Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 Preview

One of the major points of contention in the New 52 with continuity sticklers is just how exactly Jason Todd, Batman's second Robin and unfortunate recipient of a crowbar beating from the Joker, returned from the great beyond. Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 aims to explain just that; assuming that this time he wasn't brought back by a reality-shattering punch from Superboy Prime, that is. Which was kind of awesome.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 hits on Wednesday.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

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The Incredible Hulk #13 Review

The second act of Jason Aaron's Hulk saga saw Hulk bounce from one bizarre location to the next, all the while battling kooky enemies and struggling to understand what Banner was working to accomplish. It went on longer than it needed to, but finally we've arrived at the third and final leg of the series. If issue #13 is any indication, Hulk United will serve as a strong finish to an uneven run.

For the most part, issue #13 focuses on re-framing the events of Stay Angry from Banner's point of view. Aaron writes Banner's reaction to his "death" at Hulk's hands and his chaotic journey to develop his Hulk serum. My concern with this series all along has been that Aaron would push Banner so far down the path of villainy that the character might become irredeemable. This issue goes a long way towards fleshing out Banner's present state of mind and making his actions a little more understandable. And after the rampant craziness of the last arc, the more serious tone is a nice palate cleanser. That's not to say there aren't moments of frivolity. Aaron delivers a showdown between Banner and Doctor Doom that ranks among the best scenes of the series so far. Doom's bravado is as hilarious as ever. And the running gag of every Doom turning out to be a Doombot is a hoot.

Jefte Palo provides the artwork for this issue. His work really shines, thanks in large part to the colors of Frank Martin. Palo's normally thick, black lines and shadowy characters suddenly become more vibrant and superhero-y thanks to the coloring.

The end is in sight, and Aaron is showing every sign of finishing this series in stronger form than he opened it.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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New R18+ Guidelines for Australia Finalised

Minister for Home Affairs and Justice Jason Clare has revealed the new finalised Guidelines for the Classification of Computer Games. The Guidelines will come into effect on 1 January 2013.

Mr Clare said State and Territory Ministers with responsibility for classification matters have agreed to the revised Guidelines after “extensive consultation.”

The guidelines still contain an acknowledgement that “computer games may have a higher impact than similarly themed depictions of the classifiable elements in film, and therefore greater potential for harm or detriment, particularly to minors.”  This, however, is not a new addition; this section regarding the “the interactive nature of computer games and the active repetitive involvement of the participant” has been carried over from the revised draft guidelines revealed back in November 2011.

The Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (iGEA) expressed concern at the time regarding this acknowledgment that interactivity has greater impact on players, despite the Federal Attorney-General's office publishing a literature review in December 2010 that found no evidence to support these claims.

Games that include violence with a very high degree of impact (that is excessively frequent, prolonged, detailed or repetitive), actual sexual violence (or implied sexual violence related to incentives or rewards), and drug use related to incentives and rewards will still be refused classification. These criteria have not changed since last November’s revised draft guidelines.

States and Territories are in the process of passing their own complementary legislation to ensure that R18+ computer games are appropriately regulated.

The ACT has already passed its Bill and NSW and Tasmania’s legislation has also been introduced into their parliaments.

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