A review by caitcoy
Batman: Under the Hood, Volume 1 by Wayne Faucher, Tom Nguyen, Rodney Ramos, Doug Mahnke, Shane Davis, Cam Smith, Paul Lee, Judd Winick, Eric Battle

5.0

I'm on a bit of a comic book kick right now and this fit in perfectly with my already strong Batman obsession. In Under the Hood, Batman comes face to face with his past in a confrontation with a new character known as the Red Hood. The Red Hood has been making waves in Gotham by challenging the Black Mask's monopoly on crime in the city but doing so with a rather strange moral code. The Red Hood is ruthless in getting rid of competition and refuses to involve children in any way in the organization so he ends up getting on the bad side of both Batman and the criminals in Gotham. The identity wasn't a huge surprise for me because I'd already seen the animated movie that came out a few years ago but it was extremely satisfying to see how well it's hinted at and the way in which it's finally revealed. I especially loved the fact that you get an inside perspective on both Batman and the mystery of the Red Hood through the eyes of both Nightwing and Alfred during different sections of the story. This gives the reader a more well-rounded view of Batman and really brings attention to the central conflict between the Red Hood and Batman which is Batman's refusal to kill anyone, even those who may deserve it. Absolutely fantastic Batman story and one that's really a must-read if you're a comic book fan!