Red Hood’s Life If He Never Met Batman Proves He’s Bruce’s True Heir

Warning: spoilers ahead for Robins #5!

In the latest issue of DC Comics’ Robins, it’s revealed that the Red Hood is Bruce Wayne’s true heir, being most like the Batman in one very crucial way. While this new issue sees Batman’s collective Robins being placed in a simulation that reveals their lives if they had never met Batman, the life Jason Todd would have likely led proves just how much he resembles the Dark Knight. Going beyond the other Robins, Red Hood and Batman share a core trait (which is likely why they butt heads so much).

In DC’s Robins, Batman’s former and current sidekicks have gathered to discuss their lives, exploring the idea of whether joining Batman in his crusade was the right call and what they should or could have done instead. It’s no secret that Bruce Wayne is a complex individual whose inability to let go of his past trauma results in an often closed-off hero who has a singular focus on his mission (when he’s not adopting wards to his cause). As such, each Robin has had their fair share of trials fighting alongside Batman, and this definitely includes Red Hood, Batman’s second Robin, who was killed by the Joker before being resurrected as an antihero who’s far more willing to use lethal justice.

Robins #5 from Tim Seeley and Baldemar Rivas sees each Robin being placed in a simulation. Created by Tim Drake using Batman’s appraisal of each Robin and his estimations of where they’d be had they not met him, Jason Todd finds himself as a race-car driver at the Gotham Speedway, winning prize money to support the Catherine Todd Recovery Center. Had he not become Robin, Jason would likely have dedicated his life to the singular mission of stopping others from suffering the same way as his mother. However, this new issue also reveals that Jason’s uncompromising dedication to this mission would have proved to be his undoing, seeing as how he begins stealing cars when he stops winning races (leading to his incarceration). As such, this “What If” scenario proves that Jason shares with Bruce what’s arguably the most core trait of being Batman: zealotry.

While he may not be a genius detective like Tim Drake or a master of combat like Dick Grayson, Jason’s dedication to his mission surpasses both, making him the ideal heir to one day take Batman’s mantle (even if he’d refuse it). While Nightwing and Spoiler’s simulations see them follow different heroic legacies, joining Spyral and the Teen Titans, Jason walks his path alone with his own moral compass, breaking the law for the greater good. In this way, he possesses the core trait that makes Batman Batman, even if it mimics the Dark Knight at his darkest and loneliest.

While Dick Grayson was the first Robin, Nightwing has proved himself to be greater than Bruce. In contrast, Jason Todd’s Red Hood is Bruce. While their shared zealotry to their mission is often expressed as stubbornness when they’re together, it doesn’t change the fact that if Red Hood were to ever take on the mantle of the Batman, he’d likely be the closest to mirroring the Dark Knight’s unwavering dedication to his crusade.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2525 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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