Warning: Spoilers for Batman #148 ahead!
Summary
Few DC characters have had as rocky a history asRed Hood: a character who is arguably better known for the legacy of his dramatic death than any particular derring-do of his own. Now, DC flips the script on Jason Todd’s death, turning one of Jason’s darkest moments into a poetic reaffirmation of everything the character has become since his resurrection in 2005.
Batman#148 by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez is the climactic showdown between the Bat-Family and Batman’s villainous Zur-En-Arrh alter-ego (who is inhabiting the body ofthe monstrously powerful Failsafe robot). When Jason attempts to ambush the Zur/Failsafe hybrid, the machine kills him with a single punch.
Since “Batman never kills,” this act triggers Failsafe’s programming, overriding Zur’s control and shutting the machine down while Jason is revived with a dose of Lazarus fluid in his suit. It turns out that this death-and-resurrection was the plan from the beginning, meaning thatJason Todd deliberately weaponized his own death to take down an evil version of Batman.
Jason Todd’s Death Wasn’t Batman’s Fault, & Red Hood Knows It
Judd Winick’s Red Hood finally gives a worthy explanation of what really got him killed by the Joker, and it’s perfectly in character for Jason Todd.
Red Hood Reclaims His Death as Robin
Can Jason Todd Finally Move On?
Jason Todd will never escape the legacy of his deathvia reader poll back in 1988. Ever since his resurrection in 2005’sUnder the Red Hoodarc, creators havestruggled to define Red Hood’s character; at first, he was a villainous “anti-Batman,” wielding pistols and unafraid to kill. Later interpretations would try him out as more of a rogue operative, tackling jobs that were too dirty for even Batman to involve himself. No matter the interpretation, he is most remembered as “the Robin who died” — a legacy that informs Jason’s trademark guilt, anguish, and penchant for violence.
Jason Todd returns to Gotham as Red Hood inBatman#635, by Judd Winick, Doug Mahnke, Tom Nguyen, Alex Sinclair, and Pat Brosseau, available now both digitally and in collected editions under the nameBatman: Under the Red Hood.
Jason Todd weaponizing his own deathis a gutsy authorial choice and a way for Jason to finally reclaim his legacy. The moment is drenched in symbolism: Jason’s first death marked a decidedly dark turn for the tone of Batman going forward, while this second death promises redemption for both Jason and Bruce alike. Rather than being killed as a pawn in a war between Batman and the Joker, here Jason chooses to sacrifice himself to destroy Zur/Failsafe inan act that affirms Red Hood’s commitment to protecting and preserving the kinder, modern Bat-Family dynamic.
What’s Next for Jason Todd?
While Jason started his second life as Batman’s murderous foil,Batman#148 marks the completion of his long journey toward forgiveness by both the Bat-Family and himself. It is a spectacular narrative element that both spells out his character in the modern day - the gruff, admittedly violent “big brother” of the Bat-Family - and finally lets him escape the shadow of his murder all those years ago by having him face death on his own terms. Jason Todd’s death is still one of the character’s defining elements, but in weaponizing it,Red Hoodturns his darkest moment into a force for good.
BATMAN #148 (2024)
Red Hood
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.
