Warning: spoilers for Task Force Z #8 are ahead.
Out of all the of the Bat-Family in Jason Todd was tragically killed by the Joker in 1988, only to return in 2004 as the gun-wielding Red Hood. Taking Batman to task for failing to avenge his death, Red Hood began a brutal takedown of Gotham's underground, with his use of guns and murder symbolizing his dissatisfaction with Batman's non-lethal methods of crimefighting.
Since then, Red Hood has stopped using guns, a change made in the recent "Cheer" arc from Batman: Urban Legends #1-6 by Chip Zdarsky, Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira. Jason's move away from guns came as a result of him nearly orphaning a young child in Gotham's Narrows after he shot the child's abusive father in a fit of rage. No longer comfortable with the consequences of using guns, Red Hood opted to use electrified crowbars as his primary weapon, seen most recently in his ongoing Task Force Z series.
Red Hood's decision to use crowbars over guns has been controversial for some fans, who see this change as downplaying the character's unique identity and beliefs. However, as Task Force Z shows, Red Hood's crowbars are the perfect weapon for him to use, because they symbolize how misunderstood he is as a character. Task Force Z #8 from Matthew Rosenberg, Jesus Merino, Jack Herbert, Vicente Cifuentes, and Adriano Lucas points out how Jason's death as Robin is often wrongfully attributed to the Joker beating him with a crowbar. In actuality, Jason was still alive after the Joker's crowbar attack, and was in the process of getting his mother to safety when the Joker detonated a bomb, killing him instantly. Considering that Red Hood is still looked upon with suspicion by other of the Bat-Family, as the issue shows, crowbars are an accurate representation of how his character has been misunderstood both by fans and by other characters within the DC Universe. It is this element of his story that makes Jason Todd such a tragic character.
By giving him crowbars as his primary weapon, Red Hood has the opportunity to use weapons that are symbolic to his trajectory as a character, rather than to the Batman mythos. After all, what is so shocking about Red Hood using guns in the first place is that it breaks two of Batman's most steadfast rules: no guns and no killing. Unlike Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd is not a victim of gun violence, and given that the original "Under the Hood" arc from Batman that reintroduced Jason as Red Hood began in 2004, almost twenty years ago, it's time the character grow beyond shock value.
With crowbars, Red Hood can address the misunderstood aspects about his character, helping him develop in a way that he never could if he continued to use guns. Red Hood's past violence, experienced both during his time as Robin and as a vigilante, undoubtedly colors others' perception of him. By embracing crowbars as his weapons, Red Hood demonstrates an awareness that his heroism will always be marked with an asterisk.
Task Force Z #8 is available from DC Comics now.
