Crimson Hood’s journey is marked by a double-edged failure: he did not merely fall in need of being Robin, he additionally failed when the time got here for him to turn into the following Joker. Each of those failures have resulted within the anti-hero that followers have come to know and love over time.

Jason’s failure at being Robin began along with his ruthlessness in opposition to criminals. In Batman #424 by Jim Starlin, Mark Shiny, Steve Mitchell, and Adrienne Roy, the second Robin’s out-of-control violence involves a peak when he allegedly pushes a prison out of a window, thus breaking Batman’s “no killing” rule. This act of violence units off a domino impact that finally results in the younger vigilante’s demise by the hands of the Joker within the famend Batman story arc Loss of life within the Household by Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Mike DeCarlo, and Adrienne Roy, which solidified Jason’s failure as Robin. Nevertheless, this failure wasn’t the tip of Jason Todd, nor was it his final.

Associated: Crimson Hood’s Bat-Household Historical past Is Fully Redefined with One Line

Crimson Hood Wasn’t Good Sufficient to Be the Subsequent Joker

In Batman: Three Jokers #2 by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson, and Rob Leigh, Jason Todd is kidnapped and brutalized by the Jokers, a scene that’s eerily much like Jason’s deadly encounter with the Joker in Loss of life within the Household. Throughout his torture, the Jokers confess that they thought Jason can be the perfect candidate of their plot to create one other Joker. Nevertheless, they resolve in opposition to dipping Crimson Hood of their pool stuffed with ACE chemical substances, stating that he’s “simply not vibrant sufficient” to be considered one of them. Within the eyes of the Jokers, this was a failure on Jason’s half for not assembly their requirements, which leads to Jason “failing” at changing into the Joker.

If the Jokers hadn’t finally determined that Jason wasn’t match to be a Joker, followers might have ended up with a Jokerized Crimson Hood. Not solely would this have resulted within the full rewriting of Jason’s character and storylines, however it additionally would have turned Crimson Hood into the factor he feared essentially the most: the monster who brutalized and killed him. Nevertheless, an much more daunting end result for followers would have been the doable (second) demise of Jason Todd. Previous to Jason’s kidnapping, all of the clowns’ Jokerized take a look at topics finally died due to their dip within the poisonous chemical baths, making it extremely possible that the identical destiny would have awaited the second Robin.

The Second Loss of life of Jason Todd

Regardless of the unfavorable stigma typically related to failure, in Jason’s case, followers would not have it every other approach. Had Jason not confronted his tragic demise as Robin, Gotham would by no means been launched to its foul-mouthed anti-hero, Crimson Hood. Conversely, had the Jokers succeeded in Jokerizing Jason, we might have misplaced Crimson Hood totally. Jason’s shortcomings in each the roles of Robin and the Joker stem from others’ expectations. Bruce needed Jason to emulate himself and Dick Grayson, the unique Boy Surprise, throughout his time as Robin, whereas the Jokers aimed to mould Jason of their picture. In the end, the unrealistic expectations positioned on Crimson Hood are what led to his failure in each roles.

Try Batman: Three Jokers #2, Batman #424, and Batman: Loss of life within the Household, all out there now from DC Comics!