Red Hood #51
DC Comics
Written by: Shawn Martinbrough
Art by: Tony Akins
Inks by: Stefano Gaudiano
Colors by: Paul Mounts
Letters by: Troy Peteri
Shawn Martinbrough and Tony Akins are taking over Red Hood at a strange time.
This is one of the last two issues before DC Future State gets rolling. Then there’s the fact Red Hood #51 marks the second title change for the book after a rough stretch as Red Hood: Outlaw.
So setting up new storylines in Red Hood #51 is a pretty ridiculous challenge. It just feels like everything is going to change by the time DC Future State gets rolling.
Not that Martinbrough and Akins can’t just have fun for the sake of it and still make a good issue. But things were too tame in Red Hood #51 given what’s going on with everything outside the book.
Again, it’s also hard to ramp things up right away after Red Hood: Outlaw #50 marked the end of an era.
Maybe Red Hood #52 will be bananas. Really hope Martinbrough is allowed to let loose — especially so Akins can go nuts with some action.
Perhaps my favorite thing about Red Hood #51 was Paul Mounts’ colors. He gave this issue a very different vibe from any other Red Hood story I’ve ever read. Felt very grounded.
If only Mounts and the rest of this team had a chance to handle the character sooner. For all the disappointment, it truly feels like they would’ve handled the fantastical stuff a little better than Scott Lodbell did toward the end — assuming they would’ve had to go that route.
Lastly, Kael Ngu’s variant cover is awesome. Dan Mora always does a good job — he’s also one of my favorite interior artists — but Ngu’s recent hot streak with covers has been absurd. Yasmine Putri might be my favorite cover artist right now, but Ngu’s is definitely up there, as well.