DC's Red Hood May Have Finally Become Irredeemable

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Red Hood: Jason Todd May Have Finally Become Irredeemable

By Tim Adams

Published Dec 31, 2018

After everything that's happened to Red Hood, we may have finally hit the point where Jason Todd is a lost cause -- which isn't a bad thing.

Out of all the different vigilantes in the Batman Family, the "black sheep" is unquestionably Red Hood. Jason Todd was the second person to put on the Robin costume following Dick Grayson, and met an unfortunate fate when he was killed by the Joker in the controversial "Death in the Family" story arc.

Dying and being resurrected can have a dramatic effect on a person, and that can definitely be said for Jason. Batman would clash with Jason from time-to-time when he was the Boy Wonder, and the tension remained after Jason adopted the Red Hood moniker. Whereas the Dark Knight had strict "no guns" and "no killing" rules, Jason was the complete opposite. Pistols were his weapons of choice, though he did his best to refrain from killing.

However, that all changed in Red Hood and the Outlaws #24 when Jason Todd shot Penguin in the face. Jason learned his father Willis Todd not only worked for the Penguin, but was sent to prison by the bird-themed villain while Jason's mother was raising the future Red Hood. When he went looking for answers, Jason let his temper get the best of him and tried to execute Oswald Cobblepot publicly, which naturally angered Batman.

Mentor and mentee would fight on a rooftop, with Batman ripping the Bat symbol off of Red Hood's chest, theoretically banishing him from Gotham City and the Bat Family. Red Hood would find himself alone without Batman and his team of Outlaws, and DC acknowledged the moment by granting him a brand new costume and retitled comic, Red Hood: Outlaw.

Finally free of any obligations, Red Hood set forth to investigate the Underlife criminal organization. He originally started looking into the Underlife with Arsenal, but when Roy Harper checked himself into the superhero crisis center called Sanctuary, he became one of its many casualties in the pages of Heroes in Crisis. Now Jason has lost his best friend, his home and the trust of Batman, making him a true wild card in the DC Universe.

We've started to wonder if the Red Hood would be best served occupying an even greater antihero role. Batman has enough allies when you count up the Robins (Damian Wayne and Tim Drake), Batgirl, Batwoman, Batwing and the other street-level heroes in Gotham City that Red Hood shouldn't be missed. The final issue of Red Hood and the Outlaws saw Jason Todd brutalize a biker gang, displaying just how violent and bloody his actions can be.

It truly feels like Red Hood has passed the point of no return, and future issues of Red Hood: Outlaw only solidify this new status quo. February's Red Hood: Outlaw #32 brings Jason back to Gotham City to antagonize Penguin, who miraculously survived the gunshot wound to the face. Where the Red Hood once operated as an underground criminal mastermind, Jason Todd is a businessman performing a hostile takeover of Penguin's Iceberg Lounge and Casino. If he follows through with this business venture, Red Hood would be well on his way to becoming DC's version of the Kingpin from the Marvel Universe.

Red Hood has so much potential as a character, it would be a shame for him to eventually join back with Batman. Being irredeemable wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to Jason Todd, and it would get the point across that not all of Batman's sidekicks are golden Boy Wonders. Red Hood as a lost cause is a concept worth exploring and is something DC should seriously consider moving forward.