“The Turn”
Artist: Tony Akins
Color Artist: Matt Herms
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Review by Adam Ray
Red Hood: The Hill #3 is the kind of comic I really love. It shows characters interacting in a light-hearted, realistic way, then puts them all into immediate and deadly peril.
When you then add the consistently perfect, and unique character designs, and the powerful, and vibrant color art, we can continue to say that this heartfelt and thoughtful Red Hood story is going to be one to remember.
The issue opens with what could easily be one of my new favorite villains in all of comics. There’s nothing I like better than a truly sinister force looking like someone innocuous, or even friendly. I’ve seen this guy in the many, many comic book stores that I visit. Despite this, they’ve been able to keep the mystery around him very high. I’m eager to see what develops.
Tony Akins slides into the creative team with ease. He brings a statuesque quality to our characters that makes them all striking. The designs on the strange, monstrous beings are all well-realized and feel both lifelike but stylized at the same time.
Shawn Martinborough just knows these characters so clearly at this point, particularly Jason himself. His off-handed comments about Amanda Waller just show how far he’s come over the years, and the choice to fight off the threat with crowbars is a very emotionally charged choice, but one that makes for very striking images.
Conclusion
Red Hood: The Hill #3 brings us a deep look at character-driven stories, a compelling and new antagonistic force, and the welcome but surprise return that’ll really show how high the stakes are. All the characters have become real people that we truly care about, and hope for their wellbeing. This makes this unique series even more gripping.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment