Red Hood and the Outlaws, Vol. 2: Who is Artemis?

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016)

by Scott Lobdell, Dexter Soy

Writer Scott Lobdell (SUPERMAN, TEEN TITANS) and artist Dexter Soy (RED HOOD/ARSENAL) shed fiery light on the Outlaws’ most mysterious member in RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS VOL. 2: WHO IS ARTEMIS?

Little is known about the Amazon warrior Artemis, even by her teammates in the so-called “Outlaws.” But Red Hood and Bizarro are about to get a crash course when her past comes back to haunt all three of them—with a vengeance!

Soon the team finds itself a long way from the streets of Gotham in Qurac[AR1] . Not only is the war-torn Middle Eastern country Artemis’ former home, it’s also the site of great personal tragedy for both the wayward Amazon and for Red Hood. It was in Qurac where Artemis lost her best friend, and where Jason Todd got himself murdered by the Joker, back before Robin became the Red Hood.

Now someone in Qurac is using the ancient weapon of Artemis’ people—the Bow of Ra—to commit genocide, and only an Amazon can tame its incredible power. But stopping the Bow means marching right into the middle of a war zone...and in a war between Amazons and mankind, whose side will Artemis take?

Collects RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #7-11.

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

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2017

About the author

Scott Lobdell (born 1960) is an American comic book writer.

He is mostly known for his work throughout the 1990s on Marvel Comics' X-Men-related titles specifically Uncanny X-Men, the main title itself, and the spin-off series that he conceived with artist Chris Bachalo, Generation X. Generation X focused on a number of young mutant students who attempted to become superheroes in their own right at a separate school with the guidance of veteran X-related characters Banshee and Emma Frost. He also had writing stints on Marvel's Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series with artist Gene Ha. He wrote the script to Stan Lee's Mosaic and an upcoming film from POW Entertainment featuring Ringo Starr. He also participated in the Marvel Comics and Image Comics (from Jim Lee's WildStorm) crossover mini-series WildC.A.T.s/X-Men.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always liked Red Hood/Jason Todd, but I'm still sorta surprised when I love his titles. Like, they somehow shouldn't be as good as they are, you know?



Especially since Scott Lobdell has been hit-or-miss with me. His Superman stuff wasn't always impressive or even remotely good a lot of the time.
But. Here we are. A new day!
And this was such a good story in general, but also a great origin story for Artemis and a surprisingly good facing your demons story for Jason.



And the art! Zero complaints. Fantastic stuff, very expressive. Kenneth Rocafort is one of my favorites anyway, but nothing here from the other artist(s?) was ugly or weird.



I'm genuinely looking forward to reading more about this anti-Trinity team.
Definitely recommended!

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

"People change when they come back from the dead, trust me."

Well.......that has to be the best quote I've seen in a while...

"Am I? Losing it?"

Well, well, well, well.....

"She was my best friend. She was.....more."

OMG Artemis is totally admitting Akila was her lover at one time in the past. How could I miss this?! Lol

In this second volume, the artwork is slightly different and I don't like it as much as the previous volume, but it's okay. (Nice artwork is always welcome!)

A few funny things that I had noticed:

(1.)I understand that having to crawl out of your grave sucks big time, so no one should do it more than once. XD

(2)I noticed that unlike poor Superman and poor Batman, in the New-52 Bizarro doesn't have his underpants on the outside, well good for him...good for him.

(3)Recently I've started to think Alfred should be promoted to sainthood for being the awesome guy that he is. XD

(4) Artemis keeps saying stuff like "power of the Sun God can't be entrusted to men."

Though I agree power corrupts and great power corrupts greatly, but isn't it a bit sexist for her to put the blame entirely on the menfolk? I mean there are bad men and bad women out there and it isn’t uncommon for women to treat other women like crap. But at least by the end of the story Artemis’ viewpoint does seem to change when she suggests the Amazons from her clan and the refugees to coexist.

(5) Plus judging from the first two volumes, I don't think Artemis quite qualified to be called an outlaw, so far she hasn't done anything outrageous and her clan had accepted her back!

(6) So far the Outlaws group is pretty much like.......people banding together to do group projects or just simply doing whatever they feel like doing. So.........of course Jason wouldn't dare to bring up him being the 'leader' of the group in front of Artemis. LOL

I will stop here, I don't want to bother people with my Red Hood fangirl's screaming and exclaiming.

Review for Vol. 1 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and...do excuse me for pimping my Red Hood fanart again...next time I should draw Bizarro and Artemis.

(LINK: https://www.deviantart.com/darkchildr...)

Edited@28/05/2019:

Artemis Grace chibi, done!

(Link: https://www.deviantart.com/darkchildr...)

Review for vol. 1 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Review for vol. 3 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Review: Batman: A Death in the Family https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm giving a Scott Lobdell book a 4 out of 5. I just can't fucking believe it.

Red Hood is now working with Artemis (The sexy Amazon Warrior) and Bazarro (The superman without much smarts) and they are doing GOOD! But you know these three can't do that for long. The first issue focuses on Bizarro and Jason deciding if he should kill the beast or not. The next few issues work with mostly Artemis past and by the end of the arc a lot changes but inside that arc you really see her and Jason dealing with life experiences and their past and how to overcome it. Then last issue in the volume us spoiler full so I won't talk much about it but has some of the best sad panels I've seen.

Good: I can't believe how much I'm connecting with everyone. Even Jason, who's always been my least liked in Bat Family, is really coming around. Bizzaro is a fucking joy and I love him. I even really liked Artemis journey and her acceptances of the past but willingness to move on to the future. Also the art remains solid and stylish.

Bad: The emotional moments or choices can feel a little on the nose. Also sometimes the reasoning behind what characters do doesn't make much sense. Maybe over the mystical artifact makes people bad thing.

Overall this was really fucking fun. I can't believe I enjoy a Scott Lobdell book or a Outlaws book but here we are. I hope it continues to be one of the best and most surprising DC books so far. A 3.5-4 out of 5.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Backstories galore, this volume rides on character introspection and dynamics. Thankfully, the trio continue to bounce well off each other despite the less appealing narrative, and whilst not evenly weighted, each get at least a couple of nice moments to shine. Action panels look great, as does the majority of the art. A little step down from the previous entry, there’s still a lot of fun to have and it is worth a look.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read and its amazing the way its written!

We pick up with Jason and Bizarro and well a moment between the two and him planing contingencies against his new friend and its fun the way it happens but then we ppic up with the secret history of Artemis as we learn of the Bow of Ra and the Shim'tar and her lover Akila who became its host and corrupted and well what not nd then as they go to Qurac we see them getting separated and all of them have their own adventures and I love that aspect of it until finally the big battle with Akila happens and its a super personal story for Artemis and the outlaws but at what cost..

I loved this volume as its pretty much just exploring the new characters and does do a good job of giving character moments and exploration and I love the payoff with Artemis and her new status quo and also does a good job of portraying this villain in Akila and showing the dark side of too much power. The art is again amazing and makes the writing so much better but its the next volume thas prompting me to read it fast!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria. What is happening? Scott Lobdell wrote the entire run of Red Hood and the Outlaws and it was awful. Now we've gotten our second great arc with Rebirth.

In the first issue Jason is troubled by if he's doing the right thing with Bizarro, and struggles with what to do reminiscent of "Of Mice and Men". Then we move into Artemis's new origin and we head to Qurac. Lobdell splits up the team and they all get moments to shine. Even Bizarro, whose every appearance has annoyed the crap out of me for the last 40 years, is likable. In fact, he might be my favorite character.

Well done, Scott Lobdell. It's taken 20+ years, but you've finally written a comic I enjoy.

Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one!

Again, I’m continually surprised by how well balanced and well written this series is. And Artemis feels like a real character! I have yet to feel like she’s being sexualized or treated like a side kick.

While the last volume told Rebirth!Jason’s origin, this volume tells Artemis’ origin. She has a very interesting backstory and quite a bit of this tale involves her close “friend” Akila. This is where I wonder if DC refused to allow Lobdell to make them gay or if he personally decided not to go that far. We get panels of them being rather close, looking at each other affectionately and Artemis says “We we’re sisters... we were more.” So, it’s clear they were lesbians, Harold. Why not go that extra step? I’m confused.

Anyway, throughout this volume, I never felt like that was being sensationalized or sexualized so, I’m thankful for that.

There’s quite a bit of Jason struggling with what the right thing to do is regarding Bizarro. All other Superman clones were destroyed before they were “born”. There’s even an Of Mice and Men moment that broke my heart. But, I’m loving where his partnership with Red Him and Red Her has gone.

The chemistry between the three of them is great. I love getting more insight into this Jason’s history.

I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Artemis' origin story, her banter with Jason is great.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]
Go back in time and tell past-me that the New 52 Red Hood & The Outlaws just needs to be skipped, because this is like a totally different book.

Scott Lobdell is doing some superb work with these three characters, bringing the focus away from Jason Todd and onto Artemis for this second storyline that puts her unique tribe of Amazons in the spotlight, as well as shedding some light on her new Rebirth origin and giving Bizarro some character defining moments along the way. The balance between the three characters has rotated nicely after the first Jason-heavy arc, and I fully expect the Bizarro arc that follows to do the same. I thoroughly enjoyed every issue of this arc, and I am just as surprised as you are to say that about two volumes in a row.

We get Kenneth Rocafort to pencil the prologue issue here, and if you've got him on your 'fill-in' story, you're doing something right. Then series artist Dexter Soy returns, and his art remains as dependable and fluid as ever. I enjoy his inks as well as his pencils, they really give the characters good depth, and he seems to have hit his stride after pencilling 12+ issues and only taking a break for one.

Yep, I'm in shock too, but Red Hood & The Outlaws is pretty damn good. Whodathunk?

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still really enjoying this series, love the dynamic of these characters and nice to read more Jason. This story gave us a story centred around Artemis which was nice to see a bit of her history and her and Jason confront their past.

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is happeneing? Are we in the Upside Down??!!!

World: The art for the most part is good, it's not as good as the last arc and Soy and others do a good job but it's just not the same. That being said the Bizarro issue really had ugly colors and lines making it not my cup of tea. The art has been really restrained which is not what I usually expect from a Lobdell written book, the cleavage shots are there but not excessive so wow editors do know how tone him down. I did however did not like the Joker licking the crowbar...not needed. The world building on the otherhand for this arc is fantastic, really fantastic. The creation of the second Amazonian city and the chosen warrior was interesting and putting them in Quarac and their patron being Ra was just brilliant. Also the stuff with Jason, yes it's been done so many times and it's been covered by so many tones and angles but here in this arc with the character moments it was great and world changing for Jason, good job Lobdell... (holy crap I just said that).

Story: Lobdell has made a character book, I can't believe it and I will keep saying that because I just simpy cannot believe I'm reading this book and he's the writer. This books focus is on character and that makes this so much more than the action punch punch smash smash that this book is. The quiet moments in this book in the first 3 issues were fantastic, this is what we need more in superhero books, a weighted reason for the fight and to care when it happens. The pacing is perfect, the Bizarro issue moved me and so did Artemis and her background it was so good. Great story.

Characters: I can't believe I'm going to say that Jason's story is interesting here. So many writers has done the Joker crowbar scene and the brooding angsty kid that can't get past that anger but Lobdell did something here that I don't know if he will stick with but he let Jason have resolution and move on. I love that, please let it stick. I also felt that Jason found his personal voice a lot more this arc that separates himself from the other Robins. Artemis' arc and origin is so good and well thought out and just different enough and tied into Wonder Woman enough to be amazing. Her origin was just so good and informs the character that she is, she's much more consistent this arc and her personal voice is starting to come through. I did not really like the forehead to forehead scene at the end of the book as I felt it was not earned but it was a quiet tender moment that I really enjoyed (but please don't make them a thing, please). Bizarro, is great, he's simple but great and I look forward to more of him discovering the world and finding his place, I really want to explore him as a character.

I can't believe that Lobdell went form tits ass and explosions to quiet moments, characters and story. Read this if not for the story but for proof that unicorns exist and they can poop rainbows.

Onward to the next book!

[Batastrophe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, like so many others, continue to be pleasantly surprised by this iteration of the Outlaws. And I mean, it's quite a surprise.

This volume begins by telling a slower-paced, more emotional story about Jason and Bizarro's relationship. There's action, but it also takes the time to slow down and delve into some of Jason and Bizarro's history and emotions.



What I like the most about this iteration of the Outlaws is how this time around it's clear what the emotional focus is for each character's story is, as well as the main emotional focus of the series: this is a story about Jason, and that's clear no matter what else is going on plot-wise. My favorite detail of this series so far is how we periodically see little flashbacks that Jason has as he's reminded of his past. These moments do an incredible amount to inform Jason's character.



This is the kind of stuff I just eat up, and also the kind of stuff that isn't always there in comic books. I'm always up for a good fight scene, but I'm usually far more interested in why the characters are fighting, y'know?

Speaking of, I really enjoyed the backstory we got on Artemis and Akila. It really gave her some much-needed background, and was a good story as well.

I also love that this book doesn't get distracted with any superhero in-fighting, as often happens in comics. I'm so tired of each time two characters on the same side disagree, they turn to their fists first. But here, Jason and Artemis are having a rather large disagreement, but through it all they've got each other's backs and don't let it come between them as teammates, which is something I absolutely love.



The book offers a nice character-driven story and I think the tone fits the book perfectly. I almost have a hard time believing that I'm saying this, but Red Hood and the Outlaws is so far one of the best-written books in Rebirth, and it's one that shouldn't be missed.

Though I do have to dock points for the (thankfully brief) return of the dreaded mouth-helmet.

[Emma Gerts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can we all say queer-baiting? Despite this comic being entitled "Who is Artemis?" I finished it still not feeling like I have any real sense of her character or who she is. Jason remains far and away the most interesting and fleshed out character, though the brief moments of insight about Bizzaro's development and learning to be human were intriguing. Artemis' relationship with Akira just felt weird - she keeps referring to her as "friend" and "sister", but the dialogue and the art, to me, were saying they were lovers. Given that we know the Amazons are canonically lesbian and bisexual I can't see any reason for this sort of queer baiting, which was off putting. Overall I enjoyed the story and Jason remains a really interesting and entertaining character, but I think more work needs to be done on fleshing out Artemis and Bizzaro for this team to really work.

[Andi Sink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started sweating bullets when I saw this story was taking us back to Qurac. Suffice it to say, comics don’t have a great track record of tackling middle eastern politics, even in fictitious countries. (Remember when the joker couldn’t face consequences for killing Jason bc he was appointed Iranian ambassador to the UN? The 80s were weird.) this was shockingly well-handled though? I’m not crazy, right? This was actually good and interesting? It’s not 1:1 but there’s even an anti-Israel, pro one-state solution message in there if you look at it through a real-world lens, though I doubt that was intentional on Lobdell’s part. No one’s gonna win a Nobel peace prize here, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The character work is the real star of the show. Jason’s arc is just incredible. We get to see him processing grief and trauma in a really tactile way, without the trauma-porn tendencies of Jason’s worst stories. And there’s a good reason so many of these panels went triple platinum on tumblr back in the day, the art is great. Major props to Artemis too, a little convoluted at times but overall a great origin for a character I wasn’t familiar with before this. Bizarro is def a side character in this story, but he gets a few memorable moments.

All in all: tight storytelling, even a step up from volume 1


Strong 4

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it just me, or are the comic volumes getting smaller? I have some that are almost 200 pages, and this one is not even 150.I feel like there should have been at least one more volume, to finish up the story line. Bizarro is dead? hurt? IDK. It does end on an emotional note, and I did enjoy seeing the characters grow and become closer. The art is not my favorite, but it is consistent through out the run and is decent enough. The story line is pretty good too, if it is a bit clichéd.
Over all, looking for more of this series next year, as it comes out collected like this.

[Eri · Rating 5 out of 5]

why are comics writers so rude honestly but as usual cried a lot over Jason typical

review to come

[Aarthika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series!

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 🌟

The Outlaws go to Quarac to find the Bow of Ra.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Story: Before it gets into Artemis' story the first issues explains a little bit more about Bizzaro and where he came from. It also explains that at some point in time they may be forced to deal with him, permanently but this is not that time.
Artemis is looking for a weapon that was gifted to her people from the Gods, and if the right person uses it it is a weapon of mass destruction. It was in Gotham at one point but now it's back to where it all started, and not just for Artemis but for Jason too. They find out it is back in Quarac, the place where Artemis' home is hidden from the world and the place where The Joker killed Jason. Their plane is shot down by the Quarac military and the three of them are separated. Jason is taken by the military, Bizzarro lands in a civilian area and they ask him for help; while Artemis lands at home and is faced with the embodiment of her guilt. Jason hears one story and Artemis hears another which side is right and will Artemis be able to stand up and do the right thing?

Art: Mirko Colak does issue 7 and I really like it except for the eyes, the eyes all look small and beady. Kenneth Rocafort draws the prologue wonderfully, great action and attention to detail. Dexter Soy takes over for the rest of the volume and does a fantastic job at it. Some brilliant coloring by Veronica Gandini and Dan Brown.

Characters: Red Hood and the Outlaws consist of Jason Todd who was once a Robin, but was brutally murdered by The Joker and brought back to life by the Lazarus Pit and is now Red Hood. Artemis is an Amazon much like Wonder Woman except years ago a small fraction of the Amazons left Themyscira and found another pantheon to shelter them. And Bizarro a Superman clone gone wrong, the only surviving clone from that failed experiment.

Review: It's Jason Todd so I'm pretty much going to love it. He is one of my favorite characters from the Batman series, I love guys with tortured pasts and who are kinda assholes. The overall story was downright good. It was captivating and entertaining. It shows real character development for Jason and Artemis. It was a great story I couldn't put it down.

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kind of reminded me of comics before they became convoluted crossover messes. We have a great, self-contained story that moves at a decent clip and has as much heart as it does action. The art is also really good, with special mention going to the panel where Bizarro gets punched and you can see his skin ripple.

The only thing that I thought was weird was some of the onomatopoeia that was used. "Grab" and "shove" are a bit on the nose. It didn't detract from the book, it was just an unusual choice.

[☆]

tellement de bonnes choses dans ce tome, j’ai vraiment aimé en apprendre davantage sur le personnage d’artemis et son passé, c'est vraiment une badass. leur trio est si rafraîchissant et amusant à suivre. ils me plaisent vraiment. l'issue avec bizarro m’a fait pleurer WOW. j'ai adoré les flashbacks de robin, je suis un jaybin stan avant tout! pas aimé le changement d’art, et vraiment contente que dexter soy soit revenu lol

[Justin Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similarly to Volume 1, this was standard, enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable, comic book fare. Story-wise, a formulaic McGuffin and Lost Friend tale. Lobdell could have leaned further into the contrasts of Artemis and Wonder Woman and how their experiences and pasts shaped their characters. Same with Jason...some attempts at interesting connections to trauma of his convoluted past that also fall short.
The artwork from Dexter Soy alternates between some beautiful, sketchy work and some that looks rushed and unfinished.
Not bad, not great, looking for more from the possibilities that these 3 characters could bring to a story.

[Ronald Esporlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cant believe I still love this series. The characters really meshed together from their flaws to their emotions. Scott Lobdell found the right ingredients to make this series one of the best of DC Rebirth. I love Red Hood and Bizarro emotional dynamic. I also love Artemis journey and how she move on from her past. Dexter Soy's art is still consistently great.

[tyrosine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason returning to the place of his death and hallucinating a confrontation with his teenage self???? Artemis having to unpack her commitment to the destiny she’d always desired as an Amazon warrior??????? Incredible work 11/10.

[Sarah ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't quite as good as the first volume, so I'm giving it 3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the characters but the main arc of this felt rushed and a little unsubstantial.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying the humor and heart that Lobdell is putting into these comics. Great, fun, stories.

[Kas · Rating 5 out of 5]

100/10 would die for Artemis

[Mols · Rating 4 out of 5]

jason todd malewife era

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Amazon story is great.
The Jason Todd story is great.
The Bizzaro story is great..good work.
Outlaws are fun.

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good follow-up to volume 1 and background story for Artemis.
Art is very good.