Red Hood isn’t the traitor everyone thought in this week’s DC Future State comic book.
The DC Future State comic book series keeps on rolling. Last week we saw Wonder Woman as the hero standing at the end of time in Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman No. 2. When beings that Wonder Woman named the Undoing destroyed everything in existence, it was up to Diana to figure out what was next. Everything seemed dark (figuratively and literally), but we know Wonder Woman wasn’t going to give up. In the end, she prevailed and found a way to create a big bang and restart the universe (or start a new one).
Batman and Red Hood shine in DC Future State
Week seven of this comic book series may not have had the epic ending that Wonder Woman’s did, but it was important nonetheless. Two characters that shined were none other than this writer’s favorite members of the Bat-Family: Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd the Red Hood.
Bruce and Jason both had significant happenings in their individual comic book stories and both will undoubtedly be fundamental in bringing down the Magistrate. The best part of this is they both did it in ways you’d expect. Batman’s approach involved sacrifice and loneliness while Jason continued to be the martyr, willing to be looked at as the black sheep of the Bat-Family.
Batman destroys the Magistrate building
Comic book: Future State: Dark Detective No. 4
Batman felt guilty for creating the technology that the Magistrate uses to hunt masked heroes. Magistrate 1 (their leader) hunted down Bruce Wayne and tried to kill him so that he could end the lives of Bruce Wayne and Batman and make sure he wouldn’t be stopped. However, as we know, death isn’t going to stop Batman.
Batman figures out that the Magistrate is spying on all of Gotham and goes to shut them down. In the end, Magistrate 1 and Batman fight while the countdown commences. The Dark Knight keeps Magistrate 1 busy long enough for the entire building to explode with him and Magistrate 1 in it.
The Bat-Family have been hitting the Magistrate hard the last few weeks and, as a result, they have been slowly taking Gotham City back. Black Lightning and Signal are rebelling and protecting citizens, Nightwing and the new Batman dealt a major blow to the Magistrate’s second in command while Spoiler and Cassandra Cain saved Barbara Gordon. However, Batman’s all-out assault may have been the biggest of them all. He took their tower and blew it up with their leader in it. Too bad Batman was in it as well. He knew the risk and was more than willing to accept his fate. However, as this writer said earlier, death won’t stop Batman.
Red Hood isn’t a traitor
Comic book: Run, Red Hood, Run
Red Hood was looked at as a traitor. Of all people to help the Magistrate, Jason Todd was one of the last heroes anyone would suspect to do something like that. Yet, there he was.
Jason was capturing masked heroes and bringing them to the Magistrate. In the issue he debuts, you could tell Jason wasn’t happy with what he was doing. He woke up angrily seeing a mask alert and never followed through with the kill on-site rule, bringing everyone in alive. His partner and lover Rose Wilson, on the other hand, was killing everyone she brought in. At the end of the issue, a bounty was put on Jason’s head.
Jason and Rose end up clearing the former’s name. They found out that White Rabbit (a costumed villain) was working with the Magistrate – further proving the organization’s hypocrisy. They were working with Scarecrow (read DC Future State: Harley Quinn) and Professor Pyg (Future State: Batman/Superman No.2) as well. They’re probably working with other questionable people too.
After clearing his name, Jason meets a mysterious person by an alley. They ask Jason if he got the information they needed. Jason said yes and that he needed time off. The voice tells him he couldn’t until the mission was over. Jason sarcastically tells him that “The sun is out. You better get to bed.” With that, we all assume he’s talking to Batman.
Of course it’s Batman
Each member of the Bat-Family excels in something the others don’t. Tim Drake is a genius creator, Barbara Gordon is the information specialist, Harley Quinn has her randomness and Dick Grayson is the one that seems to keep them together. Then there’s Jason Todd. He’s the one in the family that everyone looks down on. His return as the Red Hood and his attempts to kill them certainly didn’t help with that. However, they may have given up on him but Bruce never did. Bruce always trusted Jason even when he frustrated him. This is why Bruce would undoubtedly go to him for a big mission like this.
Jason doesn’t have an issue being the one that everyone hates, especially when it’s for a good cause. Jason may seem like he hates Bruce, but he loves and believes in him. Of course, they argue over Jason’s reckless killing, but that’s really where the disagreeing stops. In this new time, Bruce would need Jason. He’s the only member of the Bat-Family that would believably turn on them.
Then again, maybe it’s Nightwing that has reached out to Jason. Their brotherly relationship is deeper than people might realize. Since Dick Grayson (Nightwing) seems to be the one in charge of the operation now, it could be him. That said, it’s most likely Bruce. The comment, “The sun is out. You better go to bed” does scream Batman. We’ll have to wait and see who it is.
What did you think of this week’s DC Future State stories? Did you buy any other Future State comic books? Who do you think Red Hood was talking to? Do you think Batman is dead? Let us know in the comments below!