Batman: Under the Hood

this book tells the missing lick of the death of jason and the red hood. every page fills you with a ooh, and ah,

It is a shame that some people cannot allow themselves to view this story with an open mind, primarily because of the return of Jason Todd, and for some, a strong disliking for writer Judd Winick. Since I had no previous exposure to the character or to Winick, and thus had no bias pro or con towards them, I was able to judge this story on its' own merits, and they are many. Among them are action packed scenes that are exciting and not just there to fill a quota or pad pages, witty dialogue, and numerous quality guest stars, hero and villain alike, who actually enhance the story and do not just appear to fill a different quota. In Todd, you have the prototype antihero who is willing to cross the line that Batman won't. In Black Mask, you have a cool villain who is both a total bad guy but humorous also, somewhat like the Joker is supposed to be but rarely is. And with Batman, we have a man experiencing pain and anguish that has haunted him for years, and his current confusion and loss over what to do about the apparent appearance of a ghost. If used properly, Todd could fill a void in the DCU for his type of character, even as the person you love to hate, and be an interesting foil for Batman to confront in the years to come. Hopefully DC will find a niche for him within the Bat family and take advantage of future story possibilities that his inclusion would provide.

Few writers have the ability to truly capture Batman's essence. But Judd Winick pulls it off with little effort. The art work here is nothing short of great, but it's not quite as good as Jim Lee's work in "Hush." Still, if you're looking for some great art and one of the best interpretations of The Joker, this is a book you shouldn't miss. The story picks up shortly after War Games and Identity Crisis and leads directly into Infinite Crisis, if you read both volumes. This first volume really concentrates on where Batman is as a hero and as a person. During War Games Stephanie Brown, The Spoiler and Robin IV, is killed. For those who didn't know, Tim Drake quit soon after Identity Crisis due to the death of his father. It was very tragic, I suggest you read it before reading this. War Games lacks as a story but it's important to understand the events of this story. Here we get the re-introduction of a character known as The Red Hood. He's out to take over the crime in Gotham City and sees both Black Mask and Batman as problems. However, his efforts are more concentrated on taking out Black Mask. For those who remember, The Red Hood was the original identity used by The Joker before his chemical bath. This is a clue to Red Hood's actual identity, which most people figured out long before it was revealed in volume two. Winick deserves a lot of credit for getting inside each of the characters he chose to focus on. Here he demonstrates a deep love and understanding of what makes Batman who he is. The only person who probably understands Batman better than Winick is Jeph Loeb. However, given where this story eventually winds up, even Loeb might not have been able to pull this piece off with as much grace and style as Winick. The problems with this book are few but they are there. Some people will complain that this story undoes years of history and that it violates the character of Jason Todd and Batman and that Infinite Crisis was used as a cheap way of bringing Jason Todd back to life. Maybe, but Jason Todd has played an intricate role in Batman's life ever since his death and it stands to reason that he would eventually make another appearance. Especially given that his death was caused by a 1-900 number instead of an editorial decision. His death was a clear example of why fans should not be allowed to determine the outcome of a story arc. Given the choice between killing someone and letting them live, fans always seem to want death. Probably because they didn't actually believe DC would go that far. Jason Todd really has made for a great villain and, in the hands of such good writers and artists, he's really making the most of his new lease on life. Another thing Winick does better than most other writers is working humor into his stories. The dialogue Black Mask has with Mr. Freeze and The Red Hood is simply hilarious. I never knew just how funny his character could be until this story. This story ends with a nice cliffhanger so you'll have to

Gotham's criminal underworld is ruled by Black Mask. But someone is trying to undermine his operations...and it's not Batman. His face is one well known among comic fans...The face of Jason Todd. Now Batman has to face his worst fears: His former protege has returned from death to battle evil on his own, lethal terms. This is an excellent story, Judd Winick is an incredible writer who knows how to spin a tale that entertains readers. I love his use of dialogue, "Do you prefer I call you Black Mask...Mr. Mask...Blackie?" He is able to make the characters real and Batman is excellent in this story. I highly reccomend that you buy it.

I went into this knowing who the Red Hood was and expecting to hate this storyline. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the story was. Winnick sold it. In the past I have found Winnicks writing to be extremely hit or miss. His work on Outsiders has always seemed rather lacking to me and while I have enjoyed his Green Arrow work it never struck me as brilliant. Under the Hood is really very good, leaps and bounds ahead of his other work. His handling of Batman is great, he is driven and obsessed but more likeable than I have seen him be in a while. The subtle ways in which he deals with the trust issues left by Identity Crisis are also quite good. Winnick handles the conflict between Batman and the Red Hood quite well, building suspense and excitement. Black Mask also comes across as a great character ruthless but quite funny at times. Overall its a good package. Now if only Winnick could write Nightwing this well in the Outsiders.