If, like me, you’ve been keeping up with Shawn Martinbrough’s various updates, you know he’s been cooking up something involving Jason Todd for a while now. Well, earlier today Popverse broke the news that his newest venture with the character would be releasing next year, titled Red Hood: The Hill.
Where Have I Heard About The Hill Before?
The Hill has an important history within DC Comics.
First introduced in Christopher Priest and Shawn Martinbrough’s Batman: The Hill from 2000, and later followed up by Martinbrough himself in the pages of Red Hood: Outlaw in 2020, the Hill is a predominantly black suburb in Gotham City. In Priest and Martinbrough’s original story, the Hill was used to explore the relationship between majority-black communities in America and the police (and, in this case, Batman).
As such, the Hill has always been used to tell stories about where these iconic characters intersect with very real world issues, taking any socio-political commentary from the metropolitan streets of Gotham central and out to the other communities that populate the city.
True to form, the press release for Red Hood: The Hill speaks to those very same themes, albeit in a contemporary context:
‘Now, as the Hill finds itself gentrifying, old habits die hard as the vigilante known only as Strike works with her team to keep the town safe — but she’s not alone. Jason Todd, one of the Hill’s newest residents, is more than happy to don the visage of Red Hood to help Strike keep his new home safe. But a new villain is emerging from the shadows. Will Red Hood, Strike and the Hill’s small militia of vigilantes be able to keep their home safe? Check out Red Hood’s return to find out!’
DC’s Press Release, reported by Popverse in ‘Jason Todd returns to fight for Gotham’s suburbs in Red Hood: The Hill’
What is Red Hood: The Hill?
Shawn Martinbrough teams up with fantastic artist Sanford Greene (Justice League, Bitter Roots) for the six-issue mini-series Red Hood: The Hill.
Where Martinbrough was originally artist to Christopher Priest in 2000, he now resumes creative duties as writer, much like his prior two-part story in 2020. Greene, naturally, will provide pencils and colours, a preview of which can be found below:
The series will launch in February 2024. Also, if you missed out on Red Hood: Outlaw #51-52, don’t worry! DC are planning on reprinting the issues as a combined release titled Red Hood: The Hill #0 one week before the launch of issue one.
What’s Red Hood Been up to Recently?
Red Hood has been remarkably prominent as of recent, making appearances in multiple titles.
Most importantly, Jason Todd played a significant role in the recently concluded Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War, where Bruce (under the influence of a rogue alternate personality) poisoned Jason. The results? Anytime he experiences a jolt in adrenaline, he’s overcome with an immense wave of fear.
This, naturally, puts a sprinkle of apprehension in the step of the would-be vigilante. Now, by the end of the event, Jason has found a way to overcome that fear response, but it’s not cured.
How this will play into the events of Red Hood: The Hill (or if the series is even taking place in present day Dawn of DC continuity) remains to be seen.
For more comic book news, essays and analysis make sure to sign up to the Visionist Cove newsletter, as well as follow us on social media to stay up to date on all the best that comics have to offer!
