Every member of the Bat-Family has eventually branched out and created a new identity for themselves, such as Tim Drake becoming Red Robin, Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing, and Jason Todd becoming Red Hood – but if Talia al Ghul has her way, Jason Todd may one day have another identity, as the next leader of the League of Assassins.
Truth & Justice #12 – by Jeff Trammell, Rob Guillory, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Becca Carey – finds Jason Todd, as Red Hood, seeking to avenge his childhood friend Max’s death at Scarecrow’s hands. Having defeated Scarecrow and brought him into custody, the larger, shocking truth behind Max’s murder is revealed.
As it turned out, Talia al Ghul was behind the plot, in an effort to groom Jason Todd into becoming the next Ra’s al Ghul.
Red Hood is the next Ra’s al Ghul
This shocking twist occurred in Truth & Justice #12, but unfortunately, the plot point was never really followed up on. This is a shame, because looking over Jason’s character history, there are plenty of ways it could have worked, reasons that Talia would believe the former-Robin is destined to be her father’s successor. When Jason first came back to life, it was through the use of one of Ra’s al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits, which helped him regain his sense of self. Jason is someone who wants to get rid of all crime, through any means necessary. Being the head of the League of Assassins would give him the resources he needs to accomplish that.
Jason Admits He Wants To Change The World
In Event Leviathan, when the entire world is being dismantled by a mystery organization, Jason is the one Batman blames. While Jason isn’t behind the events transpiring, he admits he should be, that he’s thought of it countless times at night. He admits that he wants to change the world, whatever it takes. This and many other moments in Jason’s tenure as Red Hood have indicated he would be the perfect successor for Ra’s al Ghul, something Truth & Justice #12 makes clear Talia al Ghul believes. However, despite the trail of crumbs several different writers have left leading to this conclusion, it was never followed up on.
Jason Todd started off as a homeless kid, who had to steal just to survive. After Jason has a terrifying first encounter with Batman, he was brought into the role of Robin. He was Robin for several years before being killed off by the Joker. Jason then returned as the Red Hood, a brutal villain, hellbent on both destroying crime, and the Bat-Family. After the New 52 reset, Jason was turned into an anti-hero, and is considered a member of the Bat-Family once again. Jason Todd has had many roles over his time in comics, but if Talia al Ghul gets her way, Jason might just have one more.
Jason Todd has been a lot of different things in DC Comics: Red Hood, Robin, Wingman, Batman, and more. Taking Ra’s al Ghul’s place at the head of the League of Assassins would not only give him yet another identity, it would be a fresh new direction for the character, one that has already been seeded by previous stories. f DC ever decides to follow up on this forgotten plot point, the storyline possibilities for Red Hood are unlimited. He could use the power of Ra’s to try and change the world, or he could reject it, showing how far Jason has grown. Either way, DC should revisit this plot point from Truth & Justice.