RED HOOD: OUTLAW #50

[superfangirl1]

Comments

[aperturedreams]

Yep, that's definitely how mental illness works. Once you turn off the switch, the crazy turns off. /s

[nyadnar17]

Honestly the idea that a caring support even can have a positive effect on mental illness is a giant step above what we usually get.

But that could just be the Jason fanboy in me grasping at anything that shows him in a positive light.

[zachbeacon]

maybe

This has some real "I've decided to be happy so now I am all better" vibes and that's just not how it works.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

I dunno, "epiphany" doesn't read like "fdecided to flip a switch" to me.

[janegray]

To be fair, when the crazy is massively enhanced by Joker venom and ACE chemicals, that may well be how it works. Duela isn't just a normal troubled person, she got involved with people who canonically use very powerful brain-altering stuff.

But yeah, it would have been nice if they had also mentioned therapy.

[starwolf_oakley]

For a superhero comic, this is pretty standard. "I want to be sane." J.M. DeMatteis and Peter David have done it a few times.

https://kandouerik.blogspot.com/search/label/Peter%20David

https://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/4774963.html

[zachbeacon]

I'm not sure it's fair to judge a long term Hulk writer on handling of mental health unless you grade on a curve.

Just based on his Spider-Man work, I think DeMatteis understood it was an ongoing struggle.

[tcampbell1000]

David's treatment of the Hulk sometimes painted his psyche with the broad, cartoony strokes the character more or less demands, but it did foreground the ongoing struggle that mental health is. During what we now call the "Professor Hulk" period, Bruce was often in denial about his ongoing issues, with Samson and others there to argue with him, "Dude, you're NOT as okay as you THINK you are." It was also the first sustained run to treat Bruce's condition as MPD, and it was acknowledged-- admittedly, in offhand dialogue-- that most MPDs take years to integrate. "Most MPDs aren't capable of destroying a small country," Samson replies.

Breakthroughs exist, but it's a process regardless. The charitable read of this story is that we're seeing the breakthrough and will have to imagine the process for ourselves.

MY biggest issue with the scene is that she has this epiphany in the middle of a fight and then she and Jason start talking like they're in a coffeehouse. I know juxtaposing incongruous conversation with life-and-death fight scenes is one of the staples of the genre so our poor widdle eyes don't get bored while everyone sorts out their fee-fees, but this is a particularly unbelievable example. Admittedly, this fight looks lopsided enough that they're not in a whole lot of danger, but c'mon, Jason, less with the heartwarming eye contact and more watching your six.

[beyondthefringe]

If this writes out Joker's Daughter as a character, I'm all for it, dodgy comic book treatment of mental illness aside. Because I never liked her concept, character, or design, especially since it stems from Joker fucking cutting off his own face and wearing it as a mask and I don't even know WHAT Duela is wearing at this point.

[deh_tommy]

I’d be sad. I friggin loved Duela Dent (at least her pre-New 52 incarnation, before all... this). Heck, I based this icon/Xbox avatar on her.

[beyondthefringe]

I liked old school Joker's Daughter as a wild card sort of character.

But New-52 edgy Joker's face wearing sociopath? Nah.

[janegray]

I'm still annoyed that named character Duela is treated as the one worth saving, while the nameless girl they murdered to fake her death was dismissed as "thank goodness that wasn't Duela!"

[informationgeek]

Well... this was as good as it was going to get with getting rid of Joker's Daughter at this point, so fine. Still, if Lobdell just got rid her a lot sooner in his DCYOU series when it looked like she was recovering, it would have been a lot better.

[jaxjyls]

I usually avoid Todd books, this doesn't really change my opinion

[leahandillyana]

How ugly.