Way back in the year 2000, Christopher Priest alongside artist Shawn Martinbrough created Batman: The Hill. It was a one-shot comic that debuted the titular Gotham neighborhood. A crime-ridden, poverty-stricken, predominately black neighborhood that the powers in Gotham City government pretend doesn't exist, The Hill was above all else a way for Priest to tackle difficult subjects like the relationship between poor black communities and the police. Since then, The Hill has occasionally shown up as a backdrop to various stories in Gotham. Now, twenty years later, Martinbrough returns as a writer to once again put it in the spotlight.
The fact that Martinbrough's focus is on the neighborhood itself is made abundantly clear. The story is primarily about the ways in which crime has affected the normal people that live there. Whether it be Joker War or roving gangs of costumed criminals, the emotional heart is how every day citizens respond to crisis. A lot of this is reinforced by the art. Sanford Greene's scratchy linework convey a sense of urban authenticity fitting for The Hill's setting, while Matt Herms' warm colors keep a consistently intimate tone with its focus on family and community.
Conversely, Red Hood almost just feels along for the ride because nothing gets published without one of Batman's sidekicks attached. Everything from the villains, their plan, the characters featured, and the general themes all tie to the neighborhood itself. Despite the fact that Jason has recently moved there, he has very little connection to the goings on as a whole. He largely acts as an observer whose biggest contribution is a housewarming party that allows the story to introduce The Hill's various vigilantes.
The role of actual protagonist is more prominently filled by Dana Harlowe, AKA "Strike". Continuing the trend from the Red Hood issues that this acts as a direct follow up to (going so far as to mention that it takes place around Joker War), Strike is the one who has the biggest connection to the events of the story. It's her family and neighbors who are directly endangered by the villains. We empathize with her recklessness and drive to protect the ones she loves. It's also her actions that seem to have the most agency in driving the plot forward.
Introduced in the prologue to this story from Red Hood #51, Strike has an uphill battle as Gotham's latest vigilante hero. It's such an overcrowded field that anyone new has to offer something unique to stand out. While there's nothing wrong with her character, it all feels like beats we've seen before. Even her overall design of "homemade crime fighting suit" is a concept that's even been done in Gotham already, most notably with Batgirl's Burnside costume in 2014. Her ties to The Hill itself are arguably her defining trait, so hopefully as the story progresses that element will get more chances to shine.
Beyond the character introductions, there seems to be an overarching theme for the story of "balance". After all, it's the title of the issue. Unfortunately, that never really coalesces into a totally coherent philosophy. At one point during a scene with a secretly badass old lady, she talks about how inevitably "order grows stagnant. Chaos sparks". It's one of those pithy sayings that sound meaningful at first, but if you think for a bit it don't actually make any sense. How did too much "order" in Gotham create chaos? When has that been how history or people work? Later on the story seems to treat "balance" as a stand-in for "revenge" in an "eye for an eye" sort of way. It's an interesting concept to hang your narrative around, but never feels properly defined or explored.
Recommended If
- You were sad when Red Hood: Outlaw was cancelled
- A story focusing on a poor neighborhood and its residents sounds interesting
- You don't mind one more Gotham vigilante
Overall
Red Hood: The Hill #1 feels like a direct continuation of the arc that began in the final issues of Red Hood: Outlaw. Ironically, Jason plays a fairly minor role as the focus is more on The Hill itself and its resident vigilante, Strike. It's still too early to say whether she has what it takes to stand out in an overcrowded field of Gotham heroes, but her connection with the world around her makes it easy to get invested in her and The Hill's fight against crime.
Score: 6.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
