Jason Todd’s Second Death Revealed in New DC Preview

Warning: contains preview pages for Task Force Z #3!

Jason Todd, AKA the Red Hood, has just been seen dying for the second time in a special preview for Task Force Z #3, on sale in print and digital December 28. Todd, during his time as the second Robin, perished at the hands of the Joker, only to be revived years later. He assumed the mantle of Red Hood and has been an uneasy ally of Batman ever since.

Since he has undergone the experience of death and rebirth, Red Hood has a unique perspective on the matter, making him perfect to lead the newly formed Suicide Squad spin-off, Task Force Z. This new team, headed up by the mysterious “Mister Crispin,” takes deceased villains, such as Bane, Man-Bat and Arkham Knight, and resurrects them with small doses of the mysterious “Lazarus Resin.” This substance, derived from Ras ‘al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits, can revive a dead person. These resurrected villains are then given an offer to serve on Task Force Z, and potentially earn a full dose of the Resin, which would revive them for good. Red Hood has been selected to head up this unique unit, while simultaneously searching for clues to the identity of Mister Crispin. In the previous issue, Red Hood was killed on a mission to retrieve Deadshot’s corpse and now it is time for his dose of the Resin. Task Force Z #3 is written by Matthew Rosenberg, with art by Eddy Barrows, inks by Eber Ferreira, colors by Adriano Lucas, and letters by Rob Leigh.

A preview from DC Comics opens at the “Chop Shop,” the headquarters of Task Force Z. Red Hood is on the operating table, and the team’s doctors are trying to save him. Red Hood flatlines, and the decision is made to inject him with the Resin. It works, immediately bringing him back to life. He asks the doctors if they used the resin on him and they lie, telling him they did not. The doctors tell him to get some rest, and the preview concludes with him visiting Deadshot, who is now on the team.

Red Hood’s second death lasted only a few seconds thanks to the Lazarus Resin. His first resurrection was also tied to the Lazarus Pits and here it is a factor again. Does the Red Hood’s life now depend on the Lazarus Resin? He was technically dead, and was revived—is he now hooked on the substance? Or was the fact he was dead for only a short time (as opposed to long-term like the others) make him less dependent on the Resin? And will he be able to find the identity of the mysterious Mister Crispin? Fans will have to wait to find the answers.

Red Hood’s perspectives on death and dying have made him the ideal leader for Task Force Z—and now he has died a second time. While this death only lasted a few seconds, it was enough to jar Red Hood, shaking up unpleasant memories of the first time he died.

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1377 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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