The motto “Let the punishment fit the crime.”, is the perfect phases when discussing this DC Comics character.
For the Hero of the Month, we have decided to focus on Red Hood when Jason Todd was behind the mask.
We decided to go with another character from the DC Universe where the line was blurred whether they were a hero or a villain.. Like we did last month with Harley Quinn.
The world changed when the Joker killed Jason Todd, thanks in part to comic fans wanting to see him gone. Had they known Todd was going to make his return with the help of the Lazarus Pit, we are thinking they would have done it sooner.
Brief History
After Jason Todd’s brutal demise at the hands of the Joker, the character remained in dead until he was brought back in 2005 in Under the Hood. Todd takes aim at killing Batman for him not stopping the Joker. After some intense training, Todd began to lose his desire to take out Batman thank to Talia al Ghul.
Eventually he is led down the path to take the mantle of Red Hood and begins to focus on Black Mask’s criminal empire. He wanted to become the new crime lord of Gotham along with ending Joker’s life. The villain’s life is on the line when Todd confronts Batman, but the Dark Knight comes out on top.
After several changes, we see Red Hood teaming up with the Outlaws and continues to battle the fine line of hero and villain.
Positives
The mad has developed a series set of skills over the years, from learning under Batman to his additional training after his death. The biggest positive of the character is how you see him grow and change over the years. It is a change to see how he fights to balance what drives him.
Negatives
The violence against criminals is one thing but when it shifts to other parties, it does change some. Maybe it is because we have grown used to Batman showing restraint when it comes to not going over the edge. The violence is a part of Hood’s nature, thanks to the time spent in the Pits, we know there is no going back.
Best Villain
There were several different routes we could have taken but in the end we decided to go with the Black Mask. The man who led the False Face Society. Eventually the villain would reach his demise at the hands of another, the confrontations between him and Red Hood always proved to be interesting.
Overall
This version of the anti-hero Hood is an interesting character. There are times when you want to pull for him. When he goes beyond the law, it is hard to rationalize every action.
In the end, we enjoy the direction this character has taken ever since fans votes for his demise.
