Jason Todd has always been remembered as the Robin who died at the hands of the Joker. Even after returning from the grave and flip-flopping between being a villain, hero, and anti-hero, Jason has never been able to escape the hatred that has defined him. He will always be the boy that the Joker beat with a crowbar and Batman’s greatest failure, and he has never been able to live that down. Now, after so many years of Jason being denied his deepest desire, the former Boy Wonder has the chance to kill the Joker in DC K.O.: Red Hood vs. The Joker. 

The DC K.O. event is DC’s biggest crossover of the year, featuring Darkseid’s grand return from the Absolute Universe and the fighting tournament set to decide who will claim the title of King Omega and defeat him. After everyone passed the qualifier and the first round, they were separated into teams of two, with Red Hood and Joker being paired up together and told to wage war in a three-round, winner-take-all battle to the death. Not only did this finally give Jason the revenge he so desperately craved, but it also acknowledged a major part of his character that has been neglected for far too long.

Revenge in an Executioner’s Red Hood

Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Round one kicked off with both fighters hungry for blood. Jason was amped to finally get his vengeance, and the Joker just wanted to cause as much pain as possible. Jason shot the Joker with a bullet that contained the same chemicals that bleached the Joker’s skin, only a thousand times stronger. Somehow, someway, the clown survived the horrible mutation and threw Jason into the vat of chemicals that made him, giving him the victory. For the second round, both fighters returned to the forms they were in when Jason died: the Joker and Robin from “Death in the Family.” 

This time, Jason brutalized the Joker. When he was first murdered, he held back because he was afraid he might kill the criminal if he cut loose, but now Jason purposefully kept the Joker alive as he tortured him with the crowbar. It ended with the bomb going off and Joker being eviscerated, giving Jason the victory and his revenge. For the final round, he didn’t know which form to choose. He’d always been defined by the Joker or Batman, but for his final fight, Jason realized he had to be himself. Jason took on the form of his older self, well after he’d become a hero in his own right.

This older Red Hood wasn’t as strong as his younger self, but he was wiser and more assured. He’d let go of his anger and wasn’t defined by the Joker anymore. He was his own man. He fought the Joker not out of a desire for revenge, but because he was a hero who fought evil people, embracing the Gotham legend of the Red Hood, the ultimate boogeyman. In the end, he won the fight, but Joker finagled a device to keep his heart beating. The Joker moved on, but Jason died content, knowing he had finally overcome his past.

A Hero Who Forged His Own Destiny

Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Jason Todd has both narratively and metaphorically been defined by Batman and the Joker ever since he was killed. He was a symbol of the harsh reality of their world while dead, and once alive again, he continued to be Batman’s greatest failure while also being the Robin that the Joker broke. His character has completely failed to evolve since his return in “Under the Red Hood,” as Jason lacked any identity beyond being defined by those two comic book legends. Even his name was stolen from the Joker. Jason didn’t have a supporting cast or identity beyond being angry at his death and wanting to make Batman and the Joker pay for his circumstances.

However, this issue acknowledged that fact and finally allowed Jason to overcome it. He wasn’t freed of his past by indulging in killing the Joker, but only once he let go of his hate and stopped letting it be the one thing that defined him. Once Jason focused on being his own man, he was finally able to evolve and move on from his past. For the first time in forever, Jason broke his own cyclical character arc and changed to be a better character. While it’s unclear if this revelation will stick, the fact that he experienced it alone is a major step forward. For the first time in a very long time, the future is bright for Red Hood fans.

DC K.O.: Red Hood vs. The Joker is on sale now!

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