Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman: Urban Legends #4
In the latest issue of DC's Batman: Urban Legends, Mr. Freeze just helped Batman and Red Hood overcome some major issues from their shared past. While Red Hood is certainly the most estranged member of the Bat-Family, he can usually be counted on when needed for assistance. However, that doesn't mean his ongoing relationship with the Dark Knight has been any less tense ever since he decided to use more lethal means of justice. That being said, when Jason Todd's Red Hood is threatened and in danger of being killed by Mr. Freeze, it motivates Jason to do the one thing he's never done even when he was Batman's Robin: trusting and asking the Dark Knight for help.
Red Hood's journey is one marked by some intense struggle and tragedy, as Jason Todd was brutally murdered by the Joker when Batman failed to get to him in time. After being resurrected by a Lazarus Pit, Jason Todd became a new and darker man, eventually finding his way from being a straight villain full of rage and vengeance (with large portions focused on Batman) to more of an outlaw seeking justice on his own terms, albeit using lethal methods that don't fall in line with the Dark Knight's. That being said, Batman and Red Hood came to a compromise where Jason promised he wouldn't kill while operating in Gotham.
However, Jason had been pushing his estranged surrogate father to his very limits in Batman: Urban Legends from Chip Zdarsky, Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira. Not only did Red Hood murder a criminal in Gotham while potentially orphaning a young child in the process, but he also continued to defy Batman's wishes and seemingly immovable way of thinking, believing that going out on his own would be better to take down the new drug plaguing the city. However, Jason's plan backfired and he found himself at the mercy of Mister Freeze. Before being flash-frozen, Jason made the decision to do what he had never done before: trust in Batman and send out a call asking for his help. Likewise, Batman wastes no time upon hearing the call and rushes to save him, getting a new opportunity to do right by Jason.
Jason came to the realization that he and Batman needed to stop making the same mistakes of their past: "He never trusted me. I never trusted him. Neither of us lived up to the idea of 'Batman and Robin the Dynamic Duo.' Because Batman and Robin requires trust. It requires knowing you can't do it alone." On the other side, not only does Batman save Jason, but he does so by ignoring the main threat of Mr. Freeze and putting himself right in a trap alongside his former Robin. However, the Dark Knight was determined to make sure that Jason lived no matter what, refusing to let the mistakes of the past win.
All in all, this issue is an incredible source of growth for both Red Hood and Batman, and it's proof that they'll always be father and son. Hopefully, they'll be less estranged now that a stronger bond of trust has been formed that they've never had before. While things still look dire for the former Dynamic Duo (Freeze has them both on ice), they'll no doubt win the day as the story continues, working together with a restored relationship made even stronger thanks to Mister Freeze in this issue of Batman: Urban Legends.