Society of Illustrators, the School of Visual Arts, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Columbia University, The University of Michigan, The Savannah College of Art and Design, The Barrie School, The 100 Black Men of America Conferences and the Book Expo of America.

Inspired by Shawn’s TEDx Talk, which explored storytelling and themes of inclusion, The George Lucas Foundation consulted with Shawn to develop the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Summer Studio. Co-hosted by the Boys and Girls Club in South Central Los Angeles, Shawn worked with a team of artists and educators to provide an intensive two week workshop culminating with each student creating their own mini comic book.

Shawn is a Native New Yorker and an alum of both the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art/Performing Arts and The School of Visual Arts.

He currently lives, draws and writes in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Reviews

[mikey · Rating 1 out of 5]

this isn't a red hood story, it's a story that just includes him in it. it's a confusing story that doesn't make a lot of sense with too many characters you just can't care about in seven issues, they really fumbled this

[Arianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story centers around a group of literally-who vigilantes who are fighting to protect their literally-who-cares Gotham neighborhood against a... shoe designer? It's set in the titular neighborhood that everyone cares SO MUCH about - how could I not be interested in this fictional place when I know so many things about it, like the fact there's a diner, a shoe store and even a house owned by Jason Todd?

There are so many irrelevant characters, and only one (Dana) has anything to do , with the other ones being useless extras whose purpose is to try and fool the reader into thinking this story has any substance.
The Red Hood is in this series too, of course, doing interesting Red Hood things such as painting a wall, eating at a diner, and fucking a waitress.

[lixie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only bought this because it's a Jason comic but wow the plot was so underwhelming and silly at times because what do you mean The Big Bad is a fashion designer who makes clothing based of off the rogues... Gang/Turf wars are also kind of getting old too. Jason has minimal appearances in this, which kind of sucked for me but maybe that could have been fixed by an interesting supporting cast but The Watch characters felt really superficial and just didn't connect with me.
The art and the covers were nice though plus Jason's wearing my favorite Red Hood look. But everything else?? Meh.

[Arkham · Rating 2 out of 5]

An extremely mediocre book that isn’t worth much. I like Red Hold but he’s barely in it for being the title character.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this because it’s Jason Todd but…

It doesn’t feel like a Red Hood story. It’s actually a story about a different group of vigilantes that he happens to know and is currently in their area. He has minimal page time.

The story itself felt a little meh. Gang warfare and crime hidden behind a fashion company selling villain inspired clothing. I was very underwhelmed.

I couldn’t get on with the characters depictions. They didn’t feel consistent and there was a large number of characters, maybe too many for such a small limited series. It got a little confusing who was who.

This is the start of a bigger planned series but I’m not sure if I’ll be reading it … actually who am I kidding? If Jason’s in it, of course I’ll read it.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Lauren Shawcross · Rating 5 out of 5]

you people are SO hard on this book and for what! jason can't listen to the beatnuts and hook up with a waitress? there can't be side characters? a villain who sells streetwear is beneath the caliber of the batman-adjacent universe? sure, get the clown guy back in here... we are serious comic readers, god damn it, and we hate fun!

people complain about dc writers not knowing what direction to take jason in, resulting in the character always floundering between villainous black sheep prodigal son and the misunderstood antihero with a heart of gold, but i'm starting to think people just hate whenever there is a portrayal that isn't literally just "under the red hood" (and maaaayybe lost days, but people seem to hate that now too...)

this run features a mature jason, someone who has a past but is able to navigate a complex and textured world and its relationships. i will concede that he isn't in the book a lot considering it's literally a red hood book, often taking a back seat to the watch and in particular his friend dana, but i found the characters to be compelling enough that i didnt mind.

i guess critics didn't like the comparatively low-stakes street-level feel, but to me it was classic gotham and i appreciated the grounded storytelling after the awful awful mess that was scott lobdell's red hood and the outlaws: rebirth run (and in lobdell's defense, i'm one of like five people who actually loved the new52 rhato, warts and all).

anyway, i'm a fan. the art is good too.

[John Reimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

wasn't a bad read. just felt like it wasn't a Red Hood story and more of a story for the Watch. it may because i didn't read anything since the rebirth red hood and the outlaws but it all just seemed out of nowhere to me

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking the end of "Red Hood: Outlaw" and finishing it up here, we get a story of Red Hood moving into a poor neighborhood of Gotham known as "The Hill". The story has him working with The Watch (who was last seen in the Joker War) against a criminal who acts a lot like Cottonmouth (from Marvel). For me, this was a good story, but not much of it will stick with me for long. Red Hood has proved that he is best when with other characters and teams like The Outlaws or the Bat-family.
If you love the character, recommend. Otherwise, you could skip it.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jason in his minimal appearances is fine, his usual snarky self with a secret heart of gold. But the plot is so unnecessarily convoluted and there are a million characters who serve little purpose. Also sorry but are we supposed to know why Jason knows Dana and Denise? I've forgotten a lot of poor Jason's bad books at this point >>

[Peyton F · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are severely lacking side characters that are not a part of some “family.” In recent years, the idea of a group of people sharing similar ideas or powers, such as the flash or Batman, have become “Families” that don’t seem to feature a main aspect that leads people to fight crime usually: the normal people. Fighting for the little guy and all that.

Jason Todd, Batman’s second Robin, has been aimless since his conception. He’s been the knockoff of dick Grayson (the first robin), he’s been this nothing character until his last few issues as Robin showed him to be rage full and prone to not-Bat-friendly violence. For several years, Jason was the dead one, and then the vengeful one. With the New-52, he became the leader of a team called the “Outlaws,” consisting of him, Speedy (Green Arrow’s sidekick) and Starfire, which then carried over into the Rebirth era with Jason, Artemis (Wonder Woman character) and Bizarro (evil but quite stupid version of Superman).

Then Jason lost that team, the title being renamed to “Red Hood: Outlaw”

Then outlaw was dropped.

Then, Red Hood lost his series.

Near the end of the red hood run, Shawn Martinborough wrote about “The Hill.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Hill has its origins in the no man’s land books, and were then carried over to the Joker War event and 51-52 of Red Hood. What the Hill was shaping up to be was an area of Gotham that Batman didn’t even visit. Red hood was set to be one of a few protectors (as there were vigilantes after the joker war thing) and these vigilantes would team up with Jason for this book.

It gave Jason a family, again, but it also gave a group of normal people. These books have Jason start seeing a waitress of a diner in The Hill. The book’s focus on Hood and another vigilante — whose name fails me atm — fighting off this fashion designer who also runs a secret mob.

I think the thing that really took me out of this book is its pacing. Idk if it needed 5 books (7 counting 51-52, or “issue 0”). It sometimes felt padded and long and Jason oftentimes got pushed to the back, despite this being his new reside city, or neighborhood.

So this series ends, and then we were gonna get Jason in a new series, where he’d —

Start in a new location, find a bond with someone new (this time huntress) and solve mysteries in a new “reside town.” But then the series got canceled after an (albeit strong) issue 1.

Damn, Jason Todd can’t catch a break. Please just give him a new home 😭😭

[Alek Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I remember reading the three issues by Martinbrough that started "The Hill" story after Lodbell's "Outlaw" run finally ended in 2020, and it wasn't good then. It seems DC saw something in "The Hill" and 4 years later have decided to pick up where it left off, with issue 0 being the original three issues back in 2020.

I figured that maybe those first three issues were bad because the author had been told the Red Hood title was moving to "Taskforce Z" and they had to cut the story short. Which may have explained the vague and confusing plot. But after reading through the terrible issue 0 again and then the six other issues; I can confirm it was just bad writing.

"The Hill" is an underdeveloped story with a confusing and often random plot. But most of all it was a disappointment that served no purpose in portraying the Red Hood. What I had hoped would have been a story with a more street perspective of Gotham, that focused on Jason's past and understanding of the more impoverished Gothamites. Was instead a weird turf war between two new characters. There were some interesting elements to this story, like the Grand Imperial, but sadly instead of going into further detail they would just introduce something else that was new. The story lacked a lot of moments that provided necessary background that would have helped make things interesting and definitely less confusing.

You think Martinbrough would have learned not to write a story like you're gonna get a sequel with what happened in 2020.

[Maxine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this was good. I liked the idea of vigilantes and rogues alike rising out of a gentrified neighborhood with a history of gang violence. The new characters were fun. And the art was really fun to look at (anything with art by Sanford Greene is okay in my book!).

But, as much as I loved the art and story concept and the new characters, I have to take points off for Martinbrough's major problem: he doesn't know anything about the Red Hood, and he also clearly doesn't care. He writes Jason as a 40-something-year-old guy (isn't he only in his mid-20s? The characters talk about how Joker War just recently happened) who purchases and sits on real estate in gentrified neighborhoods, lounges around in khaki pants and polo shirts, and listens in "Hall & Oats" vinyls. When talking with the new vigilante characters in this series, this version of Jason feels more like Batman than he does Red Hood, routinely warning them against using lethal force and killing (even though that's a big part of his own brand).

(Seriously, reading this series really felt like Martinbrough had never even /heard/ of Jason Todd/Red Hood before, and had absolutely no idea of how to write the guy. I question how he ended up writing a "Red Hood" series.)

I just feel like anyone who picks this series up for Jason/Red Hood content is going to be really disappointed.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Less about Red Hood than it is about this new team on The Hill, but enjoyable nonetheless. It follows a story after the occurrences in Joker War and how they influence this small province in Gotham.

A good story to me is good characters, and the connection felt in this comic was heartwarming. Basic themes of friendship and family are taken to the next level in an action packed arc, but still tie into character motivations. In a way, everyone is protecting who and what they love.

The storytelling uses a formula that becomes predictable after a while (but that’s just most comics), and takes a bit of intrigue away. Another lackluster point was the characterization in Batman’s brief appearances, but at least he isn’t beating up his son like other Red Hood comics?

Jason himself appears briefly despite the comic being named after him, and it’s nice to see a story where you can feel his growth seep into his interactions with these new heroes, sort of as a mentor figure. I liked it!

[Renae Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, the story itself wasn’t bad. Definitely confusing at times, but I liked the focus on a neighborhood outside of Gotham downtown and how they dealt with the aftermath of Joker War. The art was great too. However! This was very clearly a case of someone having an idea for original characters with their own self-contained story that was then like, “hmmm, how are we actually going to make sure this series sells and has a chance to be discovered? I know, let’s have it so Jason Todd is also there! He’s just hanging out now, right?”

Like, it didn’t even feel like Jason Todd. The characterization felt so different and disjointed from what we just saw in Outlaw. And he was a side character anyway! In what was supposed to be his own series! Why call it “Red Hood: The Hill” other than to market it? I also didn’t like the weird “oh, yeah, they aren’t just acquaintances, but they’ve been really close friends for ages” when we’ve literally never heard of any of these people. It just struck me as super weird and took away from my enjoyment of what would’ve been an good series on its own.

[akiiKOMORI reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah....
So the first two issues were hard to read not gonna lie, didn't like the paneling or the art or the script but that's like a personal choice.
It just felt like Jason was a guest star on a comic that has his name on it.
And being a Jason Fangirl I obviously picked this up - ugh I was so wrong. All the ragrats.
And obviously Batman is on the cover so.......
In the end I don't know what the heck this was, a limited run featuring Batman and Red Hood.
At the very least the paneling and the flow and the script got better.
This was just not the tea sis.

SKIP THIS.

Jason is not a guest star when the book has HIS NAME ON IT.
It was basically all about Strike and the Hill and the villain and just it was not what I wanted out of a Jason book.
Nah dog, I'd like to unload this if possible... How much can I sell this for.

[Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ongoing attempt to give each of the 'Bat-family' a homebase that isn't Gotham...
(can't have them all bumping into each other near Batman)

Nightwing? - Bludhaven
Tim Drake? - Gotham Marina
Red Hood? = The Hill
----
This really isn't a Red Hood book. It's a 'backdoor pilot' to showcase new Gotham neighborhood heroes. They can do better with Jason Todd. I understand wanting to expand Gotham, but this just felt tacked on.

[Gerry Sacco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this a lot. Not sure why it's not higher rated. Good art that had a nice flow to it. And really liked the dialogue. Almost felt Luke Cage-like in story.

Good stuff, 4 stars.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a fascinating mess but still worth a read.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Iamtree · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5 stars)

[Faith Suprak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a red hood book, fragmented, never found out what was in the gift box???

[GrimDucky ☠️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow start, strong finish. My only real issue was that Red Hood was more of a side character.

[Geethika Atluri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted more of Red Hood and less of the neighborhood watch
I think it's an okay story
just not what I wanted

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s actually really good just doesn’t focus on Jason Todd enough and the side characters are really the main characters of this story.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t get into it and reading other’s reviews I’m apparently not the only one who didn’t like it. Red Hood didn’t have as big of a role as he should have in his own title.

[Ham Sandwich · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of Jason being a side character in his own story