Red Hood: The Hill #0 is a unique comic in a few ways. First off, it’s actually a reprint of two early comics – namely Red Hood #51-52. Second, it’s the first attempt in a while to flesh out Jason Todd, aka the Red Hood. Usually, Jason has either been defined by two elements: his willingness to break Batman’s “code” when it comes to dealing with criminals, and in recent years, his alliance with the team of antiheroes known as the Outlaws. The Hill #0 shakes this all up by moving Jason to the Hill, a smaller neighborhood of Gotham. As the Red Hood reconnects with friends, a new villain rises up to assert his dominance – and that’s not even counting the makeshift vigilantes that have started popping up.
While it’s not new to give members of the Bat-family their own city to protect – Nightwing had Bludhaven, Batgirl had Burnside – the Hill is unique in how it serves as a reflection of Red Hood’s journey, and writer Shawn Martinbrough uses that to full extent. The Hill is depicted as a neighborhood that used to fall on hard times, similar to how Jason Todd himself was a rough and tough street kid before Batman found him. Martinbrough also provides a unique twist for Red Hood by having him serve as a mentor to the mysterious vigilante Strike, who’s been protecting the Hill. It’s fun to see Jason show an aspect of his personality other than “angry antihero”, as well as downright hilarious to see him be the level-headed one in the room.
The artwork from Tony Akins is far from your usual Batman book; there’s a level of detail in every character’s design as well as their facial expressions. Jason looks less like a clone of Dick Grayson – he’s taller, with stubble lining his face. Perennial Batman villain Killer Croc looks like an actual crocodile, complete with scales and glowing yellow eyes (and creepy word balloons courtesy of Troy Peteri). Inker Stefano Gaudiano adds plenty of dimension with his linework, inserting menacing shadows into the nighttime sequences to remind readers that this book takes place in Gotham – and that Gotham isn’t a nice place to be around midnight. Ditto the color work from Paul Mounts – the red in Red Hood’s mask and vest stand out in the dark.
The one issue I have with the book is a sudden shift in the back half, as Moritat joins Akins on pencils. While it’s not uncommon for more than one artist to join a book, there are usually caveats to that. More often than not multiple artists will work on a book if it’s an anthology or a shift in sequences, and that’s not the case with Red Hood: The Hill #0. Moritat’s artwork, while fine, is a rather jarring change after watching Akins at work. Hopefully since Akins is returning (alongside Sanford Greene) for the rest of The Hill, there will be more of a handoff between those two artists.
Red Hood: The Hill #0 is both a great refresher for the upcoming miniseries and a fresh new take on Red Hood. I’ve always felt that every character can shine, given the right creator. Shawn Martinbrough may be the creator that Jason Todd’s been searching for.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
