JayToddz for the masses

I have feelings: Jason Todd

Kay, Jason feelings.

Word to the wise, people, (one of) the reason(s) it’s taking me so long to post these? I SAT DOWN AND WROTE EVERY SINGLE FEELING THIS CHARACTER GIVES ME. And like I said a while ago, my death certificate will read: “she died like she lived: sobbing over fictional characters.” Because that is what I do.

OKAY, SO JASON TODD? I LOVE HIM.

I

LOVE

HIM.

When I first started getting into comics, Jason was like an enigma. I had no idea what to think of him. I’d seen blinks of his character and his fanbase and it was all so contradictory that I just didn’t even bother trying to find out more. Jason was the ‘bad Robin’ and the ‘one that had died’. And now, I just want to punch past me for ever being neutral to the character.

Jason’s just this wonderfully screwed up ball of emotions. I love him as Robin and Red Hood almost equally. (Okay, I love Robin!Jason just a little bit more.) So let’s break this thing up into two parts.

SO I HATE HOW A LOT OF PEOPLE PORTRAY ROBIN!JASON. If you think of him as the ‘bad Robin’ or the ‘violent Robin’, then you need to check yoself and wreck yoself. Yes, Jason had many problems seeing as he practically raised himself on the streets. He stole, he got into fights and he experimented with things. That meant he has a tough skin and gew up to be defensive and angry. AND I LOVE HOW BRUCE FOUND HIM STEALING TIRES FROM THE BAT-MOBILE. I MEAN, REALLY.

But damn it, he was so much more than that! D:

Little Jason was this smirky little thing (and really, I do mean little because he just slightly bigger than ten year old Damian when he died at fifteen. What the hell did Talia feed him because now he’s the bulkiest Bat?!) who was reckless, cheeky and made bad choices consistently. He was so brave though and guess what? HE ACTUALLY CARED A LOT ABOUT OTHERS.

HE DIED TRYING TO SAVE HIS MOM. EVEN AFTER SHE BETRAYED HIM AND HE WAS BEATEN TO A BLOODY MESS BY THE JOKER, THE ONLY THING HE WAS THINKING OF WAS SAVING HER. HE WAS A HERO. AND YOU CAN’T DENY IT!

This is a kid who tried his best and worked his hardest to be considered fit for the Robin mantle. This is a kid who wanted to try out for the school play but didn’t because he thought he needed to use all his spare time to train and patrol. But still managed to get more than a ninety average in his classes. This is a kid who thought joining the Titans for a mission was the most exciting thing ever and practically was jumping at the chance to be included (which makes the scene at the Titans memorial years later so depressing). This is a kid who had a superhero pen pal (oh god, Eddie/Jason feelings, you guyyyys) and was almost as prone to bad jokes as Dick was.

And I mean, just look at this cutie (he’s just so happy uguuu):

Also, Jason didn’t hate Dick, or PRETEND to hate him. Or whatever. Far from it. He actively looked up to his older brother as a role model and friend. And vice versa. (I’m pretty sure I even remember Dick looking at a picture of him and Jason fishing once. Fishing.) Dick was so torn up when Jason died. You can’t read any of those scenes without your heart breaking for both of them.

And he loved Bruce so much it hurts. Gaaaaaaaaah. Jason was Bruce’s son and Bruce actually was really happy having Jason at his side and that’s why his death was so difficult to get over and Bruce regrets and blames himself for it all. But I don’t really like when they write Bruce thinking that Jason would inevitably turn ‘bad’ if he hadn’t been taken in by Bruce. It’s the same thing with Damian. Writers try to paint him as the their ‘saviour’ and that’s not how it works. There is a possibility that Jason would have been a criminal BUT THERE IS AN EQUAL POSSIBILITY THAT HE WOULD ONE DAY TURN HIS LIFE AROUND. PROOF: FATHER TODD IN FLASHPOINT. In that universe, without Bruce, Jason became a priest. A PRIEST.

*flailing hands*

AND RED HOOD IS SUCH A BAD ASS AND HE’S SO INTERESTING AND AHHHHHH.

Jason’s take on the whole anti-hero vigilante thing is fascinating. His first priority is stopping crime at any cost and he’s not killing when its warranted. I can’t say I agree with his viewpoint completely but he does make good points and he’s doing what he thinks is best for Gotham. He only kills when he thinks the other person has no chance of rehabilitating- murderers and crime lords and sex offenders.

And it’s fascinating. Just Jason and his outlook on killing and how that’s always bothered him and how he just can’t understand why Bruce would let people like the Joker live. Just the fact that that’s what he was mostly upset about when he came back and ajskffjfj.

But of course, killing makes him and Bruce on opposite sides and that’s angsty angst angst for everyone.

I’ve already talked in other posts how interesting his interaction with Tim is. But it is. Omg. Everything about Jason and the other Batkids post-DitF is so interesting and I hate that DC never took advantage of that! There’s so much missed potential with his interactions with Dick, Tim and Damian and HE SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO THE BATGIRLS. THERE’S JUST SO MUCH TO WORK WITH. RED HOOD AND HUNTRESS. RED HOOD AND ORACLE . RED HOOD AND BATGIRL. RED HOOD AND BLACK BAT. MY HEART FOR ANY OF THESE TEAM-UPS.

And I love that he has this giant soft spot for children and that he respects women a lot. Like, he’s against slut shaming and selling drugs to kids and…and….

…..

….

JASON IS WONDERFUL AND COMPLICATED AND HE’S A HERO 100% (WITH GOOD INTENTIONS BUT BAD DECISIONS) AND I HATE DC SO MUCH SOMETIMES FOR HOW THEY WRITE AND TREAT HIM.

So…final notes?

BAMF

BAMF

ANGST

ANGST

BISHOOOOOOOOUNEN!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111

WAIT, WHAT?

PS. UNNNFFFF.

PPS. Jason reads Pride and Prejuduice. That’s all I can say.

PPPS. My feelings about Jason!shipping tho. Boy is messed up and pretty much every relationship he could potentially have must be angsty, full of misunderstandings and completely unconvential.

PPPPS. He needs Donna!hugs&kisses.

PPPPPS. But I also angstylust!ship him with Rose, messed not-relationship!ship him with Mia, angry!ship him with Roy,and complicated!ship him with Babs and Steph. And kinda sorta also- okay, wait, no, this is not a shipping post. I’m just going to stop typing now. If you want to know, ask me in a separate thingie.

(Pictures and GIFs not mine! D:)