The concept of identity in the RHATO Rebirth is kind of interesting as Jason tries to find his niche in the bat family. He notes that he's not who Batman wants him to be and he doesn't try to be that person. Instead he's trying to prove he can still be valuable and provide something no one else can. To do this he struggles with the restraints Batman puts on him after doing things his way causes some friction. Jason questions why he's not trusted with an undercover mission when others like Dick Grayson are.
I've seen this simplified to "Jason is doing this for Batman" when a lot more is going on. If Jason wanted to just please Batman he would have done things completely Bruce's way instead of compromising or trying to show the value of his own work. Jason wants to be accepted for the person he is not turned into a copy of someone else. In fact one of the first things he tells Bizarro is not to try to pretend to be someone he's not since he knows it wouldn't make him happy.
Jason doesn't want to be Batman and concludes that he never will be. At the same time we have other characters in the narrative that aren't quite who people expect or want them to be either. Bizarro is a clone of Superman that's viewed as a failed experiment and a monster. Artemis isn't Wonder Woman and other than her mission to recover the Bow of Ra has no true purpose before joining the team. If my theory on Black Mask was right he wasn't Roman Sionis. But either way the idea of identity via the masks we wears has been part of his old origins. Ma Gunn isn't the kindly old lady she purposely presented herself as. The Outlaws as a whole are an undercover team not people with ill intents.
But this idea goes a little further back when you notice that Jason has been trying to figure out who he should be and where he fits in for awhile. It didn't help that Bruce tried to shape Jason into another Dick Grayson when he was Robin. Jason resented it and Dick himself has noticed that Jason didn't want to be molded into him. Unfortunately Jason started to associate who he was with those around him. When Kori suggested he wear a suit Dick used to wear with a Bat symbol on it he saw it as pretending to be someone else. Kori told him otherwise and he's worn it as a reminder that he's not defined by others or clothes. Yet he still keeps being pulled in by the thought that others shaped him or that he could affect others by association.
All three of men affected him in various ways. With Joker there's a fear that he has no control over his life and because of the suffering he's gone through (due to Joker) there's a possibility that he's doomed. By either living a life of misery or being a monster like him. Like with most Robins there's a bit of an identity crisis where Batman's concerned and trying to step out of his shadow. Jason didn't get the same transition out of the sidekick role that Dick did. It's not helped by the fact he was replaced. He's not sure what if any place he has in Bruce's--and by extension the family's--life. Is he a hero or a villain?
I find it very fitting that at a stage where Jason is going undercover with people questioning his motives that the bat symbol is also questioned. Jason chose the name Red Hood to get to both Joker and Batman' attention. Winicks' didn't have any deeper meaning than that but it's still a curious choice when you consider who Red Hood was in the mythos besides a previous ID for Joker. They were expendable people that no one truly saw as individuals, some of which were forced into the role. Even after confronting Joker and Batman he still decided to keep the identity.
The bat symbol wasn't meant to be used to show his alliance. In Rebirth it's also weaponized and the first time it's used is against Batman. Does it have a new meaning now as it's usually a powerful weapon that turns the tide in a fight? Especially since the trigger phrase is "Just Cause"?
Willis' role is somewhat ambiguous at the moment as we're getting more of an idea of who he is to Jason. Only now are we getting anything somewhat positive. Jason hasn't regarded him highly made even clearer at the start of Rebirth when Jason almost says Bruce was the closest thing he had to a father. It's noted that Willis did train his son to start on a criminal path but Willis wasn't the most dependable of people.
It's been said that growing up Jason didn't have many friends. With the Outlaws Jason has slowly started lowering his defenses enough to talk about his problems. There are still topics he struggles with and doesn't really discuss. His death and home life might get off handed remarks but Jason doesn't really get in depth about it. The Titans have helped and continue to help his adoptive brothers grow but Jason didn't have that making the process harder.
Jason doesn't always know where he stands with his adoptive family or see himself belonging with them. His issues of abandonment haven't been fully addressed either. In the first volume of RHATO Jason didn't really have much of a mission statement. He went with the flow and lacked a direction. In RHA Jason pretty much just followed Roy's hero for hire concept even if he protested it. In volume 2 of RHATO Jason has finally figured out what he wants to do. Taking a more dangerous path to get more information among the villains of Gotham. It relies on Jason being perceived as a criminal although some heroes know about his mission.
The temptation to go too far has been a looming threat throughout the second volume. Bruce hesitated in agreeing in allowing Jason to go undercover and put rules in place in an attempt to keep him in line. Artemis instantly demanded to know what his rules of engagement were once she realized he was undercover. Black Mask played the bad angel on his shoulder encouraging Jason's more dangerous thoughts. Even Killer Croc (*2) sees the potentially self destructive path Jason is on and how that can harm Jason's friends. Can he keep acting the part of a villain without it affecting him and dragging his friends down?
Artist Dexter Soy has even hinted at the duality in his art. With Jason holding a broken off wing in one hand and a gun in the other. In #20 Jason even reads "Become what you are" while admitting he's considered killing the man he was waiting for to wake up. He holds a gun in one hand and the book in the other.
Jason doesn't seem to view himself as a normal person. He's shown as unsure when dealing with "regular" people and being a little socially awkward. (*3) There's been some hints at Jason seeing himself as inhuman due to his resurrection and Talia Al Ghul showing fear of him. (*4)
There's a number of reasons I think Jason struggles with feeling like he belongs as well as his alignment identity. His upbringing, his isolation, death and rebirth. Jason has doubts that he's a good person and hadn't had much positive reinforcement. Socially he's a bit cut off with others by pushing others away (Roy), being seen as too dangerous or being unable to properly (re)connect with others (the family.) Jason can't really get closure on his own death effectively making it an open wound. Joker will never be imprisoned for good and he wouldn't die. Certainly not by any family members' hand meaning he'll always have to live in fear. Innocents will continue to die thanks to his murderer being on the loose.
The closest thing Jason can hope for in regards to closure is finding out how he came back. Why was he able to climb his way out of his grave? What does that make him? With the possible exception of something happening off panel prior to Countdown (*5) Jason has never dug into the whys or hows of his resurrection. Probably because he's afraid of the truth, of knowing why Talia was scared of him.
Another reason for Jason struggle might be the fact he has no life outside of the mission. Everyone Jason is currently in contact with is involved in heroics, etc. in some fashion. Unlike Bruce and his brothers he has no double life. There's no daytime job, school or "normal" friends he hides costume identity from. Which is partly why he was so uncomfortable with and horrible at lying to Isabel. Having friends in general has helped Jason greatly but his conflicts run the risk of ending those bonds.
*1 Yes, Jason had other influences in his life but this is a focus on male characters that mostly have negative influences, Jason wanted approval from and/or Jason fears he'll become. There's really not enough for Catherine to fit in this although Jason did stop himself from going down the same path of addiction. But it doesn't really have much bearing in the topic I'm discussing. It's vague at this point with Rebirth canon and hasn't really been a focus hence it's not in this discussion.
*2 No he doesn't know Red Hood is undercover but it's still a valid concern.
*3 Mostly with dating as he admitted to Artemis that he has limited experience. He's also been said to have trouble with public speaking. Not to mention his struggles with communicating with some people like his attempt to mend his relationship with Dick.
*4 In the Secret Origin version Jason admits he's scared too.
*5 In Countdown Jason comes the closest to saying how he came back in that canon and it seems like it was a random guess.
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