HERO OF THE WEEK: RED HOOD (DC)
Real Name: Jason Todd
First Appearance: Batman #357 (March, 1983)
Fight Club Ranking: #40

Featured Fights:
- vs THE SOCIETY: Batman #647 (Jan 2006)
- vs BRICK: Green Arrow #70 (Mar 2007)
- vs GREEN ARROW: Green Arrow #71 (Apr 2007)
- vs SPEEDY: Green Arrow #72 (May 2007)
- vs ROBIN: Batman: Battle for the Cowl #2 (Jun 2009)
- vs NIGHTWING: Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3 (Jul 2009)

Last month the featured fights were all about the heroes and villains of Injustice 2, but if you thought the DC fighting game sequel was done and dusted now that it's on sale -- you were wrong!

Warner Brothers and NetherRealm Studios have made a fine-art of selling extra content after the initial release of the game. They aren't wasting any time in revealing the next big character coming via download! As MK Online reports, it's one of the fans' most requested characters: Red Hood!

As is monotonously the case; I feel a slight pang of resistance to our first Hero of the Week of June. The cloud of commerce, and an absence of nuance, makes the arrival of Jason Todd a somewhat bittersweet scenario. It's nice to see a character fairly faithfully recreated from the page, but it's the unremarkable off-the-rack aesthetic of jacket and helmet that makes that a low bar to reach.

If you were here in the mid-2000s, you'll know I wasn't particularly opposed to the return of Jason Todd. The basic premise of resurrecting the dead Robin comes with inevitable friction, but the work of creators like Judd Winick and Doug Mahnke made it a pitch with meat on the bone.

The aesthetically pleasing, urban chess board that appeared in Batman comics at that time didn't need a Red Hood to work -- but both character, and scenario, were ultimately enhanced by one another. The dynamic of characters moving through Gotham City to serve distinct motivations was a very enjoyable experience.

I'm not sure Injustice 2 will receive the same enhancement. Last week I talked about the desire to at least see aesthetic and functional distinctions in fighting game superheroes. Red Hood's gun-toting street fighting doesn't exactly offer a whole lot in either department.

In a game that already comes with the likes of Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Black Canary, and Deadshot -- Red Hood isn't exactly bringing a whole lot to the table. Pre-fight character interactions may offer a few nods to character dynamics, but there's no story involvement for DLC fighters, which means any benefit Red Hood might bring is in the eye of the beholder. Which doesn't necessarily mean Red Hood won't find a market.

The last decade or more of gaming has refocused pretty heavily around shooting guns and moving through urban environments. It's no real wonder Red Hood is a popular character amongst the gaming demographics. As time has worn on, the novelty and meaning of his return has faded. In its place has been an adolescent power fantasy with simple cosplay appeal. Guns, a jacket, and a 'tude that pushes against the establishment. Taxi Driver with a silly helmet might be going a bit far, but the character doesn't always come with overly interesting goals or inspiration. He's bratty teen rebellion in an age where that's the beginning and end of a philosophy that will linger much longer in life. The fight against grown ups.

In another time, a character like Red Hood might've stood for the opposite of burning disposable income on the latest tack-on to a finite purchase. He would've been a figure of counter-culture -- but comics and their multimedia tie-ins have left that spirit behind.

There's always something a little bit ugly about the voracious consumption of a demographic spending more than double the value of an all-content-in-one-box "Komplete Edition" just to gobble up the latest shiny bauble, but I wouldn't want to judge too harshly - it's not all bad. In fact, that audience even performs the service of funding more material, which sometimes opens things up to even more interesting extensions. It's just hard to ignore the gluttony of it all.

I'd love to see the Injustice 2 Gear system offer the short-lived Red Hood design that haunted Batman and Robin during Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's memorable 2009-2010 run.

The over-the-top absurdity of the design, and its perversion as a market-minded anti-Batman was a whole lot of fun to groove to!

You'd probably have a tough time conveying the concept through the game, but the thought of such an aggressively comic book aesthetic confronting the overly-seemed, grim 'n' gritty, armor-plated gamer is its own pleasure. These games should dare to be that amazing!

<< Hero of the Week 06/12: Black Panther    [Home]    Hero of the Week 05/29: Gorilla Grodd >>

RED HOOD versus NIGHTWING
Battle for the Cowl: Last Man Standing (DC)
Where: Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3
When: July 2009 Why: Tony S. Daniel
How: Tony S. Daniel

The Story So Far...
The Death of the New Gods was far from an end to their epic existence. Darkseid and his siniter forces were reborn on Earth, creating a crisis that threatened to end humanity under the oppressive weight of the New God of evil and his proliferation of the Anti-Life Equation. With hero and villain under the control of his mathetmatic malfeasance and the direction of his harbinger, Libra; Darkseid appeared to have the day won, but ultimately it was a powerless human who brought an end to his reign. Batman, wielding the weapon that killed Darkseid's son, Orion, breaks his one rule, saving the Earth from it's darkest day and would-be final crisis. The cost of his success, however, is his apparent death as he falls before Darkseid's Omega Sanction, leaving a smoking husk to be retrieved and mourned by his fellows.

In Batman's city of Gotham, those who had become his family struggle with not only the loss of a loved one, but of the symbollic heroism that prevented the city of madmen from breaking. As the Dark Knight's absence from this plane of reality becomes increasingly evident, his enemies once again run rampant in the streets, spreading a plague of chaos threatening to destroy them.

Recognising the necessity for a Batman, two of the Dark Knight's former wards attempt to fill the void. In Jason Todd, there rises a lethal avenger of the night, whose methods are as deadly and unruly as those he confronts. In opposition is Tim Drake, the most recent Robin whose undying faith in Batman survives him to spur the young hero to fight to maintain the integrity of his memory. Despite his willingness, Tim Drake is not ready to be a Batman, and although Dick Grayson may have the strongest reservations of Batman's children, this very fact may be what makes him the most worthy of the role. Forced to realise this, Nightwing descends on Gotham to find his fallen brother, Jason Todd -- "Batman."

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Nightwing 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 5 (Martial Arts)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectiles)


- As a streetwise orphan, a young Jason Todd was hardened by the hardships of life in the gutter of Gotham City. Todd's first encounter with the Batman came when he tried to steal the tyres off a parked Batmobile. This would be the first of many as the wayward youngster proved his potential to become a potent force for justice or crime, leading Batman to train him as a replacement for Dick Grayson, who had abandoned the role of Robin, to become Nightwing.
Though he lacked Dick Grayson's natural athleticism, Jason Todd's years on the street had made him tough. With training from Batman he was able to attain a level of skill to rival his predecessor, but his impulsive and vengeful nature had the potential to undo him.

After a string of indescretions as Batman's "boy wonder," the second Robin fled his mentor upon learning the true identity of his birth mother. He was led into a lethal encounter with the Joker, who eventually beat him to death. Unbeknownst to a mourning Dark Knight, however, cosmic forces were conspiring to resurrect Jason Todd in the grave. Todd narrowly escaped his burial site, returning to the streets with little memory of his past, before being discovered and restored by Talia al Ghul and her father's Lazarus Pit.

Maddened by perceived abandonment, Todd teamed with another of Batman's enemies, Hush, to seek revenge. He eventually adopts the identity of Red Hood -- originally worn by his would-be killer, the Joker. As Red Hood he continues to seek revenge against Batman and his wards, whilst launching his own war against the criminals of Gotham City. Upon Batman's apparent death, Todd adopted the vacant mantle to maintain the Batman brand with new lethality.

- A talented circus performer, Dick Grayson was witness to his parent's murder when their Flying Graysons trapeze act was sabotaged, leaving his mother and father to plummet to their doom. The crime involves Batman in Grayson's life as the Dark Knight pursues the killers and takes an interest in the young orphan's life. As Bruce Wayne, Batman ultimately takes the young Grayson as his ward.

With youthful vigor, Grayson accepts training from the Dark Knight that adapts his own flair for acrobatics into a formiddable fighting base. Inspired by his circus performances, Grayson becomes the contrasting light to the shadow of the bat as Robin, the boy wonder. Together they share many adventures, but eventually the boy outgrows his childhood, and becomes a force unto himself as Nightwing.

With years of experience, Grayson is as skilled a fighter and detective as his mentor. Upon Batman's apparent death, it is ultimately he who inherits the legacy of his adoptive father, and the confronting task of filling the void of a force in Gotham City that maintains the balance between chaos and order.

Math: Draw Ranking: Nightwing (#29)

What Went Down...
Having brutalized his successor as the Boy Wonder, Jason Todd drags a mortally wounded Tim Drake deeper into the makeshift Batcave formed in the decrepit subway tunnels beneath Gotham City. Garbed in an older incarnation of Batman's uniform, Drake is unwittingly traced by Oracle under the command of Nightwing.

When Nightwing descends into the bowels of the city, he finds a burning symbol of the bat -- a message from the new "Batman" that reads, "Too late." It is the first of the psychological blows to be delivered by the mad former-Robin, who hides behind the visage of Drake's disembodied cape and cowl and a microphone. Clutching his father's cape, Nightwing listens to Todd's rantings, playing right into his hands as he remotely triggers an electrical charge.

The false-Batman emerges from the shadows with gun drawn, lauding over his predecessor with the demand that he become his sidekick. Inspired, Nightwing rises and strikes the fake Batman, demanding the whereabouts of a Tim Drake he knows his opponent could not have killed, despite his claims. Firing back in the war of psyches, Grayson offers a holographic recording made by the real Batman before his death, who speaks soulfully to his former ward of his psychological state. It inspires only rage in the unhinged impostor.

Rage is something Nightwing can work with, however, as the two former-Robins come to blows. It's Nightwing who kicks the impostor as they descend deeper into the cave, striking him, enduring shards that dig into his face, and returning it in kind with a headbutt that rebreaks Jason's nose. He has a clear advantage as he thrusts his knee into Todd's mid-section, knocks him toward the ground with a right hook, and props him back up with a kick to an already bleeding face!

Despite the regular practise of innoculation shared by Batman's allies, Todd unleashes a blast of the Scarecrow's fear gas in an attempt to disorientate his rival. The inhalent fails to trigger an uncontrolled response of fear, but is enough to rattle Nightwing's concentration. The false-Batman delivers a stiff kick to the mid-section, capitalizing on his own opportunities.

Todd continues his violent guided tour through his twisted parody of the Batcave, luring a still fighting Nightwing through draped curtains as he receives a jumping kick. Far from beaten, Todd produces a remote trigger that unleashes a massive explosion as he leaps clear of the blast on the end of a bat-line cable.

Grayson escapes on his own chord, taking chase as Todd leads him toward an exit into the in-use subway tunnels. There, the false knight drops onto the top of a speeding train, with Nightwing in close pursuit.

Refusing to abandon his goals to succeed Bruce Wayne as Batman, Jason Todd attacks his counterpart's unwillingness to assume the role, even as Black Mask begins a new reign of terror in Gotham City (having already destroyed Arkham Asylum and liberated it's inmates as part of a new criminal syndicate).

Ironically, Todd removes his cape and cowl, using the mass of material as a weapon against his charging adversary. Nightwing clutches the cape and drives his boot into Todd's face, only to be swatted away with a stiff punch, forcing him to renew his grip with the cape. The clotch becomes a literal transliteration of their symbollic struggle over the mantle of the Bat.

Grayson becomes swathed in the cape, blind and seemingly ripe for a finishing blow. The lethally minded Jason Todd takes his chance, but fails to anticipate Nightwing's leap as he searches through the cape for a knock-out blow...

... As the speeding train emerges from the subway to traverse the Gotham brookes by bridge, Nightwing parts the folds of the cape and delivers a flying kick that topples his foe! Though Jason Todd successfully snags the edge of the bridge, he chooses to chance the depths below, plummeting into the shadows toward death or glory. If he survives, he will no doubt return again, as the Red Hood, or some other perverted shadow of the Batman persona.

The Hammer...
The winner of this bout, via the ol' bridge plunge, your new Batman, Nightwing!

With Dick Grayson's first major outing as Batman in this week's Batman & Robin #1, it seemed like a fitting time to go back and look at the moment when he really took on the mantle. The first time around the issue missed out to Punisher #5 and Super Young Team in Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance -- a potentially infamous decision, if anyone actually cared about our week-to-week reviews a couple of months after-the-fact. In the end, I think we got the best deal for variety's sake, and have adhered to any subversive philosophies the Infinite Wars might unwittingly subscribe to.

It's interesting to speculate what the importance of this issue might be to the future of the comic. As much as DC have been completely forthcoming about the continued existence of Bruce Wayne and the gimmicked trappings his "death" in Final Crisis, they've managed to achieve a certain respectability that previous stunts haven't retained. In particular, I'm thinking of the last time Batman was significantly removed from the role, when Bane broke his back, and Jean Paul Valley (Azrael) became a new Batman tailored to the style of the nineties [Batman: Knightfall].

Ironically, one can't help but get an uncomfortably nostalgic recollection of those days from Tony Daniel's work. It's difficult to criticize the fundamentals of Battle for the Cowl, but there's an intangible lack of consideration from page-to-page that suggests a penciler filling the role of writer. That might even be the case, given the focus put on the relaunch titles, and Daniel's better known career as a penciler who was indeed among those "iconic" nineties artists.

A deliberately "dark" colour palette does little to compliment Daniel's art style, which is probably the most significant provocation of a pavlovian recollection of the nineties. Nothing is subtle, as characters bumble their way through a series of action-highlights and soap opera. I have to admit, this art direction was enough to steer me clear of Grant Morrison's Batman RIP arc, which seems to have universally stumbled during the transliteration of script to comic.

Last time Morrison was involved in spearheading a major new direction, it was with the (apparently) esoteric summer blockbuster, Final Crisis. The gap between his work and preceeding issues resulted in a well covered struggle to reconcile storylines into positions required for the start of his story, something Morrison himself expressed some disatisfaction with. So, one has to wonder if Battle for the Cowl wasn't a similar insertion of connective tissue between the bold new direction of the Bat-family comics, and the illdefined details of RIP and Crisis.

Battle was promoted with images that inferred a wider cast of characters vying for the role. Instead, much like the series itself, those promotional posters seem to have been suggesting red herrings and the future landscape. It's odd that DC would spend three-plus months playing coy about the identity of the new Batman and his impostor, as both are fairly obvious choices, and suitably so. The angsty transition does little to add depth to the change, serving mostly to preview the cityscape of crime, ie; Black Mask's alleged return from the dead, liberation of Arkham, takeover of crime (again), and building feud with Two-Face and Penguin. I suppose we also got one last hurrah of the massively expanded supporting cast, which included brief cameos by the likes of The Knight, Squire, Black Canary, and Wildcat, even if they amounted to little more than gratuitous links.

Not surprisingly, the debut of Dick Grayson as Batman (and other) will wait until Batman & Robin #1. As the apparent lynchpin of the new direction, it's probably for the best that it be there that readers meet the new conditions. Certainly, it appears Batman & Robin, and other series, will continue relatively divorced from Battle for the Cowl, even if additional context might be gleaned from upcoming appearances by Red Hood, Black Mask, or Two-Face [in Batman].

As a far more natural promotional transgression than Knightfall, Dick Grayson's ascendence to the role of Batman seems assured of providing something fresh and exciting about the Batman universe. Though I'm quite content to dwell in the soggy shadows of a brooding Bruce Wayne, I'm inspired by the technicolour exuberance Morrison and [Frank] Quitely's work is already promising.
They are also surrounded by a quirky array of new opportunities, including the presumably street-bound perspective of Batman: Streets of Gotham and the Animated Series inspired, Gotham City Sirens, starring Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn, both series under the watchful eye of fan-favourite, Paul Dini.

[Dini] looks to be the writer for traditionalists craving the option of a throughline from the Bruce Wayne era, as maintained via the continuation of previous plotlines, most notably Dini's acclaimed revamp of Hush. The unique visions of each series are part of what makes the near bat-future look so promising, a steady contrast to the inevitable comparisons of Captain America's death/return.

With Flash: Rebirth providing a prelude to the event-season, which will no doubt be dominated by Blackest Night fever; you could say the Batman relaunch is DC's big second-stage of a three-pronged assault on the comics readership.

Despite my reservations about the specific quality of Battle for the Cowl, it is the literary harbinger of greater things to come, a footnote in DC's continuing ability to thoroughly impress. I think longtime Infinite Wars readers will recognise the fair shake we give Marvel, but I simply cannot fathom how anyone could disagree with the dominating volume of quality DC have been able to produce over the past five-or-so years. With so much on the way, I sincerely doubt we'll be able to keep up these weekly reviews, for the financial strain.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 3.5

If you're reading the Batman: Reborn titles but find yourself curious about what set them up, by all means, be sure to check out Batman: Battle for the Cowl. The series is available collected, along with a companion edition featuring the one-shot tie-ins starring Commissioner Gordon, Man-Bat, Two-Face, Black Canary, and other characters affected by the change. All are available through Amazon, and by using purchase links provided on the site, you help sponsor future entries. The Gift Shop will also provide you with a catalogue of other collections featuring most issues reviewed in the Secret Archives, including Final Crisis -- the series featuring Batman's apparent death!

BATMAN versus BATMAN
Army of One (DC)
Where: Batman: Battle for the Cowl #2 When: June 2009 Why: Tony S. Daniel How: Tony S. Daniel

The Story So Far...
Once upon a time, evil won. Humanity was enslaved by the god of evil, Darkseid, who was reincarnated to walk as man on Earth, a harbinger of the Fifth World. Few could stand against the spread of his Anti-Life Equation, and those that did were gradually whittled away as their own companions became weapons against them. With all hope seemingly lost, one man stood between us and them. Though he conemned himself to a fate worse than death, the Batman pointed a cosmic pistol at Darkseid, and he saved us.

For the people Batman left behind, a smouldering corpse leaves them little option but to believe him dead. For a time they mourn him, but inevitably the absence of a Batman in Gotham City leads only to chaos. Though reluctant to step into a father's mantle, Dick Grayson and Tim Drake are forced to confront the need for a symbol, and their unique suitability for the role.

Complacency allows a third contender for the Batman cowl to emerge on the streets of Gotham. This dark avenger utilizes methods similar to the Batman, but far more brutal than anything even he ever condoned. Armed with twin firearms and an armored cowl, all signs point to the fallen son, Jason Todd, but is there more than meets the eye to this so-called Batman, and who can find out?...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectile)


- When Batman sacrificed himself to end Darkseid's reign of terror [during Final Crisis], the Dark Knight fell victim to the Omega Sanction -- the death that is life. While Bruce Wayne suffers the torment of successive unpleasant realities, the world he left behind continues under the assumption that he is dead.

In Gotham City, as a city of maniacs begins to tear itself apart, the vaccuum left by the Batman demands attention. From the void emerges a new lightly armored Dark Knight whose intentions meet criminals on a darker agreement than ever before. Wielding twin pistols, the grilled cowl and uncompromising ethic suggests Jason Todd as the sadistic new Batman, but his true identity remains unknown.

- The death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, weighed heavily on Batman.
With the original boy wonder, Dick Grayson, having grown into his own mature hero; the Dark Knight's world turned invariably darker as he internalized the struggle of his responsibility. Recognising this grim turn, a young boy embarked upon a mission to return balance to the Batman's life by enlightening him to the value of the famous sidekick.

Tim Drake, having deduced the dual identities of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, showed an aptitude for detective work that made him unique candidate for the legacy of the boy wonder. When Batman and Nightwing's lives were in peril at the hands of Two-Face, Grayson donned the costume for the first time, forcing even the gruff Batman to accept the possibility of training a new Robin.

Under Bruce Wayne's tutelage, Tim Drake developed the acrobatic and combative skills associated with the previous Robins. Drake also further honed his skills as a detective, benefitting from the Batman's bredth of knowledge, experience, and technology. Drake also expanded his network, following in Dick Grayson's foot steps as a member of the Teen Titans.

Math: Draw Ranking: Robin (#40)

What Went Down...
Donning one of the Batman's old costumes, Tim Drake takes it upon himself to do what Dick Grayson refuses. In his adopted father's colours, Drake enters the Gotham underground to fight the impostor Batman on their behalf. In the ruin of Gotham's collapsed subway tunnels, Drake finds a passage leading to a makeshift Batcave obscured by train debris.

The stunned Robin triggers an explosive trap, throwing him helplessly into the air, if not for the intervention of a whip. Catwoman comes to the blue Batman's aid, hoisting him to a jutting cliff face. Together they discover the dark twisted mirror of the alternate Batman's cave, complete with torture chambers and a starved prisoner. Their investigation does not last long.

The impostor arrives to the cut the cat's curiosity short, taking her out of the battle quickly with the butt of his gun. Tim springs into action, leaping into an gymnastic kick that knocks who he assumes is Jason Todd into the void!

The impostor Batman quickly recovers with some acrobatics of his own, challenging the recognised boy wonder to face him in his own environment!

The caped crusaders clash in a collision of kicks and dives.
The dark impostor notes a thorough understanding of the way Drake operates, observing him as a worthy opponent, but one with the perceived disadvantage of Bruce Wayne's morality. Despite the philosophical difference, the pair appear relatively evenly matched, leaving Tim Drake to land alone at the cave base.

The armored Batman sees fit to remain in the shadows, striking violently at his junior opponent with the sharp edge of a batarang. He slices at Tim's back, neck, chest, and face, showing no mercy in the battle for the cowl.

The dark Batman presses his advantage, leaping on his wounded opposite with a ferocious combination of punches. He mocks Tim's readiness to wear the cowl and symbol of Batman, but the youngster shows tremendous resilience. Reaching out to the rubble around them, he finds a poignant weapon -- a crowbar!

A swing of the metal bar shatters the impostor Batman's grille.

Tim whacks his exposed foe a second and third time, wielding the weapon that the Joker once used to beat Jason Todd to death. Despite the beating, the toothy gape of the impostor Batman's mouth lets loose a laugh, revealing to Tim Drake the truth of the situation. Looking down, the last thing he sees before blacking out is the batarang protruding from bleeding chest.

With that, the dark impostor leaves his nemesis to die.

The Hammer...
It might be a little early to start eulogising Tim Drake, but whomever he may be, the brutal Batman emerges victorious from this confrontation.

Stat hounds can safely assume the impostor Batman is Jason Todd. All signs certainly point toward the fallen boy wonder, but until we get confirmation on the subject, we'll hold off on updating the rankings. I'm sure you won't mind waiting (longer).

Thus far, Battle for the Cowl has been such an unusual experience. For all intents and purposes, a three-part mini-series that pits elements in Gotham against each other in competition for the Bat-mantle, while establishing a new "status quo" for Gotham City, isn't such a bad idea. However, in execution, I'm stuck wondering whether or not this series is running too long, or far too brief.

After a thoroughly ordinary first issue that ticked off sequences like a hurried checklist, this second issue pauses long enough to redeem itself. Even the artwork of writer/artist Tony Daniel appears a little more composed, making the two major fight sequences with "Dark Batman" much more enjoyable than the previous issue's stunted attacks on Nightwing, and Damian.

DC made no bones about the situation leading in to Battle for the Cowl, but one can't help but feel some level of disappointment regarding the gaps left entirely for a final issue. It's almost unfeasible to expect reasonable explanations for all the questions that have arisen as a result of this book in one single issue. Granted, those are presumably matters for subsequent issues of the post-Battle books, but without those answers, the events of these three issue feel hollow.

The scattershot narrative sifting through details of Gotham's Battle bound woes isn't quite as deft as Grant Morrison's approach to the expansive epic of Final Crisis. With events isolated to Gotham City, even presumably important scenes, like the gathering of notorious crooks under Black Mask, seem slightly irrelevant in a script that seems to want to focus on the matter of the title.

To give Daniel some credit, the issues certainly capture the rapid fire succession that is no doubt gripping Gotham City. However unfulfiled they might be, each scene whisks the reader through at a pace fitting to the overwhelming situation that's taken our heroes by the wayside. Unfortunately, that doesn't leave a lot of room for even insinuation, which was one of Morrison's great skills in Crisis.

The writer/artist copped some heat recently for leaking an image on his blog of post-Battle designs for Dick Grayson as Batman. Let's be honest, assuming the leak really did reveal the identity of the next Batman, he wasn't spoiling much.
Based only on the double-page teaser printed in various DC books months ago, most would've placed their bets on a Dick Grayson Batman to emerge alongside the blue-garbed Tim Drake Batman (featured this issue), and who we assume is Jason Todd, the fully masked grille Batman.

This telegraphed assumption makes sitting through Dick Grayson's pining reluctance all the more painful. It really isn't an attractive trait in the would-be next Batman, but again, I would have to call in to doubt Tony Daniel's handling of the script. Editorial demands might've steered him forcefully in this direction, but the handling of the character just feels a little too weak to be the veteran character. Worse still, it should be as obvious to all characters in-fiction, as it is to us, that Dick Grayson should be the next Batman. So get on with it!

Coping with death and interpretive culpability have long been central concepts in the Batman mythos. Battle for the Cowl continues this exponentially, forcing the expansive supporting cast to deal with issues once plaguing Bruce Wayne, while characters like the impostor Batman thrust many of the doubts of the Batman character upon his potential successors. With much less emphasis on this matter apparent in previews for upcoming titles in the Bat-relaunch, it's easy to accept this brooding stumble through the darkness of Gotham as something that had to happen. If it isn't a B-plot in subsequent series, at least we've dealt with some of those issues in this book, however cumbersome the process may be.

In the fight stakes, it's a shame Catwoman couldn't have featured more prominently, but I can see artistic reasons for wanting to pit the two Batmen against each other mano-a-mano. The artwork could've given a clearer image of her unfortunate fate, but that could be true of most pages. There's a very nineties feel about the whole book, not in a particularly positive way.

A nice enough read with a strong objective point that might not actually be contained within the pages of the series. No doubt we'll be back to talk about that some time in the future, as well as other details featured in this issue.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

Want to know what's happened to Gotham City since Batman's disappearance? Keen to see who's battling for the cowl? Batman: Battle for the Cowl is still under way and on shelves now, but if you'd rather get the whole story in one volume, you can pre-order the trade collection via Amazon. By using purchase links provided, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! You'll find plenty more in the Gift Shoppe including collections featuring most issues found in the Secret Archives!

FANTASY FIGHTS: DC/MARVEL ROUND 12!
By popular demand, the Infinite Wars are about to go where they've never been before! After two years of comprehensive canonical fight fact coverage, we're delving into the fictional world of fantasy fights, because you demanded it!

In the spirit of the immensly popular '96 DC/Marvel crossover event, we're pitting fifteen of each company's most relevant characters to 2007 against one and other! Stay tuned as we take a look at the imagine struggles of the superhero stars that have propelled the Infinite Wars across two full years of fisticuffs!

RED HOOD versus WINTER SOLDIER
Strength: Winter Soldier 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Winter Soldier 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Red Hood 4 (Arsenal)


The Hook...
Few, if any, of the battles featured thus far are as perfect as this.
They were two of the most famous deaths in comics, and they were both but young boys when they died as sidekicks to superhero legends. In 2005 they both made their unceremonious return, and fans have been split ever since.

In the original event it was the battle of their mentors, [Batman versus Captain America], that provided the exciting main event to the clash of universes.
There, it was Gotham's Batman who walked away the victor, but not without some grumbling from Cap's camp of fans, and external forces enacting themselves upon heroes who found themselves ambushed by floods.

Different camps regard the return of these once 'untouchable' corpses at varying degrees of success. The flippant reasoning behind Jason Todd's resurrection as a result of events related to Infinite Crisis, and the extra-universal influences of Superboy-Prime, led many to criticize what became a directionless return when Winick left the main Batman title, forcing deviation into his work on Green Arrow.

On the same hand, Bucky Barnes' return wasn't without it's contrivances, suggesting some ambiguity as to whether or not the return may have been a result of influences from the Cosmic Cube. Otherwise, Bucky was simply said to have survived the airplane that supposedly killed him, and apparently left him to the devices of Russian agents.

Regardless of the circumstances of their lost history; be it as assassin for Russians, or wayward heir of Ra's Al Ghul; they are back and represent comparable forces struggling to come to terms with abandonment, and their origins as heroes, despite their new history.

The Math: Red Hood Ranking: Red Hood (#29)

The Battle...
Well, the last one of these [Black Adam/Hulk] was tough to decide upon and easily argued. Despite the common resonances between these two characters, it gets absolutely no easier, and here's why:

For starters, the debate. The similarities between the characters creates a great hook, but has also been the subject of online debate since their returns. I think, if we had to choose, the Infinite Wars has fallen on the Jason Todd side of the fence, accepting the weaknesses of the Prime-Punch in exchage for motivated, high excitement story telling.

Bucky hasn't exactly been sitting still. In fact, his version of the absurd return backstory actually asks us to believe he's been active for quite some time prior to the reemergence under Ed Brubaker. That either makes him really good at what he does -- or really bad.

The scale of the characters has set them apart, and it's probably here that we draw our conclusion. These two characters inevitably meet on the urban battlefield detailed in more elaborative recaps [ie; Green Arrow/Hawkeye].
Both have a pedigree of training that favours operation in these environments, but Jason Todd's training is about advertising, as much as it is stealth. A steady contrast to the assassin's creed of Winter Soldier, whose modus is to remain unseen, whenever possible.

Picking Todd off with a sniper shot aside; Winter Soldier has also lived a very long existence, and emerged the more outwardly mature of the two characters. As Red Hood, Todd has exhibited considerable growth as an urban combatant, but at the same time, possesses much of the impetuousness that characterized him during his brief career as Robin.

I tend to imagine Winter Soldier would gain first blood with a stealthy sniper shot, probably after a great deal of cat-and-mouse chase, as Red Hood attempts to evade the veiled attack, while also seeking to locate his opponent.
Winter Soldier would probably have a rooftop vantage point that would allow him maneuverability to escape detection, and maintain a strong ranged presence.

Bucky would likely move-in close to finish the wounded (but armored) Red Hood, only at a last resort. On the hand-to-hand front I probably favour Todd, but that skill is diminished sufficiently by Winter Soldier's penchant for preemptive, armor-piercing assaults.

The Hammer...
Ugh. Sometimes you just can't shake the feeling of disatisfaction, regardless of which way you go.
These kinds of match-ups are elegantly obvious, but it's that strength that also makes them so difficult to hammer down to a final conclusion. Even so, much as Black Adam/Hulk, we stand by our results.

Of course, though there is a sincere argument behind our decision, it also raises the unexpected scenario of a cumulative tie between DC and Marvel.
You've got a day or two left to scroll up to the top of the page where you can find a groovy little poll concerning just this. It seems the few who're voting either predicted the unlikely swing of events, or are voting with their hearts.

Either way, there are interesting points to be made from as flippant an exercise as this. There's a common (and not terribly strong) argument that arises from certain fans, that claims the DC heroes are infinitely more powerful than their Marvel counterparts. This is typically a point of chagrin for readers, but here, both in poll and result, we see that Marvel is just as capable as combatting their otherworld counterparts. Combatting, and as the canonical event showed, capable of beating them. Of course, that was decided by vote.

With only three battles to go, we're counting down to the business end of our competition. One can't help but admit that there's an ominous expectation of a tie leading into fight fifteen, and to give back to you, the readers, we'll abide by the poll result in the final fight. That means if you're a supporter of the DC Nation, you better rally the troops, because Marvel's looking for the win.

The final three promise to be some of the biggest of our Fantasy Fights.
If you have any opinions to voice, be encouraged to join in. The Infinite Wars are typically independent of the readers, but the Fantasy Fights offer the opportunity to connect in a far greater way. Fighting; bringing us together! Yay!

WINNER: Winter Soldier
6 versus 6

RED HOOD versus SPEEDY
Seeing Red Part Four: Back To School Night (DC comics)
Where: Green Arrow #72 When: May 2007
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The story so far...
Red Hood has teamed with former Star City criminal mastermind, Brick, to initiate a sinister plan against Green Arrow and his former ally, the Batman, but to what ends?

Though Green Arrow and Batman successfully defeat their opponents in the villain swap, the realisation that they were being distracted while the real plan was enacted comes too late.

With Speedy subdued, the Red Hood plans t ocontinue his path of corruption, turning to the current generation of sidekick. Will the Red Hood allow Speedy to live? Will he convert her to his extreme tactics? Read on to find out!

Previous Form:
Red Hood (#26): Victorys against Hyena, Captain Nazi, Count Vertigo & Brick.
Speedy: Mia Dearden has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Red Hood 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Red Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Red Hood 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Red Hood 4 (Arsenal)


The battle of the sidekicks! One all grown up, the other still in the infancy of her career, despite a considerable degree of training behind her. It presents an interesting situation!

Technically both are fairly evenly matched, bringing most of the same sorts of attributes to the table by the nature of their humanity. To compensate for the extraordinary threats they face each has honed their fitness, physicality and fighting skills to the sharpest degree. Adding to this natural arsenal comes an array of weapons.

Red Hood has turned his back on the non-lethal utility built from his days as Robin, opting instead for a more diverse range of weaponry. Hidden up his sleeves is anything from knives, high explosives, automatic pistols, and a range of other handy little gadgets.

Speedy stays true to her origins, wielding the bow and arrow like her master and mentor, Green Arrow. While her skills are probably not quite as sharp as GA's, her determination, will and extensive training cannot be doubted.

In this particular match-up, a lot has to be said for experience.
As comparable as any of the characters in these families are, Speedy is a new kid on the block. Despite only being resurrected a few years ago, we mustn't forget a lifetime of experiences that have been laid on top of the Jason Todd character. He's as street as Speedy, and as skilled as Green Arrow. [Green Arrow #71]

At the end of the tape, Red Hood is bigger, older, and better than Speedy.
The Math: Red Hood (Champion Class)
The Pick: Red Hood

What went down...
Our issue opens with Speedy, blindfolded and tied to a chair, sharing a dialogue with her captor; the sinister hero who ecsaped death -- Red Hood!
A fancy curved blade slits the ropes that hold the arrow slinging youngster in her chair, as the Red Hood informs her that their duel will not be one of violent interrogation. Her hands freed, Speedy removes the blindfold and is surprised to find her bow before her.

Her eyes adjust to present a second surprise -- her high school gym. With the standium lights on overhead, Red Hood stands at centre court, suggesting she take hold of her bow, because he has a lesson in store for her.

Speedy happily takes the opportunity to leap into battle, firing off several arrows. The Hood slices them out of the air with his curvy dagger, suggesting the young Speedy is only as good as her quiver's supply. She threatens to put an arrow in his eye in retort, but slashing at the airborne missiles, the Hood scoffs at the conviction of her threats.

Red Hood lords his expertise over his junior, calculating her range of attacks limited to thirty-three, all non-lethal.
The debate of morals continues, as the Hood guarantees to come for her the moment she runs out of arrows.

Perhaps out of agitation or provocation, the young arrow slinger fires an arrow that sneaks past Jason Todd's blade, finding his protective helmet. Physically fine, he offers his approval, before moving his mentoring to the next stage.

Red Hood fires off a barrage of hot led, offering little opportunity for Speedy to literally duck and dodge for her life. She does so with relative ease, emulating her teacher's training. Though she survives the assault, the string of her bow does not, leaving her unarmed.

Red Hood chuckles to himself about his skills with the lethal weapons, remarking, "Got real good with guns to piss off the old "boss"."
He tosses his opponent two blades and removes his helmet, declaring the next stage "higher learning."

Speedy doesn't spare a moment to look the gift horse in the mouth. She leaps at Red Hood, who competently defends against her two sword attack with his single dagger. He comments on her performance, complimenting her ability to hold her own. She replies with threats to be holding more than her own momentarily.

Todd takes the tough talking, and relates it to the similarities between the two of them. The crimson clad sidekick verbally spits in the Hood's face, whilst delivering a swift knee to his mid-section. She follows with a cracking elbow that spills blood from Todd's mouth, whilst defying his evolution, referring to him as, "Another one of the sick @#$&s who couldn't handle staying on the right side..."

Todd repeats that the two are alike, ducking a lunging attack to strike the younger hero hard in the back. She strikes back with a stiff kick, but Todd takes it and brings his knife down like an axe: Speedy blocks it in time with her own blades.

Red Hood lets flow the vivid information he has on Mia Dearden, making up the milestones of what have made her character. She interrupts him, using the gym seats to lean back and throw her legs out in a kick that topples the Red Hood.

He lands on his feet, and continues, arriving at one of the most defining facts of Speedy's young life: her testing positive for HIV. He asks if HIV is the reason she finds it so hard to kill, as though it has bestowed her with a new appreciation for life. She lunges at him in response, but the Hood gets in low, sliding under her leap. He throws his dagger up into her cape, tearing it as he fights to bring her down.

Speedy flows with the leap, taking the advantage from behind, but the Hood throws an instinctive fist behind him, connecting hard with Dearden's jaw.

The Hood gets in personal, grabbing the grounded Speedy by the throat to pin her down. He explains himself, telling her that his "surrogate daddy" comes from the same pampered upbringing as hers, and that like her, he was made on the streets. Streets where like her, he had to make hard choices to persevere.

The Hood retrieves his knife from the court floor, as Speedy struggles to regain her breath. "And I know that sometimes very bad things have to be done to do a great right." As though the message had someone fallen on her, the young girl agrees, "I don't think either of our "fathers" will ever understand that."

Todd replies, "But you do."

The hammer...
Batman and GA roll up the school as the gym explodes, but Speedy is safe, having escaped the explosion set by the victor - Red Hood.

Though it might not seem like it, this was a fight that actually contained a good amount of story and character development.
Red Hood isn't a particularly unique scenario. The hero who chooses more extreme methods became perhaps the most popular type over the course of the eighties and nineties, but what is interesting to read in this issue is the stake that Red Hood takes in the matter.

This doesn't revolve around any kind of seduction of the innocent, or scenario of revenge, which would be the more obvious result. Instead, Jason Todd's history as a homeless street child provides a bridging understanding between the two characters, once they work through their differences by fighting, of course.

One might have expected something far less subversive from Red Hood, who has more often than not been characterized as leaning closer to "evil" than the anti-hero stylings of a Punisher, or other heroes who kill. It's a pleasant surprise then to discover this storyarc, which has been pretty blatantly disposable, in it's conclusion was more than another attempt to destroy or brainwash a sidekick.

Instead, Todd opens a relatively sincere dialogue, and seems to relate his reasons for doing what he is. It could almost be read more like a final confession to someone who understands, rather than an attempt to sway Speedy away from the oath she's sworn with Green Arrow. Because, honestly, despite a frosty moment between Speedy and her mentor when he finally arrives, there doesn't seem to be any reason to expect the character to be anything but her usual heroic-self.

Thus, Secret Earths continues to sponsor the return of Jason Todd, even if this was a less than stellar chapter in the new history of the character.
We continue to watch over the character as he finds his way into the weekly DC mega-series, Countdown, where he's been tying up with his former surrogate big brother, Nightwing. It doesn't sound like things are getting much better for the character, but we'll keep our fingers crossed there's something more in his history than sacrificing himself to stop a new Anti-Monitor, or some such.

As the Red Hood/Winter Soldier debate rages ever on, one can't help but feel Jason Todd is starting to lose the stakes where focus is concerned. While Winter Soldier has been splashed around since his return as the shiney new toy, he seems set to benefit greatly from the death of Captain America, with his latest objective being to kill Tony Stark.

Granted, it's still a little whimsical in it's direction, but Winter Soldier's new mission, similar to Red Hood's time on the streets of Gotham, does highlight something intriguing about this new breed of character. That being, despite their inherent connection to mainstream icons like Batman and Captain America, they seem to be free to take things steps much farther than even some of the well established anti-heroes of the big two companies. Which is very interesting.
These guys go further than just extreme methods. They're practically heroes applying the methods of villains.

Anyway, we'll wrap it up here. Looks like I'm not going to get caught up before the end of the month, but stay tuned anyway for lots more Infinite Wars!

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 4.5

GREEN ARROW versus RED HOOD
Seeing Red Part Three: Change Partners (DC comics)
Where: Green Arrow #71 When: April 2007
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The story so far...
The Red Hood has rolled into town and he's survived the fight with Brick long enough to team-up with him in a diabolical plot against the Batman and Green Arrow!

Red Hood orchestrates a series of scenarios across the city to lure out the heroes, and lead them into an opponent swap! Having educated Brick in the ways of his former mentor, the plan is going without a hitch, except for the presence of a fifth wheel: Speedy!

Will the young hero come to the rescue of the legends, or is there something more than meets the eye to Red Hoods plans? What are those cries in the distance? What lies behind door number three? Doom for Speedy, perhaps?...

Previous Form:
Green Arrow (#11): Green Arrow has two victories over Brick.
Red Hood (#15): Red Hood is undefeated against Brick and The Society.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Red Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Red Hood 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Draw 4 (Arsenal)


Well, according to the tape, there isn't a field in which Green Arrow gets the better of Jason Todd. I guess there's no category for lady killing smarm, or dodgy goatees...

If you asked me flat out who would win a fight between these two, I think I'd be leaning toward Green Arrow. This guy's got the experience over Jason Todd, and that's not even including the time he spent dead. Time considerably less than Todd's time taking a dirt nap... In the real world, at least.

I felt the need to upgrade GA's energy power stats to reflect the arsenal of weaponry at his disposal, and while I haven't done so yet, I feel there may be need to recognise his prowess as a hand-to-hand combatant. I was reluctant to rate GA with the other martial artists, but given the strength of his recent training during the One Year Later flashbacks, it might be time.

Of course, that said, Red Hood has eaten, lived, and slept [hello!] with the Batman, which means this guys lives and breathes fighting. He's all about the tactical edge, and delivering every necessary blow with tempered precision and deadly accuracy.

Green Arrow's no slouch in the accuracy department. You don't get a reputation as the world's greatest archer without shooting a few apples off heads, but it could be said that GA's talents and scope are narrow. Certainly compared to the forward planning of a Red Hood, ala Batman training.

Maybe I'd be wrong in my initial assessment, if you asked me who would win a fight between these two. Maybe when we pull out the tape and measure everything up, the mechanics of the two characters lean toward Red Hood.
Then again, maybe the mechanics lie. Maybe Red Hood's impetuousness is a weakness exposed and fileted by Green Arrow's experience...

The Math: Red Hood
The Pick: Green Arrow

What went down...
While Speedy abandons her mission of aid to the heroes under fire, Green Arrow finds himself diving for cover from the afforementioned spray courtesy of Red Hood and an automatic weapon.

GA lands on his back, slinging a few arrows Red Hood's way, but the kid is good. He sees it coming before the arrows have even left the bow, and slips out of the line of fire, accordingly.

The Hood returns the favour with another spray of ammunition, forcing Green Arrow to backflip his way out of trouble and search for a new solution.
Still on his back, he spies water piping across the lab ceiling, and as mayor has the privilege of knowing water has been restored to this part of the Earthquake torn city.

He uses one of his trick arrows to set off the sprinklers.
Water cascades down on them both, distracting the Red Hood sufficiently enough to give Green Arrow an opportunity to fire off an arrow at his achilles.

The Hood blocks the arrows path with the blade of a sword.
He challenges the senior hero, questioning whether or not he'd had time to practise with his new sword in the rain. Green Arrow draws his blade, and gladly boasts his ability to cope with the terrain. He charges into battle.

Sparks fly as the two titans clash swords.
Locked together, Red Hood acknowledges GA's progression beyond "... just a sharp shooter!"

Green Arrow ducks a wild swipe from Red Hood, and props up to catch the Hood on the completion of his swing with one of his own. GA's sword slices across the armored helmet that is Todd's namesake. The slash leaves a line straight across the eye area.

"You missed. Either that or you weren't going for the throat. That's the problem with all of you. Limits."

GA ducks another swipe, and strikes back with a lunge that pierces the Hood's jacket. The sword provides a guideline for Red Hood to move into close quarters, using his helmet to viciously headbutt his opponent.

Arrow indulges the grapple with Todd, and uses it to throw his feet out onto a shelf of chemicals, pushing them back to the ground.

He follows with a swinging roundhouse kick that knocks the Hood silly enough to disarm him. With that, GA takes possession of his sword and forces him to yield, his neck in a scissored vice.

Despite the predicament, Todd mocks the situation.
"You and me fight with a few pig stickers and I'm going away in cuffs?"

He challenges GA to connect the dots, asking him if he really thinks a katana is a regular piece of his carry-on arsenal. He then highlights the fact that he's where he is, and Batman is across town. Then as the handle of Red Hood's katana begins to sizzle in his hand, Green Arrow gets it.

He tosses the sword into an adjacent wall, and on advice of a fleeing Jason Todd, does more than just toss it. They both make a dramatic escape, but it's Todd who has the barings to leap on a motorcycle to make his getaway.
GA fires an arrow into the air, but Red Hood is able to narrowly steer clear of it, getting notification of his package's arrival: Speedy.

The hammer...
Despite letting the baddie get away, Green Arrow earns comprehensive victory against a sword wielding Jason Todd!

As you may have gathered, this issue also contains a fight between Brick and Batman, and while that probably would've been the easier choice of the two, there was certainly a lot more meat to Green Arrow/Red Hood. Which you would really expect for the title character. Even so, hopefully we'll get a chance to revisit this issue just to get Batman/Brick on the board.

Though he's suffered a substantial fall from grace, I really like the idea of Brick as a criminal presence big enough to become regularly involved in the Gotham underworld. It's the kind of development that could've really slot well into Winick's period on Batman, with a more flowing and developing sense of Gotham City and it's criminal activity.

Another great reason to feature Green Arrow/Jason Todd was that it meant would could continue to diversify our featured characters, and maybe reflect a little bit of what's going on. Even though we've been talking about Red Hood more this year than last, when he was a lot more relevant.

To the former point, hopefully you've noticed a conceited effort to feature a greater balance of DC material. I fully acknowledge that I was more of a Marvel kid growing up, but I really have a great affection for many of DC's characters, and in the latter years really jumped the fence to their side.
Right now I fall somewhere in the middle, but for integrity's sake I just like the notion of getting more DC material on the site. And heck, we all know the Marvel zombies that probably visit us here could use the education. Oh yes! I went there!

Judd Winick's been a pretty regular feature on the site, but I haven't really talked at length about Scott McDaniel. It's interested me that he's remained on the title for so long, because after the initial departure of the art team of Phil Hester and Ande Parkes, I really didn't expect him to last it out.

While I'm reluctant to really slam the quality of his art, I personally feel it's somewhat lacking. I don't think the inks are doing it a lot of favours [this issue inked by Andy Owens] in respet to refining and cleaning some of the lines up, but to be fair, that isn't really the inker's job description.

It continues to work conceptually, following on from the cartoony vibe established previously, despite the book's tendency to delve into more traditionally dark and psuedo-realistic themes. Which has helped the title keep it's charms, but I still can't help but feel the style of energy, and the exaggerated limbs and action produced, just isn't feel right.

I've been quite surprised by some of the positive reviews I've heard, that specifically mention McDaniel as a highlight. iFanboy is a recent source of interest that springs to mind.
I'd have to honestly say, if the subject material wasn't so fun, and the characters featured weren't of initial interest to me, I probably wouldn't be buying.

The Fight: 6 The Issue: 5

RED HOOD versus BRICK
Seeing Red Part Two: The Buddy System (DC comics)
Where: Green Arrow #70 When: March 2007
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The story so far...
Jason Todd, former Robin and protege to the Batman, has returned from the dead and isn't in the best frame of mind.
Walking a line between good and evil, Todd assumes the identity that gave birth to The Joker - Red Hood - and begins a lethal war against crime for control.

Danny "Brick" Brickwell arrived on the Star City underworld scene abruptly, and his rise to power was swift.
Though his extraordinary strength and rockhide durability were key to his success, perhaps his greatest tool was intelligence and guile.
It was this that set him apart from the other gangsters of the city.

Red Hood has brought his vendetta to Star City, and sought out Brick with a deal too good for a man of his intelligence to pass up. The only question that remains now, is whether or not he'll survive long enough to propose it...

Previous Form:
Red Hood (#29): Red Hood teamed with Batman to defeat members of The Society.
Brick (#197): Brick has suffered defeat at Green Arrow's hand twice.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Brick 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Red Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Red Hood 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Brick 4 (Trained Athlete)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Red Hood 2 (Projectile Weapons)

Well, a pretty interesting way to start out the year, I must say.
As a fan and wannabe-writer, I have a great interest and affection for good independent street villains. These guys are arguably two of the best new comers to the scene, and pitting them together is just really interesting. It's not the kind of match-up you'd expect to see.

Anyway, fawning aside, who measures up how?

The most overt advantage here is Brick's rocky exterior which not only makes him invulnerable to fatal wounds from most basic weaponry, but also grants him incredible strength and striking power.

We've seen time and time before how the Batman has been able to overcome overwhelming odds of muscle through strategy and preperation. Victories against Superman, Captain Nazi and Amazo remind us of that.
What's important to recall is not only that Red Hood has had conditioning to approach such obstacles in a likeminded fashion, but is also willing to extend his strategies to incorporate lethal force. Something Batman would never condone.

Thus, in many ways, this makes Red Hood even more dangerous than Batman.

Likewise, Red Hood's acrobatic agility and training in the martial arts put him a level up on Brick, whose school was one of hard knocks. Street wise scuffling may get you to the top of the gang pile, but against guys relying on nothing but skill, your odds start to dwindle.

Certainly it isn't an easy pick-up for Red Hood, but given the difference in experience and style, it's difficult to tip the man-brute that is Brick.

The Math: Red Hood (Champion Class)
The Pick: Red Hood

What went down...
Red Hood shows up on the scene just in the nick of time to mow down his own men, as they threaten to open a can of urban warfare on Brick's ass on a count of a lost shipment of weapons. Foiled, of course, by Green Arrow and Speedy (with a mysteriouso assist from Batman).

Red Hood proposes the notion of Brick helping him with his problem, but when Brick says he isn't interested the helmeted vigilante starts to press his point.

Using his fantastic agility to leap in the path of the hometown advantage, he draws his pistols. Brick shows him just how much he likes that, revealing the hard way how fast he can be.

The crimson cowled one finds himself in the grip of a far more powerful opponent, and unable to breath as he crushes down on his protective helmet.

Reaching for the back of his belt, the Hood produces an explosive grenade which puts distance between he and his potential partner in crime.

Breaking the seal on the helmet, Red Hood reveals the man underneath, still wearing the red domino mask that mirrors his past as a boy wonder.

Red Hood unload a clip of lead in Brick's rocky hide at point blank range, which rocks even his mighty head to the core. Stumbling back, Brick keeps talking, sharing his understanding of the dramatic with a heavy fist that breaks a building wall built with his namesake, as the Red Hood ducks it.

He leaps high into the air, again leaving the Hood to use his speed and agility to narrowly escape certain doom.
The shockwave of Brick's impact rattles Red Hood, but puts enough distance between the two of them to give the smaller of the two opportunity to produce another fantastic gadget.

He fires off a rocket that buries itself into Brick's mighty arm.
With an explosive in his arm and a smiling Red Hood holding a remote detonator, Brick finally stops to reconsider the offer proposed. A deal that will prove mutually beneficial.

The hammer...
Well, even though there's somewhat of a peaceful resolution, I'm going to call this one on points and declare the winner, and king of all the dichotomous gangsters - Red Hood.

If you've been reading Secret Earths for a while, or even tracking back through various links or archives, you'll know there's an invested interest in Judd Winick; or more specifically, his period on the flagship Batman title. [Batman #637, #647, #648]

Something that's been key to my distinct slant toward Marvel titles lately has been the deterioration of my interest in the Bat-titles. Certainly Batman was key to my DC interests this decade, but a shift away from the stoic urban super crime drama of the first half of the 00s, toward retro influenced 'lighter' adventures has curbed my interest.

What's nice about this new storyarc in Green Arrow is that it pays service to Wininck's time on Batman, and continues on the unfolding saga of Red Hood.
The shift in priority of the core Bat-titles meant Red Hood was somewhat lost to the shuffle, reduced to guest-spots in books like Teen Titans, which relied on deviations from his chief objective as displayed in Batman.

Here we are obviously somewhat diverted [to Star City], but Winick is at least able to maintain a consistency of the criminal interactions the Red Hood involves himself with.

Unfortunately Green Arrow remains far less solid as a piece of writing versus the well used issues of Batman. Likewise, Scott McDaniel's overtly cartoony pencils and relaxed inks [by Andy Owens] paint a much less attractive and suitably subdued picture. Which is probably the key difference between he and predecessor, Phil Hester, who, along with Ande Parks, presented a familiarly cartoony look, but with well grounded personal exchange.

Curiously Green Arrow appears to consistently be a touch-and-go title, and while it very much appears to be Judd Winick's stomping grounds, it reads much more B-list than his higher profile work. I don't really have any theories as to why that is, other than perhaps the necessity of editorial decisions forcing Winick to make the decision to cram all his ideas in with immediacy, rather than wait-out the interruption.

Though resembling somthing I'd expect to be more at home in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Brick continues to be an exciting new character in the DC landscape.
As a physical "supervillain" he has an interesting presesnce, but in the vein of the Batman Rogues, he is perhaps most interesting as a character who is capable of astute, almost deadpan understandings of the world in which he operates, and how he can benefit from that.

Though bestowed with extraordinary strength, and a Tombstone-esque theme of resilience, he in many ways reflects real world criminals more accurately.

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 4