Gotham City’s vigilante Red Hood has taken Batman’s forgotten weapon to a ludicrous extreme. The resourceful hero utilizes one of the Dark Knight’s most neglected tools.
While Jason Todd once did all he could to distance himself from Batman’s shadow, there are many ways in which he emulates him. When Jason was Robin, the caped crusader was his greatest inspiration. Although he might not always admit it, he makes it clear through his actions. As a member of the bat family, he will never be able to fully get away from Batman’s image. In some comics, he even embraces the connection by donning a variation of the bat symbol, and wielding the Dark Knight’s gauntlets.
For a period of time, Red Hood utilized a ridiculously lengthy version of Batman’s gauntlet fins. The blades protruding from his forearms were able to channel electricity, and proved beneficial for gliding. Unfortunately, the extended fins didn’t fit Red Hood’s vibe and made him hard to take seriously. They were additionally an odd choice for a member of the bat family who doesn’t keep up with a bird theme. However, it did help put him on a similar page to Arsenal and Starfire in the Titans, as they flew through the sky together. They even struggled to keep up with the vigilante utilizing his wrist fins.
In contrast, it makes sense for other members of the bat family such as Nightwing, Red Robin, Robin, and Batgirl to have fin gauntlets. Red Hood has always stood out for his excessive weaponry, but the gauntlets might be a step too far in the wrong direction. If Red Hood is trying to be his own hero, he should commit to his own gadgetry and not replicate tools resembling Batman’s weaponry. However, the protruding fins wouldn’t look good on Nightwing or Robin either.
The blades look more like a special feature on an action figure than a practical tool to take on Gotham’s criminals. Even for Red Hood, they look like overkill to take into Batman’s war on crime. The city’s petty criminals already didn’t stand a chance against Red Hood with his articulate aim and wide arsenal of weapons. As Jason moves past his fin phase, he has returned to the guns and knives that fans tend to associate with him. It’s unlikely Red Hood will be gliding alongside the Titans again anytime soon as he currently utilizes weapons that Batman would not permit.