Written by Judd Winick
Illustrated by Guillem MarchJason Todd – Batman’s one-time sidekick, currently the anti-hero known as Red Hood – has been imprisoned in Arkham Asylum for the past several months. But after a period of good behavior, will a transfer to a lower-security prison mean reformation for Jason Todd… or is trouble waiting in the wings for Batman and Robin? Don’t miss “The Streets Run Red” part one of three!
Recently, Jason Todd has received a boost in popularity due to the success of the animated film Under the Red Hood. Unfortunately for those who fell in love with the badass biker with a white stripe through his black hair, Grant Morrison had made the character a bit more… theatrical in Batman & Robin a few months before the movie’s release. Luckily, Judd Winick – the man who reinvented Jason “Crowbar” Todd – is back to save the day! Awesome, right? Well, see after the cut.
I’ll be honest: I’m not a fan of Judd Winick, and I’m not a fan of the resurrected Jason Todd. And, even as a major Morrison fan, I disliked what he did with the character in his second Batman & Robin arc. As such, you’d probably assume I’d come into this issue with all sorts of prejudices and immediately strike it down.
Well, you may be right on the first assumption, but not so much on the second.
Firstly, I greatly appreciate Winick understanding that Arkham Asylum is an Asylum, not a jail. If you aren’t crazy, then you don’t belong. Simple as that. Thus, Jason Todd does not belong there, and should be put in a jail, instead. And what do you think happens when Jason Todd, murderer of criminals, is put in a jail filled with the vilest crooks of Gotham City? I don’t mean to spoil anything, but I’m sure you can put two and two together. This issue marks the first time that I’ve really “gotten” Jason Todd. That’s not to say that I’m now a devoted fanboy who wants to see him kill Dick; no, this was just the first time that I had read a Jason-centric issue and actually was successfully convinced to root for him. There was something about how Winick wrote the character in this issue that made me want to side with him. Perhaps it was because of his methodical murder methods. Perhaps it was because he was just so damn smug about the whole thing. Either way, while I am still far from a Jason Todd fan, as least with this issue I was able to get a glimpse of why the character’s devotees are interested in him.
The story itself isn’t anything special, but not in a bad way. We’ve seen one inmate taking down others from inside the jail plenty of times. And not just the crazy vigilante types, like Red Hood and Punisher. Remember that awesome Dini Detective Comics arc when Scarecrow was driving fellow prisoners to suicide? But just because similar stories have been told doesn’t mean that this one is unenjoyable. Winick knows what to and what not to show during Todd’s systematic massacre, keeping those scenes that would be visible to any observer visible to the reader, while keeping those that are more secretive out of sight. As I’m oft to make a point of, the way a story is told is just as important as how that story is told, and by working well with these elements of plotting, Winick is able to keep the reader interested in an otherwise standard story. So much so, that when the ending rolls around and we’re presented with some very out of place characters, we’re able to agree with Jason’s statement of “Works for me.”
Now, for the most part, I greatly enjoy Guilliem March. His artwork is incredibly crisp and clean, his motion is dynamic, and his technical ability – in terms of proportioning and such – is to be applauded. And, for the most part, that’s the case with this issue. There’s one thing that March draws in this issue that – for some reason – drives me crazy. I know this is going to get a “So what?” from anyone reading this, but I really, really don’t like the way that he draws Batman’s “horns.” They’re really round and full, and just look… well, kind of silly. I don’t know why that bothers me, but it does. Still, if all I can complain about are those horns (and I do mean it), I think that will give you an idea of how excellent March’s line work is.
Is this a great issue? Oh, not really. Is it good, though? Certainly. With an exciting little story by Winick and great artwork by March, this issue will definitely be a hit with Jason Todd fans, will probably be enjoyed by Batman readers, and should even be at least entertaining to those who love slightly more street level superhero comics in general. And, again, let me remind you that this is coming from someone who has disliked every post-resurrection Jason Todd story he has read until this one.
Final Verdict: 6.6 – Browse it, and buy it if it’s to your liking.
