This was perhaps a moment many believed Snyder had to tackle eventually in Zero Year, but it was somewhat a surprise to see it come at the end of Secret City, the story's very first arc. The Red Hood Gang, particularly Red Hood One, was made out to be a prominent foe in Batman's early days and with Riddler pulling their strings, many fans assumed they'd be around for most of Zero Year. Batman #24 turned these expectations on people's heads as the climax took place at A.C.E. Chemicals, a very familiar location for even the casual Batman fan. Batman's debut throughout the A.C.E. Chemicals sequence will go down as one of the highlights of Zero Year once it concludes. The way Batman moves and uses his tools against the gang is excellent considering this is still rookie Batman and not the hardened, phenomenal fighter and tactician he grows into, but it is his brief fight with Red Hood One which stands out. It builds to the infamous moment as Red Hood, after being told by Batman to give up and that it is all over, declares "It's only just beginning" before falling into the vat of chemicals below. His parting words are chilling as these two characters are completely unaware of the destiny awaiting them. Helping cap this scene off is the revelation that the real Red Hood One was murdered sometime before the showdown at A.C.E., making the identity of the man who fell into the chemical vat a complete mystery. As Alfred says of Batman's theories, he's just playing multiple choice with the many possibilities of who the Red Hood was, a worthy origin for Batman's greatest foe.
Richard Church has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in Television Writing and Producing. He is an aspiring writer for short stories, novels and screenplays. He is also an avid fan of comic books and graphic novels.
