Nightwing and Red Hood Part 1

Just where do they stand with each other? This is mostly based on the annual.

The first two Robins have a somewhat strained relationship. Even before New 52 they had a hard to define bond. They weren't quite brothers in the emotional sense as they didn't really know each other well. Dick was usually away due to his responsibilities with the Teen Titans and his less than stellar relationship with Bruce at the time. The RHATO Annual #1 for the second volume examines how they feel about each other and why their currently the way they are.

We're told how they met and it connects to a previous flashback we saw triggered when Jason first saw Bizarro. Jason snuck out for the first time as Robin and returned after his solo mission didn't go well. His uniform is torn and bloody (*1) when he stares at Dick's Robin suit grumbling "what are you looking at?" The Annual takes it from there from Dick's POV but I want to dicuss this from Jason's POV. Jason comes home after a failed night out feeling the burden of being in the previous Robin's shadow. He doesn't feel like he measures up and is disheartened.

Judging by the art he doesn't even bother to treat his wounds much less take his uniform off. Dick's narrative says Jason was exhausted which makes sense as he doesn't even notice someone else is in his bed. Jason only does after he tucks himself in and freaks out. They fight with Dick not sure why he was suddenly attacked and Jason demanding to know why Dick was in his bed. Dick in return wants to know why Jason's bed was in his room. Alfred is up and explains it was easier to clean just one room instead of preparing another one.

Just think about that for a moment: Alfred didn't even go to the effort to give Jason his own room. While it's humorous in the comic it's kind of horrible when you know what was already going through Jason's head until then. He's already felt like a failure that's unable to meet Dick's standard. Bruce is trying to make Jason into another Dick despite Jason wanting to just be himself. Then he finds his predecessor in his bed and learns he has nothing to call his own. What's to say Jason isn't just a placeholder until Dick comes back if Alfred never bothered to even give Jason his own space? Right away at their first meeting Jason already has the impression that he's not seen as important.

It's not unknown how much Dick knew about Jason before their meeting but I'll try to break down his POV of this scene. Dick seems to understand, at least now, that Jason was a hard worker and the unfairness of Bruce trying to make the second Robin into the first. He admires Jason's determination to be his own person (*2) and sees a defining trait of his to be stubbornness. (*3) I've seen a few complaints about Dick even staying at the manor as he states that he was on bad terms with Bruce. In this situation I could buy it as it's clear Bruce isn't around which made it possible for Jason to sneak out. I'd wager he'd have to be outside of Gotham otherwise Jason would run the risk of being caught. (*4)

I have no clue where Dick was supposed to be given the state of canon. With the Titans? In another city? College? If he was away then why did he come back to Gotham when he had a falling out with Bruce and the older man was away? I can only think of two possible reasons: his own mission led into Gotham or he was asked to come by Alfred for Jason. Whatever the reason Dick doesn't state it in the Annual. If Alfred knew Dick was staying it probably would have occurred to him that things would be tense with the room arrangements. Which is a horrible move unless he only considered it as a means to catch Jason sneaking in. Well it would be slightly less horrible.

While Dick looks back at the memory fondly he was likely tired too as he decided to stay the night. Then he finds himself attacked by a kid wearing a Robin uniform. The encounter does nicely define a bulk of their relationship: misunderstandings, others actions making things worse (Alfred not giving Jason another room) and fighting over space.

If we take into account RHATO #6 Vol. 1 Dick at least attempted to teach Jason when he was Robin. Jason on the other hand saw it as a competition although his "I'm listening Dick" in present day suggests he did pay attention. Canon wise I always found the bat related parts in the issue a little iffy. Jason didn't blame Bruce for his death yet he does in the flashback and Dick is somehow there when it presumably takes place during UTH? When Jason is presented with one of Dick's old suits he assumes Kori wanted him to pretend to be someone he wasn't. He didn't want to be seen as a replacement Dick Grayson again and Kori makes an impact by stating he shouldn't be defined by others/clothes. Jason takes the armored top of the suit to make a statement. (*5) Lobdell admitted he didn't get a chance to read the script his co-writer Joshua Williamson wrote which makes me iffy on how well it meshes with what Lobdell has in mind.

One thing that had a lot of readers upset with the Annual was having Jason see Dick at the circus when he was little. I don't get why as Jason wasn't affected the same way Tim was plus it's basically a nod to the Pre-Crisis Jason Todd's circus origin. Little Jason admires the happiness and freedom Dick had as an acrobat. The way I see it Jason saw Dick as who he wanted to be (*6) when he was little, resented Bruce trying to mold him into Dick when he was older and got nostalgic when the Outlaws went undercover. As Dick made clear Jason only wanted to be his own person by the time he was Robin. A point that comes back after the team defeats Black Mask when Bruce accepts Jason and his choice to be an Outlaw.

It doesn't change the issues between them it enhances the sense of tragedy because they could have been closer. This has Jason remembering what it was like when he was a kid and still (*7) dealing with Tim's "death" which makes him more open to reaching out. But communication was never a strong point with each other which means Jason can't just ask Dick to hang out with him.






*1 In the Soy version at least.

*2 It seems like Bruce finally got the memo about letting Jason be his own person at the end of the first RHATO volume 2 arc.

*3 On a side note I'm amused by Dick saying the word he'd use to define Jason is stubborn. Beyond the meta-ness of Jason climbing his way out of his own grave Lobdell has previously stated this in his Red Hood titles. When Jason completed his trials for the All Caste Ducra commented that she wasn't sure if it was because he was worthy or stubborn. Jason asked if he couldn't be both. Jason also claimed Bizarro got his stubbornness from Artemis.

*4 In old canon Bruce cared but he seems to let Damian do whatever he wants now with no real ill consequences.

*5 Jason is taller than Dick according to their stats so it might be stretching it to have Jason be able to fit the suit. I like to think it was a prototype that was never properly fitted to Dick and he rejected it.

*6 This also makes another scene from the first volume make sense. Jason talks with a Talon and guesses that he believed the circus was a magical place he could run away to like many kids do. Jason says it in a mocking way but he could also be directing that at himself for briefly thinking the same thing.

*7 A lot of things happen off panel but it makes sense to me that he's still mourning.