Warning: Spoilers for Task Force Z #9!
Jason Todd aka Red Hood, and Stephanie Brown aka Batgirl, don’t always have the strongest connection compared to other members of the Bat-Family, but Steph has just proven she’s the friend Jason needs right now, especially as he continues to lead a team of undead villains that could eat his brains at any moment.
A connection seen in Task Force Z #9, by Matthew Rosenberg and Eddy Barrows, this new series has followed Jason Todd as he struggles to captain a crew of zombies dependent on a dangerous drug called Lazarus Resin to stay alive…well, half-alive, that is. Working under a somewhat redeemed Two-Face, Jason has had to act a bit more out of line than usual to continue his undercover Task Force Z mission for Batman, one that he refuses to give up even after being told to stand down.
Drawing the ire of the rest of the Bat-Family when Jason won’t give back his sample of Lazarus Resin, Nightwing, Tim Drake’s Robin, and Cassandra Cain’s Batgirl get into fisticuffs with Red Hood, eventually leaving him beaten pretty badly. And it’s here, at the beginning of this issue, where the aftermath of that fight is explored, with Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl arriving to console Red Hood as a friend but also give him the tough love he needs.
Tracking Red Hood down after he escapes the other heroes, Steph gifts Jason with some coffee, an act that affects Jason as he mentions how “nice” it is for her to do so, despite his initial thoughts that she was going to pull some trick on him. Saying that Red Hood’s fight with Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl seemed pretty rough, Steph offers Jason first aid, only to then give him information that will help him on his mission, yet still warning him that “your history won’t matter” with the rest of Bat-Family if he continues to act against the team’s best interests.
First saying she didn’t come as a friend but then letting slip as she leaves that “This is me being a friend,” Steph giving Red Hood some tough love after sweetly taking care of him post-battle tells readers that not only is Steph and Jason’s rarely seen relationship an interesting one to continue to explore, but also shows that Steph is the kind of friend Jason needs at the moment. By Steph actually treating Jason like one of the Bat-Family, nudging him along on a mission he’s already catching flack for, and then getting real with him as she disappears into the night is a different approach compared to the rest of what Jason’s acquaintances usually go with, Jason’s reactions to Steph’s words alone making it clear that this kind of honest but caring attitude is something Jason needs more of in his life and crimefighting career.
It’s nice to see Jason getting some love from someone who doesn’t usually interact with him often, proving to fans that while Jason can sometimes come across as unlovable, some see him as the good person he truly tries to be. After this issue, Red Hood and Batgirl deserve more time together on the page, so make it happen DC Comics!
Task Force Z #9 is now available from DC Comics
