For all the grittiness that comes with stories in and adjacent to Gotham City, stories that take things to the street are seemingly rare. The focus is usually on the big heroes, big villains, and their actions rather than the people on the ground – what the various conflicts and collisions mean for them or how they might find themselves entwined in the chaos. It’s because of that rarity in focus that Red Hood: The Hill #1 feels fresh. For what is set up as a Red Hood story, the first issue makes it clear that we’re telling a larger story of the people most impacted by the ills of Gotham’s criminal world and while it’s a slow burn to start, it shows real potential with its depth of character. There’s also the promise of delivering a Red Hood unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
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Red Hood: The Hill #1, in a real sense, feels like a continuation of the end of Red Hood: Outlaw and to be clear, that is a weakness. There is a learning curve with this story and its placement in overall continuity, asking readers to have an understanding of what Red Hood has previously dealt with as well as understanding what went down with the Joker War in order to fully grasp the challenges bringing together residents of the Hill. The issue does attempt to address this to an extent. The opening is a flashback of sorts offering a peek into the lives of the characters we will follow going forward before they became their own vigilante militia, then shows that militia in action later on. But where the story really kicks in is with a simple house party.
Writer Shawn Martinbrough uses this very ordinary setting to do a lot of work establishing what feels like the series’ new normal. We’re getting a more relaxed and mature Jason, one that is more open to connecting to the people around him now that he’s in a new neighborhood and environment. In doing so, he seems to be setting us up to see previously unexplored nuances and elements to the character.
The party also gives us better insight into those vigilantes – specifically Dana, the character who resembles the series’ protagonist, even moreso than Jason. The Hill is very much her neighborhood and Jason is an outsider in a sense. Even in this sequence, you get the sense that the stakes are much higher for Dana than anyone else; this her story. The villains are also framed with that same focus and again, while the story itself requires a little bit of legwork if you aren’t familiar with what’s gone prior to this, you don’t need all the details to know that this is going to have personal repercussions.
Helping to make all of this even more resonant is strong artwork. Sanford Greene provides the people and the setting abundant character and dynamism to the point that there are emotions on the page that don’t require any expression in words. Matt Herms’ colors really only enhance that, making the full package—words, images, and colors—function almost like a well-choreographed dance that feels both polished and realistic at the same time. There’s an honesty on each page and it elevates the story – in so much as something this down-to-earth can and should be.
While Red Hood: The Hill #1 has a slower pace than one might expect for a title with Red Hood in it, the debut is a strong issue that understands the real backbone of storytelling lies in character. By focusing on the ordinary people who compose the Hill, this issue is on the precipice of delivering something much needed in the overall Batman landscape. And it’s finally giving Jason new depth and direction that’s a long time coming.
Published by DC Comics
On February 13, 2024
Written by Shawn Martinbrough
Art by Sanford Greene
Colors by Matt Herms
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover by Sanford Greene
