September 2011 was a weird time for DC fans. The New 52 relaunch basically hit the reset button on decades of history, and right in the middle of that chaos sat Red Hood and the Outlaws Issue 1. People lost their minds. Some loved it, but a lot of readers were genuinely furious. If you look back at the message boards from that era, it was a total firestorm. Written by Scott Lobdell with art by Kenneth Rocafort, this first issue didn't just introduce a new team; it fundamentally altered how we saw Jason Todd, Starfire, and Roy Harper.
The buzz wasn't just about the action. It was about the tone.
Jason Todd has always been the black sheep. Ever since he came back from the dead in Under the Hood, he’s been this jagged, angry reflection of Batman’s failures. But issue 1 of the 2011 run tried to do something different. It wanted to be a "buddy cop" book with superpowers and a lot of attitude. It starts in a prison in the Middle East, moves to an exotic island, and tries to establish a dynamic that feels more like an action movie than a traditional superhero comic. It’s loud. It’s brash. Honestly, it’s a bit messy.
What Actually Happens in Red Hood and the Outlaws Issue 1
The story kicks off with Jason Todd—our Red Hood—breaking Roy Harper (Arsenal) out of a prison in the Qurac. Roy is kind of a wreck here. He’s portrayed as a guy who has hit rock bottom, looking for a reason to keep going. Jason provides that reason, but not out of the goodness of his heart. They’re partners because they’re both outcasts. They don't fit in the Justice League world, and they certainly don't fit in Batman's shadow anymore.
Then we get the Starfire introduction. This is where the controversy peaked.
Koriand’r (Starfire) appears on a beach, and she’s… well, she’s drawn in a very specific way. Kenneth Rocafort is a talented artist—his lines are incredibly detailed and his page layouts are some of the most creative in the business—but the portrayal of Starfire in this issue became a lightning rod for criticism regarding the hyper-sexualization of female characters in comics. She’s presented as detached, almost amnesiac about her past with the Teen Titans, and mostly interested in physical pleasure. Fans of the Teen Titans animated show or the classic Marv Wolfman/George Pérez run were stunned. It felt like a total 180 from the compassionate warrior they knew.
The Team Dynamic is Born
Despite the backlash, the issue does a lot of heavy lifting to set up the "Outlaws" concept. Jason isn't trying to be a hero in the traditional sense. He’s a tactical operator. He uses guns. He kills people when he thinks it’s necessary—though this issue plays with his moral compass a bit more than previous iterations.
The dialogue is snappy. It’s got that early 2010s "edgy" vibe that defined a lot of the New 52. You've got Jason acting as the straight man to Roy’s chaotic energy, while Starfire acts as the powerhouse who doesn't really care about human social norms. It’s a trio of broken people. That was the hook. If you were a teenager in 2011, this felt "adult." If you were a long-time reader, it felt like a weird departure from the lore.
Why the Fanbase Split in Half
The "New 52" was designed to bring in new readers. To do that, DC decided to strip away a lot of the complex continuity. In Red Hood and the Outlaws Issue 1, this meant simplifying characters to their core traits—or what the creators perceived as their core traits.
- Jason Todd: He became less of a vengeful villain and more of a proactive anti-hero. He still had the chip on his shoulder, but he was leading a team now.
- Roy Harper: His history as a father and his struggle with addiction were largely pushed to the side or mentioned as vague background noise to focus on his "party guy" persona.
- Starfire: As mentioned, she was the biggest point of contention. The "aliens don't see emotions like we do" defense used in the script didn't sit well with everyone.
The controversy was so loud that it actually helped sales initially. People wanted to see what the fuss was about. But it also sparked a massive conversation about how DC treated its legacy characters. Scott Lobdell defended the choices, saying he wanted to explore these characters without the "baggage" of the past. Whether he succeeded is still a point of debate in comic shops today.
The Art of Kenneth Rocafort
You can't talk about this issue without talking about the art. Seriously. Rocafort’s style is distinct. He uses these floating panels and jagged borders that make the page feel alive. Even if you hated the writing, most people agreed the book looked spectacular. The colors are vibrant, the action is fluid, and the character designs—specifically Jason’s new helmet with the molded nose and mouth—became the standard for a while.
The visual language of the book was "high-octane." It felt like a movie storyboard. That kinetic energy is probably why the series actually lasted a long time despite the early reviews being so mixed.
The Long-Term Impact of the First Issue
Looking back from 2026, we can see how this issue shaped Jason Todd for the next decade. Before this, Jason was a bit of a nomad in the DC Universe. He would show up, fight Nightwing or Batman, and disappear. This issue gave him a permanent home. It gave him a supporting cast that wasn't just the Bat-family.
Eventually, the series mellowed out. The writing shifted, the characterizations became more nuanced, and Starfire eventually moved on to other books where her personality was restored to something closer to her roots. But that first issue remains a time capsule. It represents the "wild west" era of the New 52 where editorial was taking huge swings, for better or worse.
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Common Misconceptions About Issue 1
A lot of people think this issue was universally hated. It wasn't. It actually had a very loyal following among younger readers who weren't attached to the 1980s versions of these characters. They liked the "us against the world" mentality. They liked that Jason wasn't asking for permission from Bruce Wayne anymore.
Another misconception is that it’s a "bad" jumping-on point. Actually, it’s a very easy read. You don't need to know thirty years of Batman history to understand what’s happening. You just need to know that Jason died, came back, and is now very grumpy and very good at shooting things.
How to Collect and Read It Today
If you're looking to dive into this era of DC, you have a few options. Finding a raw first printing of Red Hood and the Outlaws Issue 1 isn't too hard, but prices vary based on condition.
- Single Issues: Check the dollar bins or local comic shops. Because it was a high-print-run book, it's not a "holy grail" rarity, but high-grade copies (CGC 9.8) can still fetch a decent price because of the historical significance of the New 52 launch.
- Trade Paperbacks: Volume 1, titled REDEMPTION, collects the first six issues. It’s the easiest way to get the full story arc.
- Digital: DC Universe Infinite is the go-to. It’s cheap and you can see the Rocafort art in high definition, which honestly is the best way to appreciate the detail.
The legacy of this book is complicated. It’s a mixture of brilliant visual storytelling and some very questionable character choices. But it’s never boring. It’s a loud, proud, and messy start to one of Jason Todd’s longest-running titles.
Actionable Steps for New Readers
If you want to understand the modern Red Hood, you sort of have to start here, even if it's just to see where the current version of the character evolved from.
Compare the Eras: Read Under the Red Hood (the trade paperback) first, then jump into this issue. You’ll immediately see the shift in how DC wanted to market Jason.
Focus on the Layouts: Pay attention to how Rocafort breaks the traditional comic grid. It’s a masterclass in modern page design, even if the narrative isn't your cup of tea.
Follow the Evolution: If you find issue 1 too "edgy," stick with it until the Rebirth era of Red Hood. The groundwork laid in 2011 eventually leads to the much more celebrated Red Hood and the Outlaws run with Bizarro and Artemis. You can't have the growth without the awkward first steps.