Warning: Contains spoilers for Catwoman #58!
Red Hood has run the gauntlet from sidekick to villain and back to hero again, hitting all the marks in between. Now, even as Batman tries to push him out of the vigilante life entirely, he’s proving that he’s closer than ever to becoming a full-fledged superhero. Saving people (and Gotham City) is the only thing that will help Jason Todd fight through his intense fear.
In Catwoman #58 by Tini Howard, Nico Leon, Veronica Gandini, and Lucas Gattoni, Jason Todd is still caught in the effects of Batman’s quest to “cure” him and force him to lead a normal life by artificially inducing fear in Jason’s brain chemistry. Every spike in adrenaline comes with a shock of fear so deep he’s left fighting to take a literal step forward.
Once Red Hood completes the arduous task of walking outside, however, he propels himself into a burning building to save a little girl trapped inside. His innate drive to help people is still there, regardless of what Batman tries to do.
Red Hood’s Motivation Has Always Been Fear
Since childhood, and certainly following his death and resurrection, Red Hood calls upon anger and revenge to move forward. He’s propelled by those emotions, but fear has always been at the heart of his drive: fear of abandonment — that the people who should be there for him will ultimately not show up — always sits barely beneath Jason’s emotional surface. Knight Terrors: Robin #2 by Kenny Porter, Miguel Mendonca, Adriano Lucas, and Tom Napolitano showcases that motivation clearly, as Jason expresses that all he wanted was “someone–anyone [he] could count on.” He breaks through his nightmare by accepting that Tim Drake will keep his word. He’s not alone, and fighting through that old fear is the catalyst that lets them escape Insomnia’s clutches.
Fear has always forced Jason to fight. Batman’s fear-based “failsafe” for Jason didn’t introduce something that wasn’t there before. Instead, it heightened what he has lived with his entire life. Batman merely weaponized it in a new way, but it didn’t trigger the transformation he intended. Jason isn’t going to sit on the sidelines and live a normal life in Metropolis when there are people out there who need him: life is filled with burning buildings and people who require rescuing, and he will continue trying to help even if he needs saving, too.
Gotham Needs Red Hood’s Return
Catwoman #58 highlights the effect Batman’s plan is having on Jason, but it also shows the unique position he still holds in the Gotham War. While the entire Bat-Family tries to rein in the conflict between Batman and Catwoman, Jason is caught in the middle and knows it. He tells both Bruce and Selina that they’re going to “rip the city apart” if they continue, especially when Vandal Savage is ramping up to be the real threat they should face. His words strike a chord with Selina, and she agrees that he’s right.
Jason can’t just step aside and let the chips fall where they may. He’s still needed and capable, especially if Catwoman and Batman are willing to listen. Not only does he have the potential to reach them in a way no one else has managed, but he does so in spite of what he’s going through, just as he offers comfort to the endangered child by letting her know that it’s okay to be scared. His position in the war is unique, but so is his approach to handling the city and its people. At his core, Red Hood has always been a hero, and breaking through Batman’s instilled fear promises a heroic rebirth for Jason Todd.
Check out Catwoman #58, available now from DC Comics!
