Warning! Spoilers for Gotham Nights #11 below!
Jason Todd’s life has never been an easy one. Long before he ever became Robin or the Red Hood, he was a troubled kid who ended up in Ma Gunn’s School for Boys, a front for an organization that trained orphans and troubled children into becoming master criminals. Although that must feel like a lifetime ago in the tragic trajectory of Jason’s life, he’ll soon discover your past is never too far to catch up to you in the upcoming Gotham Nights #11.
Originally a strawberry blond replacement for Dick Grayson, Jason Todd’s career as Robin was literally to mimic Dick Grayson as well as possible before allowing him his own identity as Robin. His backstory was later revised to have been a troubled kid who was caught trying to steal the tires from the Batmobile. A resident of Gotham’s infamous Crime Alley, his absence of parental figures had Batman placed in a home for troubled youths, unaware of Ma Gunn’s true purpose. Fighting against the school’s “curriculum”, Jason alerted Batman to Ma and her associate’s criminal activities and the two worked together to apprehend her. With Ma Gunn arrested and the school closed down, Jason accepted the Batman’s offer to become his new Robin but not before engaging in six months of training which Bruce hoped that he could channel Jason’s rage into something productive. Although he proved to be an adequate crime-fighter, Jason constantly struggled with Batman’s expectations within the role, acting out and openly defying his partner’s orders until his career as Robin was cut prematurely with his death at the hands of the Joker in the famous ‘A Death in the Family‘ story-line.
A familiar face from Red Hood’s past needs his help when he’s targeted by Codename: Assasin (yes that’s his real name) all while being completely unaware of the price on his head. This story is a two-part issue by Steve Orlando, Priscilla Petraites, Marc Guggenheim, Robert Gill, and others. DC also released three preview pages including the cover by artist Romulo Fajardo, Jr, as seen below.
It would appear that Jason’s old friend, a fellow former student of Ma Gunn, took the heat for something that Jason did and figures that he owes him one. The short scene shows how the psychotic criminal schoolmaster used fear and intimidation to drill her lessons into the children, using things like rock salt and shotguns to teach them there is no honor among thieves. As we watch this childhood trauma fade into the present day, somehow it makes sense that something like this could happen in Gotham. However, it would appear that some debts can be more trouble than they’re worth to pay but considering the kind of trouble this old friend has found himself in, he might consider himself lucky that the Red Hood owes him one. The goal is to still be alive to enjoy that second chance when you cash in that favor, even if you don’t realize that you have. Here’s hoping that Jason and his friend Numbers make it out alive to drink a beer at some Gotham hole-in-the-wall and reminisce about their crappy childhoods together. It’s better to have a reunion than a funeral in those kinds of situations.
Gotham Nights #11 is available now.
