The following contains spoilers for Red Hood & the Outlaws #24, written by Scott Lobdell, drawn by Dexter Soy and Alisson Borges, colored by Veronica Gandini, and lettered by Taylor Esposito.


It's safe to say, Red Hood and his team of Outlaws have always had a strange relationship with Batman and the other members of the Batfamily. The Dark Knight more or less gave his seal of approval to Jason Todd's current goal to eliminate the crime in Gotham, with one major caveat -- they can execute their plan, so long as no murdering was done. And though it may be difficult to believe, so far Jason and fellow Outlaws Artemis and Bizarro have stuck by that rule.

RELATED: Batman: DC Gives Jason Todd’s Father a Major Retcon

Unfortunately, neither Batman nor Jason could have predicted the series' most recent developments. Recently, Jason learned that 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. (It also seems as though Willis may have wound up being killed years later by Artemis, but that's yet to be completely confirmed.)

Thus, having just found his father's empty grave in last month's issue, and being subsequently attacked by Penguin's men while digging it up, Jason is looking to settle the score with Cobblepot once and for all, damn the consequences.

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Jason has frequently interfered in Penguin's affairs over the course of Red Hood and the Outlaw's run, but there are no jokes or smiles to be had this time around. As soon as the vigilante finds the Penguin putting on the "Son of Gotham" act at the pier, in front of television cameras no less, he immediately kicks Oswald Cobblepot in the face. Then, after taking off his helmet and telling Penguin just exactly who he is, he puts his gun right on Cobblepot's monocled eye. "No one here believes you have the stones to pull the trigger," Penguin taunts, referencing the typical standoff between hero and villain. "You're just a kid playing dress-up."

And then... Jason pulls the trigger.

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Now does this mean Penguin is dead? Well, no; as the issue ends, he's in critical condition at the hospital and his fate could go either way, really. But just the act of shooting the Penguin in the face on live, national television is enough to make Jason public enemy number one in the eyes of Gotham, along with forcing Batman to confront his adoptive son head on. Given some of Batman's recent events, he's probably going to be angrier with Jason than usual, and there'll no doubt be a physical brawl between father and son over what just happened.

RELATED: Jason Todd Gets a New Costume in Red Hood and the Outlaws

Red Hood has always been about Jason trying to form a new family after the previous iteration of Outlaws disbanded, making it all the more tragic that this trio looks to suffer the same fate as the last. Bizarro's intelligence is deteriorating to the level it was at before he became super smart, and despite Artemis' best efforts, the Superman clone apparently can't be saved. With their invisible, floating base having been destroyed over Gotham, and his teammates facing very real crises of their own, Jason has yet another family crumbling before him. And to make it all worse, this time, it's not even really his fault.

However things ultimately shake out between Jason and the other Outlaws, it won't end well for the former Robin. He'll have to leave Gotham City, where he'll take on a new costume and continue meting out his brand of justice across the country. It's probably for the best, in the end; Gotham has enough brutal heroes as it is, and the city has chewed Jason up and spat him out enough times for him to have earned a change of scenery several times over. It may not be under the best of circumstances, but shooting Penguin in the face may end up as the best choice that Jason's ever made.

KEEP READING: Red Hood and the Outlaws - Bizarro is Super Smart, Now – And It’s Absolutely Terrifying