The series was commissioned in response to the growing popularity of the character of Jason Todd, a former protégé of Batman who took a turn as a villain following his resurrection.

The book depicts Jason's continued adventures as the Red Hood, on a quest to seek redemption for his past crimes, forming a small team with two of his fellow anti-heroes.

Red Hood and the Outlaws debuted in 2011 as part of The New 52 event, which rebooted DC Comics' continuity, creating a fresh jumping-on point for new readers.

The title also retold Jason Todd's history in a simplified form and explored his complex relationship with his former mentor Batman and his brothers (and fellow Robins) Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne.

The title's initial featured Lobdell as writer with art from Kenneth Rocafort,[1] and generally received mixed reviews, drawing particular criticism for its confused continuity and accusations that its depiction of Starfire was sexist.

For volume two, relaunched as part of the DC Rebirth initiative in 2016, the lineup of the Outlaws was changed to reflect the DC Trinity (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman), with Jason joined by Superman's clone Bizarro and Wonder Woman's friend and rival Artemis, before going solo in the retitled Red Hood: Outlaw then later retitled Red Hood.

Jason Todd leads the Outlaws, a team that includes established DC character Starfire and Roy Harper, Green Arrow's ex-sidekick.

[4] After his exile, Jason became Red Hood, returning to Gotham where he was at odds with Starfire's ex-lover, his predecessor as Robin, Dick Grayson, as well as their mentor Batman.

He soon gets tired of Gotham and leaves, organizing the group after accidentally encountering Starfire at her home base, then breaking out Roy from a Middle Eastern prison.

Artemis wants to continue on her journey to find the Bow of Ra and agrees to let Jason and Bizarro (now free of Black Mask's control) join her.

When Red Hood wakes up and realizes the Qurac leader, General Heinle, used the Bow of Ra on them and Bizarro saved them from the heat by freezing the plane with his super-breath.

Artemis wakes up to find Akila sitting in front of her, and Red Hood hallucinates seeing his past version after realizing he is in the same place where the Joker killed him.

Red Hood manages to wound Akila using his All-Blades (blades that draw on Jason's soul that can damage powerful beings).

In issue #15, Batwing calls Clayface, Orphan, Batwoman, and Azrael to tell them that crime has not come up three nights in a row.

Red Hood and Artemis find Bizarro talking to Amanda Waller, where Bizarro made a deal with her: The Outlaws will help the Suicide Squad (Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, and Deadshot) take out the main underground installation created by N.O.W.H.E.R.E (the same organization that created Superboy) that houses dangerous alien technology, and in exchange, The Outlaws will be freed.

Jason goes to Mexico to find the prison where he sees a door cut open by an ax, and thinks Artemis and Bizarro are alive.

Jason takes control of Penguin's empire (The Iceberg Lounge), and hires Sister Su, Bunker and Wingman as his sidekicks and bodyguards.

[30] Jason is assigned by Dr. Shay Veritas to teach Devour, Babe in Arms, Zombie Mom, DNA, and Cloud 9.

Jason and his team successfully free a boy who was turned into a Doomsday creature, and Artemis sees the superman doll talking.

Dr. Veritas tells Jason she needs his help, as her building is under siege, and Artemis and Bizarro are freed into their world after returning Mama Gunn to normal (the headquarters finally died).

[31] In issue #40, Red Hood and his students enter The Block, a research development complex located in the center of the Earth to find Lex Luthor.

It is revealed that Bizarro and Artemis are mind controlled by an unknown being, and Clara briefly holds them off before escaping with Red Hood.

Jesse Schedeen of IGN.com remarked that Kenneth Rocafort's penciling affords Scott Lobdell the opportunity to emphasize Starfire's sex appeal: "She alone seems to have been completely rebooted for the relaunch".

[35] Many critics and fans complain the clunky plot, Jason's character being too similar to Dick Grayson, and the lack of characterization.

[36] Andrew Hunsaker of Craveonline.com said that writer Lobdell's take on Tamaraneans (Starfire's race) "has reduced Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran into essentially a highly advanced Real Doll.

[37] Hunsaker further opined that it "seems as if Lobdell has taken great pains to strip all the emotional motivation behind Kori's gregarious outlook and reduce her to nothing more than a sex vessel.

[39] Houston Press writer Jef With One F countered that "you're not dealing with the point of view of someone who grew up here with our Western social norms" and contended that Starfire as portrayed in Red Hood and the Outlaws is "not a sex toy, she's someone from a very different culture attracted to two specific men".

Oscar Maltby writes: "Always explosive but rarely coherent narratively, Red Hood and the Outlaws was lurid, puerile and occasionally even embarrassing".

[42] The relaunch of the title featuring Red Hood, Artemis, and Bizarro received generally positive reviews, with praise for the artwork, and criticism aimed towards the story and dialogue.

[43] Mark Stack of Comics Bulletin writes, "[t]he dialogue is on-the-nose, the flashbacks oddly-paced, and there's some weird out-of-character stuff with Batman.