A member of the Bat-Family who has long been on the outs with the other heroes might finally be returning to the fold after Batman: Urban Legends.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: Urban Legends #6, now on sale.
The Bat-Family has been defined somewhat in recent years by the drama at the heart of the otherwise tightly-knit group of heroes. In the Rebirth-era alone, Dick Grayson briefly lost his memory (and took up the identity of the more care-free Ric Grayson), while Damian Wayne has left his loved ones behind and has tried to embrace a more singular path.
However, there’s one member of the Bat-Family who might actually be on the path to be formally and fully reembraced by the rest of the group. Jason Todd, aka Red Hood, is making some serious headway in repairing the broken bonds between him and the Bat-Family in Batman: Urban Legends #6 by Chip Zdarsky, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Scott Eaton, Julio Ferreira, Oclair Albert, Marcus To, Adriano Lucas and Becca Carey.
Both Batman and Red Hood found themselves drawn into the investigation of Cheer and his Cheerdrops, a new street drug based on Scarecrow’s Fear Toxins that is capable of inducing extreme euphoria and happy visions in the users. Throughout, the pair have come to blows over Jason’s lethal tactics, while also trying to come to terms with their complicated relationship. Things have only gotten tougher as the conflict intensified, especially once Batman was captured by Cheer and Mister Freeze helping save Red Hood from their grasp. Captured, Batman was left helpless and exposed to a highly concentrated strain of the Cheerdrop drug.
Jason arrives with the single cure necessary to save Bruce, and has to fight his way through Mister Freeze, Cheer’s henchmen and even his own Cheerdrop induced vision of a happier world to reach the Dark Knight. Wearing a suit of Bat-Armor to assist in dealing with Mister Freeze, Jason remains in contact with Oracle and ends up with the entire Bat-Family behind him, rushing into battle to help him save Batman. Finally, Jason is able to reach Bruce and inject him with the cure — and even holds his former mentor back when he almost kills Cheer in a rage, restraining him and preventing him from making a mistake that would haunt him.
Weeks later, after helping the young boy Tyler and his mother Sandra adjust to their new home (and cementing his bond with the “Blue Hood” by gifting the child a hoodie) Jason has a frank conversation with Bruce about Jason’s role in Gotham City. He openly admits he’s giving up the guns, even if he’s been using non-lethal bullets. Although his views on the death penalty for certain offenders hasn’t changed, he can’t bring himself to continue bringing that kind of pain to the world. He’s not doing it for Bruce, but for himself — to stop the ripples and waves such violence has on the world. When Jason returns home, he finds a present from Bruce — a new, Bat-themed Red Hood suit, as well as an invite to family dinner. The story ends with Jason smiling and considering the invitation.
It’s a huge step forward for Jason, who just issues ago was fist-fighting Batman over his recent actions. It suggests that Bruce has finally decided to accept Jason for who he is — especially if he’s willing to hold back his rage and operate as a more genuine hero. It’s also a big step for Jason, setting him up to continue mending bridges with the rest of his allies and to further reaffirm his place in the Gotham heroic ecosystem.
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