Review: Red Hood and the Outlaws Volume 5 - The Big Picture

After facing off against Ra's al Ghul and his League of Assassins, Red Hood and the Outlaws take a much-needed break. All goes well until a group of alien mercenaries hijack Starfire's ship… with Arsenal still inside. Red Hood and Starfire must then travel into space in order to find their friend. The question is, will he still be alive by the time they get to him?

Red Hood and the Outlaws Volume 5: The Big Pictures collects Red Hood and the Outlaws #27-31, as well as DC Universe Presents #17-18.

The Big Picture picks off where the previous volume left off. Ra's al Ghul has been resurrected and Red Hood is seemingly the only person with the power necessary for defeating them. This singular issue concludes the arc started by James Tynion IV, so it's a little puzzling as to why it wasn't collected in the preceding trade paperback. It disturbs the flow of the trade here, but otherwise it's an excellent issue. Tynion IV bids farewell to the book in the following issue, which sees the dissolution of Red Hood and Isabel's relationship. Though their relationship was never particularly interesting or well-developed, it's a bit bittersweet to see one of the few supporting characters they had go.

The bulk of this collection is a three-part story that sees a group of aliens stealing Starfire's spaceship and venturing off into space with Arsenal in tow. Red Hood and Starfire, who were left behind, must find a way of trailing their friend and rescuing him before he can be killed by his captors. One-time Catwoman writer Will Pfeiffer handles these issues. By and large, the narrative works as a way of bringing together the team after they'd been driven apart in the previous arc. They don't trust one another anymore, but they still obviously care about one another. This is especially evident given the lengths Red Hood is willing to go in order to rescue Arsenal.

While the scope of this three-parter extends into the stars, it does feel a little rushed and doesn't quite reach the epic scope it needs. The use of Lobo as the story's antagonist is a stroke of brilliance, as he compares and contrasts nicely to our protagonists. However, he's not particularly well-developed in these issues and the overall action ends way too quickly. Nevertheless, there are some great moments of humour and it's quite refreshing to see Arsenal save the day with his gadgets, rather than seeing his companions do it with muscle.

Red Hood and the Outlaws has always been one of the most interesting titles from the New 52 initiative. At times, it's exciting and original. At others, it feels rushed and unimportant. The inconsistencies that plague this title are evident here, but that doesn't mean that the reading isn't enjoyable. It is, but it's comparable to a nice fluffy dessert. It's sweet, but it's not exactly going to leave you feeling full.

RATING: B-