Warning: Contains mentions of attempted suicide.
Warning: Spoilers for Batman and Robin #18!The worst day ofJason Todd’slife isn’t one that most readers would expect. The moment that might immediately spring to mind is the second Robin’s demise inat the hands of the Joker. On top of leading to his downfall, his death singlehandedly put Jason Todd on an anti-heroic path to becoming the Red Hood. Yet, out of his own mouth, he’s experienced worse in life.
Jason Todd details the hardest moment of his life - as Robin, in any case - inBatman and Robin#18 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Javi Fernandez, Miguel Mendonca, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Marcelo Maiolo, and Steve Wands. After describing what a Harvey Night is (a Bat-Family insider term for the hardest night of their young lives as vigilantes), Red Hood shares his.
The worst moment of Jason Todd’s life waswatching an attempted suicide off a bridge.Batmanactually saved this person’s life, but seeing the attempt stuck with Jason to the point where he even considered quitting - or so he implies in a conversation with Bruce.
Jason Todd’s Worst Moment Was Witnessing an Attempted Suicide
Does This Reference a Past Moment in Batman Canon?
It’s not clear if the specific moment that Jason Todd is referencing ever happened in an actual comic book. However, the idea of Jason watching someone fall to their deathechoes an infamous Robin momentfrom a 1988 issue ofBatman. InBatman#424 by Jim Starlin, Doc Bright, Steve Mitchell, Costanza, and Adrienne Roy, Jason is furious that the crimes of Felipe Garzonas drove one of his female victims to hang herself. When Jason confronts him off-panel, Felipe falls off a balcony to his death, with it being left to interpretation whether Felipe jumped, slipped, or was pushed to his death by Jason.
We Didn’t Think It Was Possible, But Red Hood’s Most Controversial Look Just Got Even Worse
Red Hood is adding a new look to his costume history—one that somehow makes even his controversial pill-head getup seem slightly less ridiculous.
The parallel could just be a coincidence, but placing Jason in another situation where he watches someone fall to their death feels almost too much of a coincidence to not be deliberate on behalf of the creative team. It provides a haunting parallel. In one situation, there’s an ambiguity that leans into the idea thatJason is volatile beyond repair. Meanwhile, the other isa moment that subverts those expectations, framing Jason as sympathetic whilst reminding readers that Robin was - and is - a child who, naturally, felt spooked after watching someone try to end their own life.
Jason Todd’s Sympathy Reminds Readers What Kind of Hero He Is
Red Hood Is Not the Stone Cold Killer Everyone Thinks Him to Be
Further subverting expectations, Jason Todd’s hot streak and penchant to kill and fire guns make readers question his heroism. Some will go as far as to argue thatRed Hood is an outright villain. As this moment shows, though, Jason Todd is a selfless hero. His worst moment of his life wasn’t something that happened to him - even thought that would be justified, given the nature of his death - but something that almost happened to someone else. That level of empathy of remorse is indicative of the kind of hero thatJason Toddis and always has been.
Batman and Robin#18is available now from DC Comics.
