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Summary
Red Hood’s identity crisis mirrors the Joker’s ever-changing nature, hinting at a potential transformation.
DC struggles to define Jason Todd’s role, hinting at a possible future where he embraces his villainous roots.
When Jason Todd was brutally murdered by the Joker, he came back to life as the villainous Red Hood. But DC is now exploring what would’ve happened if Jason had never died, and unfortunately, it seems like no matter what, Jason Todd doesn’t get a happy ending. Either Jason becomes the Red Hood after being murdered — or it’s possible he becomes the Joker himself.
The plot synopsis for From the DC Vault: Death in the Family: Robin Lives! #4 by J.M. DeMatteis and Rick Leonardi states that Jason is on the brink of madness, and it seems that the Joker is responsible. The very cover image for the comic shows a chilling image of Jason Todd with a Joker-like smile. I’ve noticed this isn’t the first time DC has pushed forward the idea of Jason as the Joker. In fact, the publisher has been doing it for years.
FROM THE DC VAULT: DEATH IN THE FAMILY – ROBIN LIVES! #4 (2024)
Release Date:
October 9th, 2024
Writers:
J.M. DeMatteis
Artists:
Rick Leonardi
Cover Artist:
Rick Leonardi
Variant Covers:
Lee Bermejo
Over 30 years ago, history was made when fans voted to kill the second Robin, Jason Todd. Now, DC continues the alternate story of what would have happened if he had lived… Will Batman be able to bring Robin back from the brink of madness…or lose the boy forever? And, in losing Jason, will he lose himself as well? The stakes have never been higher—as the Joker prepares to unleash an army of mad virus bats on the city. It all comes down to a bullet aimed at the Joker’s head, with millions of lives—and Jason Todd’s soul and sanity—hanging in the balance!
I’ve read a lot of Red Hood comics over the years, and one of the most recurring themes I’ve noticed is that DC truly seems to want Jason to become the next Joker. This idea has popped up a number of times, and it seems DC is once again exploring it in this what-if scenario.
After 36 Years, DC Squeezes the Last Drop of Trauma from Jason Todd’s Iconic Death
Red Hood fans, grab a box of tissues and prepare to sob uncontrollably. DC has just made Jason’s iconic death a million more times heartbreaking.
Jason Todd Will Always Be Connected to the Joker
It’s Hard to Move on When Death Is Involved
The unfortunate truth about Jason Todd as Robin is that he wasn’t nearly as popular as Dick. Fans just didn’t connect with Jason on the same level, resulting in Jason infamously being killed off by a fan poll deciding if he would live or die. Ultimately, the votes for him to die were higher, and Jason was brutally murdered by the Joker. Jason stayed dead for several decades, until he eventually came back to life as the villainous Red Hood. While this villainous version of Jason started out as someone who wanted to clean up Gotham in his own way, he eventually grew more and more twisted before the New 52 reset the Bat-Family.
Jason Todd died as Robin in
Batman
#428 by Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Mike DeCarlo, Adrienne Roy, and John Costanza.
Jason went from someone who wanted to clean up Gotham by using methods Batman wouldn’t, to becoming Nightwing’s own personal Joker. One of the biggest things I noticed about this era in Jason’s history was his increasing madness. While his original goals were perfectly understandable, Jason eventually grew more and more unstable.
By the time Nightwing had become Batman, Jason had become a regular villain who no longer seemed to care about Gotham. All he wanted to do was kill Batman. Jason is even portrayed as Nightwing’s own Joker when they nearly perfectly re-enact a scene from The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland.
The Idea of Red Hood Becoming the Joker Recurs Again and Again
Like in Batman: Three Jokers by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok
During the events of Batman: Three Jokers, the idea of Jason being selected to become the next Joker is brought up. This is the first time I’ve seen DC specifically float the idea of Jason becoming the Joker outright instead of simply implying it. It’s a horrible fate for Jason, and fortunately, nothing came of it, as the Jokers decided he wasn’t fit for the role. But nonetheless, it’s still a theme that continues to pop up time and time again.
Despite
Three Jokers
technically not being part of traditional DC continuity, DC continues to play with the idea of multiple Jokers existing in the main universe — including through multiversal means, like in
Batman
#900 by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez.
No matter how much Jason tries to escape it, it seems that his legacy will always be tied to the Joker. Even Jason’s biggest fans rarely remember his time as Robin. All they recall is his death at the hands of the Joker and his return as a villain. Even Jason knows this, as during the line-wide Knight Terrors event, the terrifying form of Jason that appeared wore the same Red Hood as the Joker and also sported a frowning face and crowbar. These moments are clear references to the Joker and are perfect examples of how Jason fears transforming into the person he hates the most.
Jason’s
Knight Terrors
story can be followed in
Knight Terrors: Robin
#1-2 by Kenny Porter, Miguel Mendonca, Adriano Lucas, and Tom Napolitano, available now from DC Comics.
When Jason was killed, the first thing he did when he decided to create a new identity was steal one of the Joker’s older mantles. The Joker used to be known as the Red Hood, and it’s the moniker that Jason took for himself. The Joker has even called Jason out on this. The idea that Jason would eventually move on to taking Joker’s current moniker makes perfect sense in a twisted way, I feel.
DC Struggles with Placing Red Hood in the Right Niche
Is He Hero or Villain?
Ever since Jason returned from the dead, DC doesn’t really know what to do with him. Red Hood has been a villain, an anti-hero, and a hero, all in the span of a few years. He’s also used lethal force, given up lethal force, stopped using guns, taken up crowbars, and taken up guns again. All of this points to a pretty strong lack of identity, which is also another major characteristic of the Joker. The Joker loves to constantly change his personality, and DC often puts Jason through the same thing by continually changing who he is and what he’s willing to do.
Jason Todd has struggled for years to find an identity that truly fits him.
I truly believe that one day DC is going to introduce a version of Red Hood who embraces becoming the Joker. They’ve already done it a ton of times with Batman, and this seems to be the first time they’re testing the idea in an out-of-continuity, what-if tale. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years readers get to see the Jason from DC’s central continuity also transform into the Joker for one reason or another.
Recently, Jason has had his brain rewired to prevent him from being a vigilante, and then he was killed and brought back to life once again. It begs the question of how many times a man can be killed before he starts to view life as meaningless, just as the Joker does.
In a World Without Red Hood, Jason Todd Accuses Batman of 1 Crime That Still Haunts Them
In this alternate-timeline story, Jason Todd survives his battle with the Joker, but it’s not the villain he blames — it’s his own father figure.
Someday Jason Todd Might Return to His Villainous Roots
Red Hood Works Well as a Batman Antagonist
Jason Todd has struggled for years to find an identity that truly fits him. He’s tried being a villain, a hero, and even an outlaw. But no matter what Jason tries, he can never seem to get away from the shadow of the Joker. It constantly hangs over him and his legacy. If DC finds Jason isn’t working out as a hero, I wouldn’t be surprised if they lean further into Red Hood’s villainous roots and transform him into a second Joker.
From the DC Vault: Death in the Family – Robin Lives! #4 is available October 9th, 2024 from DC Comics!
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.
“}]] Jason can never escape the Joker. Read More