“52 Fix-Up: The Red Hood”
Between Winick’s “Under theHood” and its film adaptation, Grant Morrison’s “Revenge of the Red Hood”storyline in Batman and Robin, andWinick’s “Lost Days” mini-series, a Red Hood series has been a long timecoming. Jason is an extremely compelling character, he has a sizeable fan base,and he’s a badass anti-hero with twin red pistols, just waiting to take backthe anti-hero niche in market (he’s Daredevil, the Punisher, Wolverine, Daken,and Venom rolled up into one guy who was trained by the goddamned BATMAN).
When DC came out with The New52, Red Hood should have been a title selling at least 90k. Instead, we get Red Hood and the Outlaws, debuting at arespectable 65k but now down to 39k. Instead of a book bordering on Batman-meets-Boondock Saints, we got a book so contrary to the highlights ofJason’s character—ancient magic zombie sensei, say what?—that it really feelslike it could have been about…anyone.
It’s not bad—39,000 peoplemight even say it’s good—but that doesn’t change the fact that it should havebeen great. It should and could havebeen a breakout hit: the birth of a new franchise in its own right.
My intent is not to discreditthe current creative team but to suggest a more financially profitable andhagiologically rewarding alternative.
Between Winick’s “Under theHood” and its film adaptation, Grant Morrison’s “Revenge of the Red Hood”storyline in Batman and Robin, andWinick’s “Lost Days” mini-series, a Red Hood series has been a long timecoming. Jason is an extremely compelling character, he has a sizeable fan base,and he’s a badass anti-hero with twin red pistols, just waiting to take backthe anti-hero niche in market (he’s Daredevil, the Punisher, Wolverine, Daken,and Venom rolled up into one guy who was trained by the goddamned BATMAN).
When DC came out with The New52, Red Hood should have been a title selling at least 90k. Instead, we get Red Hood and the Outlaws, debuting at arespectable 65k but now down to 39k. Instead of a book bordering on Batman-meets-Boondock Saints, we got a book so contrary to the highlights ofJason’s character—ancient magic zombie sensei, say what?—that it really feelslike it could have been about…anyone.
It’s not bad—39,000 peoplemight even say it’s good—but that doesn’t change the fact that it should havebeen great. It should and could havebeen a breakout hit: the birth of a new franchise in its own right.
My intent is not to discreditthe current creative team but to suggest a more financially profitable andhagiologically rewarding alternative.
First and foremost, Jason isa redhead. Bruce is WASPy, Grayson is Romani, and Tim is also pretty WASPy, andit all adds up to every Robin having black hair. Jason having red/blonde hairworks perfectly to signal him as something slightly apart (the red headedstep-child) and the fact that he used to dye it black to look more like Graysonjust works so well with his character and his relationship with Bruce that Ihate to see it forgotten. Then there’s the matter of his being the Red Hood andall, so his red hair works there, as well—almost like a predetermination of hischaracter arc. The red also works well with the fact that the Joker, his pater mortis, beat his brains out—andthe fact that only Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, another redhead, received equallyharsh treatment. The Joker hates redheads?
Also, Todd is an Irishsurname; so let’s take advantage of that by making Jason not just kind of Irishbut extremely Irish: his father was first generation Irish-American and most ofhis extended family is still located in Ireland. This way, he has a place tobuild something for himself outside of Gotham while retaining a sense ofpersonal history—for example, his ancestor, “The Flying Todd”, a RobinHood-esque who mounted a private war against corrupt landlords during the GreatFamine.
Jason could never work inGotham, not with Batman around, and for him to work outside of Gotham it wouldhave to be somewhere low key. Ireland is a good starting point and home base,but his adventures will take him global.
As far as his missionstatement is concerned, Jason will have taken the next natural step in hisdevelopment. Jason, the child soldier raised from the dead, will shift hisconcerns from the egotistical (proving his methods to the Bat-Family) to theuniversal (allowing his methods to speak for themselves). No longer a spirit ofhis own vengeance, he will embrace his role as a protector of the world’s innocents,staining his hands with blood so they won’t have to.
Batman because he values life too much. The Red Hood does kill because hevalues innocence even more. The bigger sacrifice, in Jason’s mind, is to killand live with the burden. The Red Hood is the result of Batman’s own selfishmorality—had Bruce been willing to get his hands dirty, Jason never would’veneeded to. But the mark requires its Cain, and since Bruce wouldn’t carry theburden, it was passed down the line to Jason. Jason embraces the sin-stainedmantle of the Red Hood. He’s happy to consider himself Life’s violent “catcherin the rye.”
Batman couldn’t prevent theRed Hood, but the Red Hood could have prevented Batman.
The Red Hood kills thekillers.
The series would pick upright where Morrison left it. During the chaos of Professor Pyg’s escape fromBlackgate Prison, Jason will also have escaped. He will have returned to thesewers—as in Battle for the Cowl—emptying one of his previous bases beforehitting the road. When the series opens, Jason will already be operating in SouthAmerica, tracking down a lead to the rogue Flamingo. Jason has vowed to rid theworld of its deadliest and most sadistic killers. He’s decided to let The Jokerbe Batman’s problem, letting the responsibility of each victim fall squarely onBatman, while employing his own methods to more effective ends around theworld.
The major themes of theseries will be trace—the inability to escape the past entirely, no many howmany bodies you bury it beneath; revenge versus retribution—acting out ofself-interest or out of interest for the greater good; and the dynamic ofnature versus nurture—can man be anything more than the product of hiscircumstance?
JasonTodd* = Red Hood** = Red Cap = Holden Caulfield/A Catcher in the Rye
(* = Fox [“Flying Todd” = Flying Fox = Bat Species =Bat Family])
(** = Red Riding Hood)
Also, Todd is an Irishsurname; so let’s take advantage of that by making Jason not just kind of Irishbut extremely Irish: his father was first generation Irish-American and most ofhis extended family is still located in Ireland. This way, he has a place tobuild something for himself outside of Gotham while retaining a sense ofpersonal history—for example, his ancestor, “The Flying Todd”, a RobinHood-esque who mounted a private war against corrupt landlords during the GreatFamine.
Jason could never work inGotham, not with Batman around, and for him to work outside of Gotham it wouldhave to be somewhere low key. Ireland is a good starting point and home base,but his adventures will take him global.
As far as his missionstatement is concerned, Jason will have taken the next natural step in hisdevelopment. Jason, the child soldier raised from the dead, will shift hisconcerns from the egotistical (proving his methods to the Bat-Family) to theuniversal (allowing his methods to speak for themselves). No longer a spirit ofhis own vengeance, he will embrace his role as a protector of the world’s innocents,staining his hands with blood so they won’t have to.
Batman because he values life too much. The Red Hood does kill because hevalues innocence even more. The bigger sacrifice, in Jason’s mind, is to killand live with the burden. The Red Hood is the result of Batman’s own selfishmorality—had Bruce been willing to get his hands dirty, Jason never would’veneeded to. But the mark requires its Cain, and since Bruce wouldn’t carry theburden, it was passed down the line to Jason. Jason embraces the sin-stainedmantle of the Red Hood. He’s happy to consider himself Life’s violent “catcherin the rye.”
Batman couldn’t prevent theRed Hood, but the Red Hood could have prevented Batman.
The Red Hood kills thekillers.
The series would pick upright where Morrison left it. During the chaos of Professor Pyg’s escape fromBlackgate Prison, Jason will also have escaped. He will have returned to thesewers—as in Battle for the Cowl—emptying one of his previous bases beforehitting the road. When the series opens, Jason will already be operating in SouthAmerica, tracking down a lead to the rogue Flamingo. Jason has vowed to rid theworld of its deadliest and most sadistic killers. He’s decided to let The Jokerbe Batman’s problem, letting the responsibility of each victim fall squarely onBatman, while employing his own methods to more effective ends around theworld.
The major themes of theseries will be trace—the inability to escape the past entirely, no many howmany bodies you bury it beneath; revenge versus retribution—acting out ofself-interest or out of interest for the greater good; and the dynamic ofnature versus nurture—can man be anything more than the product of hiscircumstance?
JasonTodd* = Red Hood** = Red Cap = Holden Caulfield/A Catcher in the Rye
(* = Fox [“Flying Todd” = Flying Fox = Bat Species =Bat Family])
(** = Red Riding Hood)
The Red Hood #1
“Best Served Cold”
“Best Served Cold”
By Quinn Hopkins
Page One
1/ A young Jason (red hair) stealing the tires from the Bat-Mobile and Batman catching him doing it.
CAPTION: Jason Todd. Orphan.
CAPTION: Bruce Wayne. Batman.
2/ In the Bat-Cave, Batman (sans cowl) in the middle of training Jason.
CAPTION: A new world.
3/ Jason as Robin–his hair now black, except for a single red streak.
CAPTION: A new way.
CAPTION: Robin.
4/ The Joker swinging a bloody crowbar, from Jason’s POV. Black and White, except for the blood and Joker’s green hair.
CAPTION: The Joker.
5/ Batman cradling Jason’s body.
CAPTION: A Death in the Family.
6/ Black.
Page Two
1/ Green.
OFF-PANEL VOICE: Rise.
2/ Jason rising up from the Lazarus Pit, as if waking from a nightmare. Ra’s al Ghul and Talia stand over him, looking down.
Jason’s hair is now back to red, but the previous streak is now Lazarus green.
CAPTION: Rebirth.
3/ Jason training with Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins. Directly mimics the panel of him training with Bruce.
CAPTION: A new life.
4/ Ra’s sitting on a throne. Talia is to his left. Jason, in LoA gear, to his right.
CAPTION: His Red Right Hand.
5/ Talia pushes Jason off a cliff’s edge. Her words/speech balloon follows him as he falls.
TALIA: Remember.
6/ Jason, in his gear from Under the Hood, looks up at the Gotham skyline from the river’s edge/harbor.
CAPTION: Gotham.
Page Three
1/ Jason, beating the Joker with a crowbar. Again, the panel is in black and white, except for the red of Jason’s hood/helmet and the blood, and the green of The Joker’s hair and Jason’s eyes.
CAPTION: Revenge.
2/ Crime Alley. Batman punches Jason to the ground, cop lights in the background getting nearer.
CAPTION: Retribution.
3/ Jason and Sasha from Morrison’s arc, staring down Batman (Grayson) and Robin (Damian).
CAPTION: Return.
4/ Close-up: A letter being held in Batman’s hand (his thumb beneath the last words). The letter reads: “To Batman, I leave the Joker. Sincerely, Jason.”
CAPTION: Resignation.
5/ Jason in his new costume, riding on a motorcycle on a long stretch of highway in Mexico.
CAPTION: Reboot.
6/ A series of photos being taken by Jason of a priest with a young boy as they enter a cathedral.
CAPTION: Redefine.
Page Four
A figure in monk’s robes–the hood is red, as are his slightly visible boots–standing in front of the Cathedral doors. He’s in the middle of posting up a wanted sign of the priest (Wanted: Dead, not Alive)–a la Martin Luther.
TITLE:
The Red Hood
“Best Served Cold”
“Best Served Cold”
Page Five
1/ Interior of cathedral. Priest is in the middle of a prayer. We see the church from behind the pew (from over the priest’s shoulder). Three knocks at the door interrupt him mid-speech.
PRIEST: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in–
SFX: Knock kock knock!
2/ The front doors swing open. A silhouetted figure in robes and a hood stands in the open doorway, the sun shining in from behind him.
PRIEST: –peace…
3/ The doors close behind him. We see the figure is wearing priestly robes, his face covered by the hood.
4/ Close up on red combat boots (like the Pope’s red slippers, yo).
5/ Close up: we see the lower half of the figure’s face. He’s smirking. His left hand is at his hood, readying to remove it.
6/ Close up: from his right sleeve, the tip of a red gun emerges.
Page Six and Seven
Double-page spread.
1/ The Red Hood stands revealed. Between his helmet and the priestly robes, it’s as if the Devil just entered the church. His right hand is raised, ruby red gun in hand, aimed at the priest.
SFX: Click
RED HOOD: Amen.
2/ Jason pulls the trigger.
SFX: Blam!
3/ Close up of priest’s face, a bullet hole in-between his eyes. His eyes are rolling back. Behind him a stained glass window of the Virgin Mary and Christ shatters.
