In DC Comics, a constant element in Batman's crusade for justice is the existence and presence of a Robin at his side. As such, Batman has had a handful of Robins over the years, though none have been quite like (or have gone through as much) as Jason Todd, Batman's second Robin and the current Red Hood. While Jason is often considered to be the black sheep of the Bat-Family due to his refusal to follow Batman's code against killing criminals, Red Hood may have been the best Robin Batman's ever had.
Even before his death at the hands of the Joker (and later resurrection as the lethal vigilante Red Hood), Jason Todd was more aggressive than the Robin who came before him (Dick Grayson) and the Robin who would take his place (Tim Drake). Thanks to having an absentee father who sold drugs and a drug-addicted mother, Jason did not have a very happy childhood living in the Narrows, one of the worst neighborhoods in Gotham. When Batman first found Jason, he was attempting to steal the tires of the Batmobile, a move that showed just how brave (if not also arrogant) Jason truly was. Batman took an interest in Jason right then and there, making him his new ward and eventual Robin.
One of the first things that separated Jason from Dick Grayson was his barely-contained anger. Batman was constantly needing to rein Jason in, doing what he could to help him control his rage. It's very likely that Batman saw something of himself in Jason, with Jason's own anger mirroring the anger Bruce holds within himself towards the man who killed his parents. While later Robins would add some levity to Bruce Wayne's life, Jason Todd was the only one actually on the same path as DC's greatest hero. It's no surprise, then, that his short tenure as Robin included some huge wins, such as taking down the intergalactic warlord Mongul in Action Comics Annual #11.
Even after his transition into the Red Hood after his resurrection, Jason Todd still seeks justice, but his anger and rage motivate him to take his own crusade beyond what Batman is willing to do, as Jason now has no qualms about using lethal means to achieve a permanent justice against the criminals he finds. Despite this rage, Jason isn't without principles, showing remarkable discipline in his solo adventures. Capable of carrying out a high-stakes vigilante career against Batman's wishes and winning the loyalty of some of DC's most unpredictable rogues despite relatively little training, Jason may be the most ambitious of Batman's former wards, and in many ways the most successful.
What if Jason hadn't died? One could imagine that over time, Batman would have continued Jason's training, helping him to better control his anger and rage, molding him into a true hero in his own right, instead of the anti-hero and outlaw he's become. While Jason Todd has been considered by some to be everyone's least favorite Robin, he had the potential to become the DC's Universe's next Batman, a feat which the more light-hearted Robins are either uninterested in or unsuited to pursue. While Jason can be counted on by Batman as an ally, they still clash from time to time due to Jason's work as the Red Hood on the other side of the line. Still, it's possible even the Dark Knight knows that when Joker killed Jason Todd, he stole the best Robin he'd ever work with.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3neTbum
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment