Calling what Jason Todd (Red Hood) and Joker have a rivalry undermines what it truly is. For Jason, it's a blood feud. He has spent years trying to overcome Joker murdering him (Batman: A Death in the Family). Sadly, he's never gotten over it.
As for the Clown Prince of Crime, it’s hard to tell if killing Robin was a major achievement or just another day in the life of the Clown Prince of Crime. Either way, Joker loves bringing up that day, and does so creatively. For example, during Batman: Three Jokers, he tells Jason that he’s Joker’s Robin. Now, after all these years, Red Hood gets a chance at revenge without anyone in the Batfamily to stop him.
DC K.O.: The Joker vs. Red Hood creative team
- Writers: Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder
- Artists: Dustin Nguyen and Giuseppe Camuncoli
- Colors: John Kalisz
In round 1, Jason talks about Joker’s fighting style. Among the things he brings up is how he was shocked the first time he saw him fight Batman. It was shocking because Joker looks like a frail, skinny guy. But he noticed that he's also fast, unpredictable, and, most importantly, fights like he doesn’t care if he dies. Jason tries using this mentality (and a gun that overdoses his enemy with Ace Chemicals), but fails. Round one goes to the Clown Prince of Crime.
In the next round, Joker and Jason choose forms and the location of Jason Todd’s death. This time, things have changed because Robin isn’t afraid to let Batman down. Robin beats Joker to death with the crowbar and dies in an explosion, and the victory goes to Robin.
Now, we’re tied at two wins apiece. Joker is dressed as one of the original members of the Red Hood Gang. Jason chooses an older version of himself. One that isn’t as angry. And while the Joker attempts to mock him, Jason says the ridicule doesn’t affect him.
In the end, the Red Hood kills his enemy. However, Jason knows that Joker has something up his sleeve, but he doesn’t care. He says, “...tonight, now and forever, we both know who really won.” After that, the device in Joker's chest restarts his heart, and he moves on to the next round.
What’s next for Jason Todd
Fans of Red Hood have been waiting for him to evolve as a character. There have been series like both runs of Red Hood and the Outlaws, Task Force Z, and Red Hood: The Hill, where Jason is a leader and isn’t obsessed with the villain that murdered him. But in Batman: Hush 2, it seems like his growth has regressed. Thankfully, we won't know if this is the case until Hush 2 concludes in 2026.
Writers Joshua Williamson (Superman) and Scott Snyder (Absolute Batman) don’t add moments like this in their stories without reason. There must be plans for the black sheep of the Bat Family in 2026. Unfortunately, those plans could have changed after the cancellation of Gretchen Felker-Martin’s Red Hood. Nevertheless, comic book fans should expect big things from Red Hood in DC All-In ACT II. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out what that is.