Red Hood's Logo is a Huge Tactical Mistake (With a Hidden Meaning)

screenrant.com:

The various members of the Bat-Family share an obvious visual motif when fighting crime on the streets of Gotham City, yet for one hero, Jason Todd aka Red Hood, wearing a giant red bat symbol across his chest not only has a hidden meaning but outs him in ways that practically become a weakness.

A tactical mistake brought to readers' attention during 2016’s Red Hood and the Outlaws series, the third and fifth issues, written by Scott Lobdell and drawn by Dexter Soy, see Red Hood crossing paths with the ruthless Batman villain named Black Mask. Going undercover with this Gotham baddie to stop Black Mask from using a newly birthed Superman clone to enact his evil agenda, Red Hood’s choice in costumed logos is unexpectedly brought to the forefront in a way that fans might have initially glossed over.

Related: Red Hood Already Explained the Real Reason Batman Can't Save Gotham

As seen in Red Hood and the Outlaws #3 during a scene where a plain-clothed Jason is having dinner with Black Mask, Jason is asked about the emblem on his chest and whether or not it holds ties to Batman. Then, in Red Hood and the Outlaws #5, Jason has Black Mask on the ropes, with Black Mask calling back to their dinner conversation, revealing a hidden meaning as to why Red Hood uses the bat symbol in the first place.

While talking over food, Jason tells Black Mask that the only reason he’s wearing the bat symbol is that he likes “yanking the guy’s wings,” an answer that Black Mask is suspicious about but accepts for the moment. But after Red Hood’s true allegiance is revealed, Black Mask argues that despite Jason’s previous answer, Jason wears the symbol of the Bat because it’s a “leash” to keep Jason “tethered” to Batman, making him not an “outlaw”