DC Comics Relaunch: Original Teen Titans Plans? Scott Lobdell Talks Red Hood & The Outlaws

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Writer Scott Lobdell shines some light on Red Hood and the Outlaws, his September shipping book (a title on my Top 19).


As an aside, I’m glad that as part of the DC Comics Relaunch the powers-that-be are letting the original Teen Titans (Arsenal) and their New Teen Titans peers (Starfire) grow up a bit. I think having Cyborg join the Justice League also makes sense as does Nightwing‘s solo career (for now).

In real life, many of us as we get older don’t stick in the same cliques as we did in our teens. We grow apart and move on. This might be a winning formula for DC. Integrate the original Teen Titans on other teams as opposed to have them be their own team of Titans.

What do you think?

And where will Donna Troy (original Wonder Girl) and Wally West (original Kid Flash and THE actual Flash for a generation of readers) end up?


Anyhow, on to what Scott Lobdell’s been revealing. Here are some highlights.

Are the Outlaws a team:

“I will tell you, though, that I don’t see “the Outlaws” as part of a team that Jason is leading. I see it as more of a designation for the people who are going to find themselves in Jason’s orbit… the reality is, there is no team for Roy to fight for — there is no leader, and the first person to tell you that would be Jason! He bristles at even the utterance of the word “we” from Roy and Kory. As far as Jason DC Comics Relaunch Red Hood & The Outlaws #1 (ships September 2011)is concerned, there is no “we.” While he may eventually come to like having these people around him, having his back sometimes, he doesn’t see them as teammates, and I don’t think we will either. They are just three (for now) people who all have some pretty beaten and battered skeletons in their closet…

…Was I a little taken aback when DC said they wanted two street level guys teamed up with a walking nuclear reactor from another planet? Hell, yeah! But when you see them all together and you see the way they interact and the way they rub up against each other or the way they care (and in some cases don’t) about each other? It just feels so organic that I can’t wait to start on the fourth issue!”

Is Jason Todd:

“I think of “Evil Ex-Robin” as the first mile of a hundred mile marathon. You had it rough, Jason, nobody likes to be murdered. Got it. But to think it is going to inform his every footstep of the race, every sip of water along the way? I don’t see it. The good news is, for anyone who wants to see that side of Jason and that side alone, there are some very excellent trade paperbacks and an awesome DC animated movie written by the foremost authority on Jason Todd, Judd Winick. Judd did an excellent job reintroducing the character into the DC Universe — I’m honored that such a complex baton has been handed off to me and I’m hoping to make Judd proud. But yes, like all great characters, Jason is going to grow, his branches reaching to the Heavens even as his roots as ex-Robin are still in the ground.”

Seems interesting and more of a characters-driven story.

John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!