Since his Lazarus-fueled return from the dead in Batman: Under the Red Hood, former Robin Jason Todd has grown into one of the more nuanced and unpredictable residents of Gotham. He's played the role of villain and anti-hero, bouncing between being an accepted member of the Bat-Family and its greatest outcast. Red Hood is easily one of DC's most versatile characters, but he needs a new direction to reach his full potential.
While the Bat-Family is home to plenty of interesting personalities with their own unique stories, Jason Todd has always been one of its most multi-faceted . Unfortunately, that complexity has created a murky story for Red Hood, as DC seems to have lost its way when it comes to his future.
Nightwing established firm roots in his own city, Blüdhaven, and several other of the Bat-Family are well on their way to creating unique identities for themselves. Jason Todd continues to be stuck walking the line of an anti-hero, balancing Bat-Family ties and inescapable trauma while both hold him back.
It’s Time for DC to Let Red Hood Grow as a Character
He’s Been Stuck in the Past for Too Long
Jason Todd’s first Batman appearance came all the way back in 1983's Batman #357 by Gerry Conway and Don Newton, and his role has changed a great deal in the intervening years. While he'll always carry elements of his past as the second Robin, his death at the hands of the Joker and his subsequent resurrection via the Lazarus Pit and Talia al Ghul forever changed the character as a whole. During his time as Red Hood, he's been both a diametrically-opposed Bat-Family villain and their begrudging ally, and in both cases he's left feeling like the family's black sheep. Both approaches diminish his potential.
Jason's time as Robin famously ended with his death-by-Joker-explosion in 1988's Batman #428 by Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Mike DeCarlo, Adrienne Roy, and John Costanza, available now from DC Comics as part of the Batman: Death in the Family story arc.
Perhaps the greatest hindrance to Jason's character is DC's unwillingness to let him fully move beyond the tragic circumstances of his death. Although there is no way to ever truly separate Jason from that moment, or all the fallout it subsequently caused, it unfairly defines his character. From his code name to his weapon of choice, everything about Jason-as-Red-Hood is colored by the Joker. Even the recently-revealed Robin Lives! timeline heaped more trauma on him than death ever could have. For Jason Todd to exist as his own person, DC must free him from at least a few shackles and create a clear path forward.
Red Hood’s Relationship With the Bat-Family Needs to be Clearly Defined
It's Hard to Tell If He's Batman's Ally or Enemy
It's impossible to address the "problem" of Red Hood without diving into his relationship with Batman and his allies. It's the constant, looming question in his life, and DC needs to finally answer it, as it's currently impossible to know where Jason stands with any of them. He seems to make incredible progress in stories like "Cheer" by Chip Zdarsky, Eddy Barrows, and Marcus To in Batman: Urban Legends and then, in the blink of an eye, is treated like an outsider, not called upon for scenes that are clearly meant to be "family" moments, like the introduction of Pennyworth Manor in Batman #149 by Zdarsky, Steve Lieber, and Michele Bandini.
A Bat-free Jason could finally get some regular rogues of his own or expand the Outlaws into a greater global presence.
Cutting ties to Gotham and the Bat-Family is one possible way to move Hood forward, as there's a whole criminal world out there for him to wreak havoc upon. A Bat-free Jason could finally get some regular rogues of his own or expand the Outlaws into a greater global presence. Alternately, firmly and officially accepting him into the family would allow him to carve out his place in the city - not just as a more "heroic" Red Hood, but as Jason Todd, a deeply empathetic character who has always had a personal understanding of how Gotham's least fortunate suffer.
Red Hood and the Outlaws Earned a Bigger Spotlight than the Team Currently Has
Jason Todd Deserves a Defined Future
It's undeniable that the Outlaws, his team since the dawn of the New 52, give Jason room to be more himself, and it's a solid way to explore how he interacts with others without being weighed down by family, as well as expanding beyond one city. As for the Outlaws themselves, revisiting Artemis and Bizarro would be a welcome possibility, with the chance to re-solidify ties to the original team of Roy Harper and Koriand'r, as would reinventing the group entirely. There are a handful of other potential Outlaws, like Eddie Bloomberg and Rose Wilson, who both have ties to Jason and each other and would make an intriguing trio.
What Does Every Robin Have in Common? DC Just Delivered the Devastating Truth
Red Hood has just delivered a brutal truth about why he and the other Robins took up the mantle—and it hits harder than you might expect.
DC has a major decision to make. Jason deserves a life fully separate from the Bat-Family, either leading the Outlaws or operating solo, or to at last fully integrate with Batman and his allies and be treated as an equal among them. As things stand, he can be practically anything, but he cannot be everything (and nothing) all at once, all depending on the week. His character has so many options, yet he continues to be directionless. Red Hood is easily one of DC Comics' most complex characters, but it's past time to give him a path of his own to walk.
Check out Jason Todd's first full story as Red Hood, Batman: Under the Red Hood, which is available now from DC Comics.
Jason Todd is a complex figure known for his tumultuous journey as Batman's second Robin. Initially impulsive and rebellious, he's resurrected after a tragic death, becoming the vigilante Red Hood. Armed with intense combat skills and a moral ambiguity, he challenges Batman's methods, navigating a path between heroism and anti-heroism in Gotham's unforgiving streets.
