The Teen Titans' New Leader Is The Culmination Of A 43-Year-Old Character Arc

Published Oct 18, 2026, 9:15 PM EDT

Mark has been a comic book journalist for over 15 years and has interviewed comic book creators like Gail Simone and Caspar Wijngaard. And when he's not writing, he's working on beating his record of 1,200 comics read in a year.

During the first issue of Kyle Higgins and Daniele Di Nicuolo’s Teen Titans, Jason Todd (Red Hood) wasn’t happy that a group of kids were “nostalgia cosplaying” as the classic teen team. Jeffrey Holt, aka Fairplay, and the son of Mr. Terrific, explains that this isn’t cosplay. He says that the Teen Titans server was built for kids who were alone and may fall through the cracks. Jefferey hit the point home by reminding Jason of his past, saying that if anyone understood, it would be him.

At first, Jason wasn’t sold on the idea. Then, Nightwing sent a passive-aggressive text saying, “Thanks for wasting my time. Like usual.” Red Hood, being the petty person that he is, and because he’s in a one-sided rivalry with Dick Grayson, decided to take the new Teen Titans up on their offer. After reading issue #2, this could become the best decision that Jason Todd’s made in years.

Jason Todd Becomes A Mentor, And It Feels Right

Fairplay was right about Jason Todd understanding the situation, and more than he knows. Jeffery is aware that Red Hood was the Robin who died, but he doesn’t know about some of the other stuff. For example, how Jason's the black sheep of the Bat Family and how he’s never really been accepted by Batman. Granted, a lot of this is because Red Hood spent time bouncing between criminal and hero. Luckily, that experience comes into play while helping the daughter of Roy Harper and Jade Nguyen, Lian Harper (Cheshire Cat).

Being the daughter of a hero and a villain would be a complicated thing for anyone. It must be even more so for Lian, who wants to help people, but also assisted her mother in robbing the Justice League. Once again, because this is something that Jason understands, he tells her about the truth of her predicament and gives her great advice.

Red Hood tells her, “Take it from someone who’s played both sides–having your cake and eating it is great for a while. But eventually, you do have to make a decision. And no matter what path you pick…you will let someone down. The trick is figuring out how to not let that stop you.”

No matter what Cheshire Cat decides to do, this moment will be a deciding factor. It wasn’t just Jason’s words. Lian could tell that, regardless of what she chooses, he wouldn’t judge her. Considering that many of the heroes would, it must have been refreshing to know that the Teen Titans’ leader/mentor handled this moment right.

Why The New Teen Titans Need Red Hood's Mentorship

Lian isn’t the only one who will need help. Proxy jumped into action when Red Hood told the Teen Titans that their objective was to sit, watch, and gather intel on the Ascend (a group that hates superhumans). Unfortunately, once Proxy saw a kid getting dragged into a building without their consent, he ordered the team to act.

When they got into the building, everything went wrong. Wildcard’s powers made things worse, Cheshire Cat was outsmarted and handcuffed, and Fairplay didn’t seem to know what to do. Jason smoothed things over before they got worse, but this encounter gave the Ascend more ammunition for their cause, which is what Jason was trying to avoid.

Back at the base, Red Hood didn’t hold back. He let the Teen Titans know that they messed up big time. It may have appeared harsh, but this is what they needed. A leader and a mentor must be direct when something goes bad, and this went pear-shaped. Plus, this isn’t like losing in sports. Their mistakes can cost people their lives.

Also, this isn’t one of the Teen Titans roster, which had big-time mentors like Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Batman. They’re all either new to the superhero game, underrated, or have a chip on their shoulder. Because of that, they’ll need someone who understands where they're coming from, but won’t mince their words when they mess up. If anybody can do that, it’s Jason “Black Sheep of the Bat Family” Todd.