The following article contains spoilers for Task Force Z #12, on sale now from DC Comics.
Red Hood pens a letter for Batman in the final issue of Task Force Z, asking his surrogate father for forgiveness.
"Dear Bruce, I'm sorry," the letter reads. "I'm sorry for all the things I said to you, and all the things you didn't think you could say to me. I'm sorry for all the things I needed to do and all the things you wanted me to be that I couldn't."
The last pages of Task Force Z #12 show Bruce reading the letter in the Bat Cave, musing on Red Hood's actions throughout the entire series. The only other member of the Bat Family to react to the letter is Stephanie Brown, who meets Jason in an airport as he prepares to depart to Texas for recuperation. Stephanie, who likely relates to the former Boy Wonder since she was also once considered an outsider in the Bat Family, gives her fellow Robin a hug and tells him to take care of himself.
What Happened During Task Force Z?
Task Force Z saw Jason tasked by Batman to infiltrate an organization that used Lazarus Resin to raise villains from the dead and was tangentially connected to the Suicide Squad. When it was revealed that the entire group was run by a semi-reformed Two-Face and actually a front for Mr. Bloom's cruel experiments, Batman ordered Jason to pull out from his investigation, but Red Hood -- somewhat moved by the plight of the reanimated villains he had encountered -- refused, hoping he could see his task through and dismantle the so-called "Task Force Z" all on his own. Naturally, Batman disapproved of him working with multiple members of his rogues' gallery, and the two had yet another falling out.
Batman and Red Hood have gone through a wide array of highs and lows since Jason came back from the dead in the now-classic 2005-2006 story "Under the Hood." The pair have alternated between going at each other's throats and begrudgingly working together, though the story "Cheer" in Batman: Urban Legends #1-6 saw them acknowledging that life was too short to continue feuding. While Jason's letter may help to patch whatever lingering resentment the two men have against each other for the events of Task Force Z, it's clear that as always, the only constant in the relationship between Batman and his second ward is conflict.
Task Force Z #12 is written by Matthew Rosenberg, penciled by Eddy Barrows, inked by Eber Ferreira, colored by Adriano Lucas, lettered by Rob Leigh and boasts variant covers by Jim Cheung and Jay David Ramos, Travis Mercer and Sebastian Cheng, and Chris Batista and Ivan Plascencia. The issue is on sale now.