Red Hood and the Outlaws #19
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Julius Gopez
DC Comics, $2.99, color, 20 pages
The first 18 issues of this title were all written by Scott Lobdell, and the previous issue was drawn by Tyler Kirkham, so this is obviously a turning point in creative personnel. But it's possible it's meant to be a turning point story-wise as well.
The previous issue -- full disclosure, I have not read it -- was a Jason Todd-centric story in which a comatose Jason apparently wrestled many of his personal demons to the ground, while he and Bruce Wayne apparently reconciled. This issue opens with Jason en route to The Acres of All, home of The All-Caste, for reasons unknown, with Roy "Arsenal" Harper and Princess "Starfire" Koriand'r in pursuit (because they're friends, not for adventure reasons).
The bulk of the issue is Roy wrestling with his own demons, while he and Kory suffer from exposure rooting around in the Himalayas for The Acres of All. (Well, Roy suffered from exposure; Kory is a solar-powered alien and suffered not at all.) Roy manages to reach a level of meditation The All-Caste taught Jason all on his own, which I think we can call character development. What Roy learns in his meditation is what he and we already know, which is that his characterization for the last few years is "drug-addled, drunken loser."
Spoiler -- necessary, I'm afraid -- is that as a result of Roy's breakthrough the duo reach The Acres of All and find Jason, who doesn't remember them. The All-Caste has erased his memory. (And in defense of the Spoiler, it's revealed on the cover.)
Now, this could be characterization as well; it's possible that the memory loss will be permanent and this represents a clean slate for Jason. On the other hand, it's much more likely that Jason will be given the choice in future issues of embracing his icky past or not, and he will heroically do so, because he has come to love himself, or whatever the current pop-psych description is. Regardless, one way or another this seems to be a step forward for the character.
Meanwhile, Koriand'r does NOT have a character breakthrough, because that would require her to have a character. Unfortunately she remains a cipher, rendering "fan service" via implausibly revealing outfits without a thought in her cute li'l ol' head. (I cannot describe how this presentation of a formerly strong and self-confident woman disgusts me.)
The upshot is that both Roy and Jason seem to making psychological breakthroughs, which I can only applaud. Whether that will put enough "hero" in these anti-heroes for me to actually like either of them remains to be seen. But, hey, at least the new guy is trying to make this a book I don't utterly despise.
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