Review: Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 3- Bizarro Reborn

Quick Summary

Pros: The main narrative is interesting and has plenty of excitement. The book’s cast is incredible and their exploits here are delightfully charming. The mystery developed in the background is worthwhile and builds anticipation for the future. The artwork looks good through most of the volume.

Cons: Cameos from other comic series feel out of place and slightly distract from everything else going on in this book.

Overall: The third volume in this era of Red Hood and the Outlaws proves that this is still an incredibly worthwhile and engaging series. This comic has action, drama, mystery, and a cast of characters so compelling that their personal connection makes this book worth it all on its own. Put simply: this book gets a lot of things right and very little wrong. If you enjoyed the previous two volumes, you’ll absolutely enjoy this one; if you haven’t read the previous two volumes, go back and read them so you can enjoy this one.

Story

Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 3: Bizarro Reborn, by Scott Lobdell, is a great continuation of the solid storytelling seen in the previous two volumes. This comic combines tales of action and adventure with a well-developed and charming cast of characters. The result of this combination is a highly entertaining narrative that delights for nearly the entire read. The collection also develops a mystery in the background that makes reading even more satisfying and helps build excitement for the next volume. Overall, this is a great comic book through and through.

(spoilers start here)

Bizarro Reborn starts out by immediately centering the reader’s attention on Bizarro. This failed clone of Superman is on the verge of death yet refuses to stop helping his friends fight crime. It is a valiant testament to his unwavering commitment toward heroism and the influence Red Hood had upon his short upbringing. This brings in some great emotions from Red Hood, Artemis, and, surprisingly, even Lex Luthor.

Then, Lobdell switches up the status quo by reviving Bizarro and giving him a beyond genius-level intellect. It is a refreshing change-up to the dynamic that allows the series to explore a ton of new, stimulating avenues. This portion of the narrative shows what the Outlaws are capable of when they are free to do what they want, which essentially serves as a total validation of their status as heroes. It also is simply fun to witness, since their adventures here are as entertaining as ever.

While all of this is going on, a compelling mystery is being established in the background. Bizarro clearly still has something wrong with him and is refusing to admit it to himself or his friends. It also seems as if he is actively steering the Outlaws toward some unknown endgame, which doubles my anticipation to learn more from the next volume in this series. The uncertainty behind all of this is interesting throughout the read and gives readers even more of a reason to keep turning the pages.

Unfortunately, not everything about this collection is a hit. The mini-crossovers with the Detective Comics and Suicide Squad comics feel a bit forced. They are still entertaining and end up reading well but they simply feel unnecessary and distracting considering everything else happening within this arc.

Bizarro Reborn also closes with a charming annual issue, set before the other events of this comic. It digs into the personalities of the team members in a satisfying way and, specifically, highlights Jason’s evolution as a character. I found myself grinning more times than I could count while reading this chapter and ended up really appreciating its inclusion in this series.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The majority of the artwork in Bizarro Reborn is from Dexter Soy, the artist of the previous two volumes. Luckily for fans of this series, Soy’s work here continues to look just as gorgeous as it did before. Characters, locations and even weapons have a great level of detail to them and have the cinematic flair that makes this comic feel so memorable. This volume also changes things up by including depictions of a few dream sequences alongside reality. Soy’s ability to switch from reality to the wonderous world of these dream sequences is amazing and helps this volume stand out even further. All of these already positive features are then enhanced even further with colors from Veronica Gandini, which match the tone of this comic perfectly.

The chapters not drawn by Dexter Soy look good but aren’t quite as visually striking. Joe Bennett and Sergio Sandoval both create chapters that match the visuals presented through the rest of the collection, which helps maintain the consistency of the work. Meanwhile, Tyler Kirkham’s work on the annual chapter helps emphasize the emotions found in that particular story and also just looks pleasing in general.

Continuity

Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 3: Bizarro Reborn continues the story from Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2: Who is Artemis? (Review).

The story here continues in Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 4: Good Night Gotham.  

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• Lex Luthor started trying to be a hero in Justice League Vol. 6: Injustice League (Review).
• In one point in this book, Lex Luthor flashes back to memories of a different Bizarro. These memories were from Forever Evil (Review).
• Red Hood mentions having been to Superman’s Fortress of Solitude before. This happened in Superman Annual #11, collected in Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?.
• The concept behind Harvest and the Colonies was a major feature in many of the “Young Justice” imprint titles from the New 52. Specifically, The Culling: Rise of the Ravagers (Review) (Reading Order) is the focal point for many of these concepts.
• The annual issue in this collection makes a reference to a battle between Batman’s forces and a secret military force. This battle took place in Detective Comics Vol. 1: Rise of the Batmen (Review).