Red Hood Needs Clownhunter, Not A Robin, To Beat The Joker

Warning: spoilers for Batman Secret Files: Clownhunter #1 are ahead. 

For decades, the Joker has been one of the most fearsome villains in DC Comics and beyond, with Red Hood and Clownhunter having firsthand experience with the clown’s cruelty. When Jason Todd was Batman’s Robin, he was beaten to death with a crowbar and then blown up by the Joker. After getting resurrected and returning to the streets of Gotham as Red Hood, Jason went after Batman for failing to avenge his death at the hands of the Joker. Now, with the Suicide Squad: Get Joker! series underway and an appearance in Batman Secret Files: Clownhunter #1, Red Hood is once again poised to fight his greatest enemy – this time with a protegé.

Batman Secret Files: Clownhunter #1 is a oneshot exploring Clownhunter (Bao Pham), another Batman-adjacent vigilante in Gotham (written by Ed Brisson, art by Rosi Kämpe, colors by Andrew Dalhouse, letters by Simon Bowland). Like Red Hood, Clownhunter is no stranger to Joker’s cruelty, with both of his parents having been killed by him. Mirroring early aspects of Jason Todd’s personality, Bao impulsively rushed into conflict with the Joker, Punchline, and their goons, wielding a baseball bat with a batarang sticking out of the end of it. Outnumbered by Punchline’s men, Clownhunter was nearly killed before Red Hood arrived and beat the rest with a crowbar. Seeing great potential in Bao, but also an even greater need for training, Red Hood extended himself as a mentor to the younger vigilante in their shared goal of taking down the Joker.

To some, this turn of events for Red Hood may be surprising, considering that he has never been keen on the idea of taking on his own Robin-like sidekick. But through working with another one of his victims, Jason Todd could finally beat the Joker once and for all, as it would defy the clown’s primary methods of villainy. The Joker’s greatest trick is his ability to make his victims feel alone in their helplessness, which has had a drastic psychological impact on Red Hood in the past. It is an experience that Clownhunter undoubtedly shares, making their collaboration a powerful rejection of the Joker’s modus operandi.

More generally, Jason Todd has long been haunted by a question of identity, specifically when it comes to the Joker’s role in creating his post-resurrection persona as Red Hood. This was evident when Red Hood went as far as to wipe his own memory to rid himself of the trauma from the Joker. Mentoring Clownhunter would give him the chance to steer Bao away from the destructive path that he himself went on, passing on the lessons in self-determination that Jason wished his younger self had known earlier.

Gotham City has a habit of sending young people into a life of violence before they can understand the ramifications of their actions, but that does not mean that there aren’t people who can guide them onto a better path. Jason Todd has always been driven by a protective instinct, and training Clownhunter would take advantage of this while mitigating the psychological torment of one of Gotham’s newest vigilantes. And while it is likely that neither character would heal completely from killing the Joker, embarking on this journey in tandem presents a healthier alternative than going it alone. Considering that Clownhunter ended the issue with an inconclusive response to Red Hood‘s offer, the Joker stands to live another day–for now.

About The Author

Jules Chin Greene
(245 Articles Published)

Jules Chin Greene is an editor, filmmaker, and animator based in Los Angeles. She has a B.A. in English and Cinema Studies from Oberlin College, where she was awarded Excellence in Critical Writing for her thesis on Indigeneity and Anti-Imperialism in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In her free time, she enjoys roller-skating and horror movies. You can find her on Twitter at @JulesChinGreene.

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