Not many characters in Gotham City understand exactly why Batman is so terrifying quite like Red Hood does.
Batman has managed to have the entire city frightened at the mere thought of his cowl, yet this is perplexing considering that, on paper, a man running around all night dressed like a giant bat sounds more silly than scary. Prior to carving out a reputation that contradicts his appearance, it’s rare that any Gothamite dare suggest that The Dark Knight is anything close to goofy. The Red Hood is able to successfully make sense out of it when he came to meet Batman firsthand and stood by as terror struck him when their eyes met.
In Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) #1 by Scott Lobdell and Dexter Soy, Jason Todd recalls the first time he met Batman. As Jason Todd’s origin story usually goes, he is confronted by Batman as the young street kid is stripping the tires off of the Batmobile. Before meeting the man who would become his mentor, Jason was not afraid in the slightest of Batman or the stories that accompanied him, hence why he was bold enough to try to steal his tires. However, this issue shows just how scary The Caped Crusaded really is in Jason’s narration that states, “But until he’s standing there … like a nightmare in a cape … you never think he’s coming for you.” Todd wasn’t afraid until he stood in front of Batman in the flesh and realized that the stories were true—Batman was real.
The concept of a man fighting crime in a bat suit is so preposterous that nobody takes it seriously (or at least don’t think he exists) until they actually learn that the nightmare known as Batman is real. But, when Jason Todd is standing in front of Batman, his looming presence makes Todd cower in fear. With Batman dressed in all black under the dark skies of Gotham City, it’s clear that seeing Batman, in the flesh, would elicit a visceral fear response within anyone who comes into contact with him. At this moment, it becomes evident to both Jason and readers, that The Dark Knight has been grossly underestimated.
So, when Batman actually does appear unexpectedly, it’s truly terrifying. Batman is a kind of fairy tale nightmare that has come to life. Red Hood learns that reality very fast at a young age and as Batman’s reputation suggests, so have others.
