#dc stands for dissing canon

[rosemarydisaster]

No but the way this makes me low-key (and high-key) mad for two reasons:

1) Roy is canonically super smart (you can literally look it up on the list of his abilities). This is character assassination. It's not even played as "haha he's my friend and I'm teasing him because that's what we do", it's a "I'm joking but you're low-key stupid" kinda thing.

2) Jason saying that trying to overthrow a dictator and protect the people is dumb because a) people are just bad in general so who cares if they're being oppressed? or b) it was stupid in this particular case because they're middle eastern???? So either Jason doesn't think people deserve liberation or he's just racist. One option contradicts his goal to protect people and the other is just nasty. (Btw, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be interpreted as cynical not racist but again, he would not say that).

I also just hate the idea of Roy Harper, the guy that has also led the Titans and managed to be a successful vigilante throughout so much trauma and bullshit being just Jason's sidekick. Jason recruiting him to a team? Sure, makes sense, he's a great asset. Roy being a glorified lackey and thinking Jason is soooo coool? No sir. Like I said, he outranks Jason so severely it's not even funny.

Again, I love the concept of these two being friends and teasing each other. Like yeah, Jason would make fun of Roy for getting himself in trouble but not for being dumb. Quite the opposite, the joke is getting yourself in jail when you've escaped worse. And I don't think Roy would think Jason is particularly more crazy than him, if anything they match each other's freak.

Idk, if you can't make Jason the leader without putting Roy down maybe he shouldn't be??? I think it's really fun to have extremely powerful and experienced heroes working under him because it creates this dynamic of "yeah buddy, sure I'll help you out with that". I don't think the leader needs to be the strongest or most experienced (or even the best at leading in the right circumstances).

It's Jason's mission, his team, and the fact that everyone in it is stronger/smarter/more experienced than him is just a hilarious plus. Hell you could make it a point to say "see? Jason is really cool and wise because he chooses the best people for the job and not just people that make him feel superior".

Idk, I get that whenever someone is being the Main Character™ he gets to be the coolest and the supporting cast is slightly nerfed in comparison to their own runs, that's how comics work. But damm they did my boy (both of them really) dirty with this particular interpretation.

starts out by putting Roy down to prop Jason up. Lovely.

[animalpetcel]

Ideal RHATO

Okay, so I’ve done some thinking. While Red Hood and the Outlaws was an interesting concept; give Jason friends and a team of his own, get him out of the Batfam Shadow, it’s been bogged down by L*bdell spotty writing and questionable Editorial decisions. So I’ve taken the time to think of what I would personally want the Outlaws to be.

First of all, I don’t believe that Jason would be better of if he remained solo. While he does deserve a good solo run other than UtH, the idea of permanently sequestering from creating meaningful, recurring relationships with other heroes is just repulsive to me. He should be allowed to have friends and people to talk to outside of the Batfamily guys, there’s only so many adventures he can have by himself before they all start sounding the same. You could even have him gaining friends as part of his character development.

Okay! So let’s begin

In my version, the Outlaws would be a more obvious antihero team. They take cases by those who feel that regular heroes can’t help them, that they won’t go far enough to achieve justice. The Outlaws won’t kill often, but it would usually be awful criminals like drug dealers, traffickers or those in charge, but if they don’t kill, they won’t be above dissing out harsh, lasting punishments to those who cross them. There could be the possibility of them being a team looking for redemption, but I’ve never really thought about them going in that direction.

Btw: This will be a hard reboot, everything from New52 to Rebirth regarding RHATO will be completely retconned, because Lobdell wrote almost all of them and despite what people want to believe most of it is bad save for some barely passable moments

Outlaw Members

Jason Todd

Can’t have the Outlaws without their infamous leader. Like I said above, I believe that having his own team can be a good thing for Jason, he can establish a history disconnected from his history with Bruce and actually start to move on. I’d imagine him being a reluctant leader, preferring to work alone but admitting that having people to rely on has made his mission a lot easier. He’s a very driven and calculated person, and after reading Arkham Knight Genesis, I have no doubt in his leadership skills and his ability to turn a ragtag group of antiheroes into a team to be reckoned with.

Idk if I’d keep his All-Caste stuff. I know that it was probably created to give his backstory something that stands out, since he’s the third Batfam member to have the League of Assassins in his backstory and isn’t the only one that’s died before, but he barely uses the All-blades or brings up the All-Caste to the point were you can omit it and don’t really have to do that much to replace it. At this point, I’d accept Talia making him train with Brother Blood over the All-Caste.

I’d probably say that the Lazurus pit Talia used to bring him back was kinda special, giving him a minor healing factor and increasing his strength, idk, something small.

Eddie Bloomberg

(I hate Tom King and this dialogue too but I wanted a recent image of him)

Did you know that unlike Roy Harper, Eddie was actually Jason’s best friend pre-reboot? Most people don’t because DC doesn’t care about using pre-established canon or developing its less popular heroes! 🙃

Okay, I used to be a huge fan of Jason and Roy’s friendship in New52 RHATO, but then I learned that Roy was originally Dick’s friends, that his personality was dumbed down for New52, Roy actually hates mercenaries and would never become one, they only used Roy because he was more popular and that most Titan/Roy friends actually hate his New52 counterpart and friendship with Jason. While I believe that Roy and be both friendship with Dick AND Jason (but in different ways. Dick is more of a close friend while he and Jason should have a more big brother kind of relationship), I have to admit that DC dropped the ball here, and it would be easier to just scrap everything instead of trying to make it work.

Eddie’s personality is actually quite similar to New52 Roy’s, and he and Jason already have unexplored history, so switching Roy with him won’t mess anything too much.

And now, I hear you ask “Ani, what about the Outlaw’s being an antihero group? Wouldn’t that make Eddie stand out?”, and I will reply “Don’t worry, I have a plan!”

Back when Eddie first got his powers, Neron, the king of hell at the time (?) wanted Eddie to be his protege, but Eddie refuses. But what if Neron was more forceful? Eddie could be offered, now powerless again because of the events of TT (but his death is retconned to just getting badly injured), to become Neron’s protege once again. With nothing left to lose (his relationship with Blue Devil is still in the fritz, Teen Titans no longer seem to give a damn and Rose & Jaime is still off doing their own things), he takes it. I guess he’s probably look different with more of Neron’s power coursing through his veins, but the point is that Outlaws become a “Fall from grace” for him. He’s trying to still be a hero, but as Neron’s influence continues to grow, his ability to tell right from wrong gets more and more clouded.

He’s the one to approach Jason with the idea of being a team, wanting to relive the “Good Ol’ Days” when they were younger and less bogged down with personal trauma. While Jason is reluctant, he admits that since being self-exiled from the Batfamily that it’s been kinda lonely, so he agrees, but only short-term. Eddie then segways into the next member of their burgeoning group–

Rose Wilson

While pre-reboot, Rose and Jason did not have the friendliest interactions, with her holding a blade to her throat while his brothers threatened him with a crime he never committed. Post-reboot, he and Rose seem to have a more “friendlier” relationship, but the Wilson family have been rebooted at least theee times in both New52 and Rebirth, so who knows if they even still know each other now,

Rose and Eddie were very close friends in Teen Titans, and I think that getting Rose away from the madness of her family and father could be good for her character.

Eddie manages to convince her to join the “Outlaws”, but like Jason, she goes into it thinking that it’ll be a one-time thing. She cares a lot about Eddie, and sticks with the team to make sure that he’s doing alright. She probably could have an arc were Nightwing confronts her on her work in the Outlaws (since the other heroes see them as white-hat mercenaries) since he mentored her in being a hero, so it could be about dealing with what other people expect of her.

Essence

While L*bdell might be basically a shit writer, he does create interesting concepts. With a better writer, Essence could be a very interesting character, watching from the shadows and judging whether or not the Outlaws are actually “good” people, before she eventually starts taking a more active role in helping them punish criminals.

While she would at first interact solely with Jason, asking him questions about his deeds and ordering him in what direction she feels is best, she would eventually introduce herself to the rest of the group. I think she’d get along best with Komand’r, while the others might test her absolutism, Black-And-White morality a bit.

Rankorr (Jack Moore)

I know that there’s some people who want Guy Gardner to be Jason’s lantern, but what about a lantern who is close to Jason in age and actually fits the Outlaw theme?

Jack Moore is a Red Lantern, not only a Red Lantern, but the first human lantern who is also the first Red Lantern to be capable of creating constructs. He struggles with his rage, and deep down, he wants to enjoy a normal life on earth.

Maybe after Red Lantern (retconning Lobo or if not, he’s brought back using Red Lantern Blood Magic), he decides that the RL’s are a bit too cult-like for him and tries to lay low on Earth, finishing his literature degree and opening up a small bookstore somewhere in London. He’s close with Guy, but still can’t/refuses to let go of his rage, so Jack is still a RL

Of course, keeping his rage at bay is hard work, and after witnessing police brutality one more time, he loses control.

The Outlaws were hired by the family of the victim to make the officers see justice, but after seeing Jack work, they realize that this might be their easiest case yet.

Afterwards, Jack tries to downplay the entire thing (before resorting to threats when the Outlaws won’t listen), but Jason eventually convinced him that his talents would be wasted just being a civilian (and that his rage will only get worse if he continues to just let it boil without an “outlet”) so he joins the team

Blackfire

I’ve read Komand’r’s backstory, I know how bad it looks. However, in a medium where retcons and reimaginings are features instead of bugs (and can benefit a character’s story if done right), I really think it could be possible to make her work.

After reading New52 RHATO, I began thinking that it could be so much better if not only Eddie took Roy’s spot, but also if Komand’r took Starfire’s, since I feel like she had more potential beyond “Kori’s evil disabled sister”, “War Criminal” and “Struggling queen of Tamaran”

First, I’d change her pre-reboot backstory so instead of taking over the Gordanians, she is instead captured by them after Starfire frees her from the Psions (Komand’r still hates her sister and refuses to follow her). Through her clever mind and manipulations, she manages to earn favor with Lord Damyn, feigning romantic interest. Of course, given Komand’r’s nature, she ends up killing and replacing him, but her rule doesn’t go over well and she is again recaptured, but this time she’s brought to Earth.

Realizing that she’s now trapped on the planet whete her sister has become a successful and popular hero, Komand’r is at first angry, and then conspires to free herself and take revenge on her sister (who she still blames for everything despite that not being the case).

The Outlaws bust the alien trafficking ring, and Komand’r, seeing her chance, decides to show off and make nice with them to eventually use them for her revenge.

She finds Eddie and Rankorr easy to manipulate, but she bumps Heads with Jason whenever she tries to take his role as leader away from him and finds Rose’s mind to be “weak”. Overtime however, she bonds with Jason over feeling inferior to their siblings, realizes that her anger shares Rankorr’s intensity, and grows a genuine friendship with Rose and Eddie

Oh yeah, and maybe she tries to make things right with Kori

Artemis Grace

What would the Outlaws be without the greatest Amazon to have ever lived? Nothing, that’s for sure.

While I don’t agree with Jaytemis (at least not yet), I have to admit that Jason would be a fool not to like her. She’s a cool, confident character with a lot of interesting lore behind her.

Her joining will probably be pretty close to canon. The Outlaws are tasked with going after Black Mask, and Jason decides to go undercover, as the Red Hood still has his fingers in various criminal pies. While investigating, he runs into Artemis, who is looking for the Bow of Ra, and rest is history.

I feel like she’ll get along really well with Rose and Komand’r and maybe she’ll date one. She’ll definitely view Eddie a bit dismissively, and she isn’t a huge fan of demons. Rankorr would probably come off as stuck up to her.

Bizarro

Anyone who knows me will know that I’m am not a huge fan of Bizarro clones. I consider them to be an overused concept (that sometimes feels as if it relies on gene superiority, but idk if I’ll ever fully process my dislike for them), and the fact that as the time I’m writing this, there are at least four currently in continuity does not enamor me with the concept more.

However, after re-reading RHATO a few times, I’ll admit that the Outlaws’ Bizarro has grown on me. Since he already kinda has a unique name (Bizz), all I think he needs is a more visually distinct costume (doesn’t even have to directly reference Superman, but I can go 50/50 on the backwards “S”)

The Outlaws getting Bizz is exactly the same as canon. I’d imagine that he and Eddie would be as close as brothers. While Rankorr might find Bizz’s way of thinking and speaking to be annoying, I’d think that Rankorr will eventually warm up to him and probably teach him how to read and help Artemis teach him. Komand’r and Rose will probably be less receptive to him, but who knows

August Heart

I’m a Godspeed fan first and human second, we’ve been knew.

In all seriousness, Godspeed is the perfect Rebirth era character for RHATO and the fact that he and Jason still haven’t met is why DC doesn’t have any rights.

Okay okay, but he’s honestly a perfect fit. Like Jason, he also kills when dealing with crimes, but he isn’t so good and knowing who’s guilty and who isn’t just yet.

This will probably be after Death of the Speedforce, with August finally making things right with Barry, but still not forgiving himself for everything that happened. Deciding to self-exile himself rather than go back to Iron Heights, August travels, trying to figure out what do to do next, trying to follow Barry’s rules (which he finds to be very wishy-washy) to the best of his ability.

Eventually, he learns that Black Hole is still running, and against his better instincts, he goes after them.

His trail of lightning destruction catches the eye of the Outlaws.

Barry, realizing that his best-friend might need someone who can actually be there all the time to help reign him in, Barry goes to the Outlaws and asks them if they can help him once they catch up to him

They do in the form of offering a spot on the team.

August is very self-assured (even if it is hiding a softer, more emotional center), but has proven to be able to work with others, so I can see the other Outlaws coming to like him. They might find him a little cocky/early to jump the gun, but still a trusted and valued member of the team.

Since every Robin has their own flash, it only makes sense to finally give Jason (and have them date) a speedster of his own, and it should be someone who fits his morals, and who else could Then the speedster fans literally call “The Red Hood of the Flashfam”?

Final Thoughts

Other possible members I would consider/accept are

Eradicator Superman

Koryak

Vanessa Kapatelis/Silver Swan lll

Simon Amal (Crux)

Danny Chase

Clone!Roy Harper

Connor Hawke

Orm Marvius

Man O’ War

Lagoon Boy

Scarlet

Zachary Zatara

Thomas Merlyn

Ragman

Bleez

Walter West

Even with a cast as sizable as the one I just listed, with a good enough writer, there could still a few minor side characters. I would personally want the them to be

Scarlet: Jason’s former sidekick. She could be either a civilian who he talks to get experience some normalcy or the leader of her own version of the Outlaws made of up the Generation Outlaws we meet in RHATO #37-40. Either way, it could contrast with Bruce and the way he (mis)treats his own sidekicks and family

Zachary Zatara: Eddie’s old friend who helped him get his devil powers. Zachary would definitely be worried over Eddie once again accepting Neron’s power and will want to try to help. Whether he suceeds or not will depend if the writers want to go in that direction

Isabel Ardila: She’s a nothing character, but there’s a small chance that with a better writer, she might gain an interesting personality or an actual purpose in RHATO

Talia Al Ghul: before the reboot, Talia was Jason’s mentor figure and even gave him a cool dagger. It would be so cool if we can bring that back and erase Morrison’s problematic charactization of her. Maybe the dagger she gives Jason could be an All-Blade or smth. They’d definitely take a few cases from her however

Batfam, Titans and respective groups: it would have to happen eventually. It could lead to some interesting, angst filled conversations. And who knows, maybe they’ll actually make progress with their issues

But this post has gone on long enough. I just really wanted to talk a bit about my ideal Outlaws team that I will never see anywhere except for my dreams because mass media hates me and DC still thinks that Lobdell deserves to write Jason 😔😭

[indispensible-pencil]

Tag Thingy

“I was tagged by @belongtohufflepuff thanks lovely!

rules: answer all the questions, add one of your own and tag as many people as there are questions (I can’t tag like 55 people I’m sure that was great at the beginning haha)

1. coke or pepsi? Mmm I’ll go with pepsi only because I drink coke with whiskey so much I can taste it in any coke which, when hungover, is not a good. 

2. disney or dreamworks? I’ll say disney but dreamworks has some rad 2D movies spirit owned my ass. 

3. coffee or tea? I’m from yorkshire tea is my lifeblood.

4. books or movies? Both tbh

5. windows or mac? Windows I have never touched a mac. 

6. dc or marvel? Marvel

7. xbox or playstation? Playstation (I switched from xbox 360 to ps4 cos I’m a traitor)

8. dragon age or mass effect? I’ll say mass effect I love the overall world and story more. 

9. night owl or early riser? Night owl what is the sun. 

10. cards or chess? Cards, it’s difficult (but not impossible) to play drinking games with chess.

11. chocolate or vanilla? I dislike strong vanilla scents and flavours (especially vanilla vodka omg). 

12. vans or converse? I...don’t wear either? 

13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash or Adaar? Took me a second to realise these are DA heroes. I’m an elvish rogue in any fantasy RPG so Lavellan. 

14. fluff or angst? Angst. Feed. Me. Pain. Fiction

15. beach or forest? I love the forest aesthetically but am allergic to many kinds of vegetation so beach

16. dogs or cats? Cats (I love dogs too but omg cats)

17. clear skies or rain? Rain unless I am going out somewhere that requires nice hair. 

18. cooking or eating out? Cooking I am a starving student that cannot afford to go out :(

19. spicy food or mild food? Spicy but like not painful 

20. halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas? 2fast2spooky

21. would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot? Cold. There’s only so many layers you can take off before it’s illegal. 

22. if you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Invisibility. if people could sometimes stop perceiving me physically that would be grand.

23. animation or live action? Both. Unless we’re talking live action disney remakes those can burn

24. paragon or renegade? Paragon like I could never do a renegade run. You expect me to be mean to video game characters and hurt their feelings?!

25. baths or showers? Showers mostly but catch me in a coma bath when mistress cramps hit

26. team cap or team ironman? Team cap

27. fantasy or sci-fi? Ooooh you can’t make me. I love fantasy but the Tolkien ‘standard fantasy’ format is wearing a bit thin. Dark/supernatural/urban fantasy and mythology though sign me the fuck up. 

28. do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so, what are they? "I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me."

“Who has been unhooking the stars without my permission and placing them on the table in the guise of candles?”

“Revolutions are not born of chance but of necessity.”

29. youtube or netflix? Netflix 

30. harry potter or percy jackson? harry potter

31. when do you feel accomplished? Accomplishment machine broke

32. star wars or star trek? Star Trek

33. paperback or hardback books? Whichever is prettier to be honest but paperbacks are cheaper...

34. horror or rom-com? Horror but I’m very VERY picky about them. 

35. tv shows or movies? Good stories can exist in any format.

36. favourite animal? Oh wow anything that’s in front of me. Sharks, cats, snakes, cute things that can kill me. 

37. favourite genre of music?

This is the part where I sound like an arsehole. New wave/post-punk/gothic rock/ punk 

38. least favourite book? The road or martyn pig are the worst I’ve ever read. 

39. favourite season? Winter

40. song that’s currently stuck in your head? Be prepaaaaaaaaaaaared.

41. what kind of pyjama’s do you wear? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

42. how many existential crises do you have on an average day? Constant and neverending.

43. if you can only choose one song to be played at your funeral, what would it be? Highway to Hell (no honestly that’s been my choice since I was 9). 

44. favourite theme song to a TV show? Hannibal.

45. harry potter movies or books? books

46. you can make your OTP become canon but you’ll forget that tumblr exists. will you do it? Two birds one stone 

47. do you play an instrument and if so, what is it? The hearts of men. Just kidding! The violin, heartstrings don’t produce great noise. 

48. what is the worst way to die? Suffocating alone in the vacuum of space (the opening of mass effect 2 fucked me up.)

49. if you could be entirely invisible for a day, what would you do?

Stand in the middle of northumberland street holding a python. 

50. If you could have personally witnessed anything in history what would it be? Storming of the bastille off the top of my head.

51. If you could understand animals but you could never understand humans again, would you? Probably not my cat licks his arsehole in front of me a lot I really don’t need his personal input on life.

52. What is your most favourite album currently? I’ve been listening to Green Day: Revolution Radio a lot lately that’s very good (lots of dissing donald trump). Also Disintegration by the cure because listening to that while dissociating launches your into the shadow realm where you can fight your mirror self. 

53. What is your favourite TV show character? Currently Rosa Diaz is the top of my list I think. Mylene Cruz from the get down owns my gay ass also. 

54. What is something you were obsessed with as a child? I was completely obsessed with the ocean and everything in it. I do marine zoology at university now so follow your dreams kids and you too can voluntarily do a dissertation on seaweed. 

55. Do you have any tattoos/piercings and if not would you like any? 

I have a few piercings and there are so many tattoos I want like for someone scared of injections I sure want needles in a lot of places. 

@shiremaiden, @anemonestarfish, @ochsespatz, @drunkswan, @vikingsandrevolutions, @arorevan, Hello naughty children it’s question time. (many many questions only if you want to)