From The DC Vault – Death In The Family: Robin Lives! #1 – JM DeMatteis, Writer; Rick Leonardi, Artist; Rico Renzi, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: It’s maybe the biggest unanswered question in DC history – what would have happened in Jason Todd lived? Infamously, the public voted by a small margin to kill the second Robin, with some die-hard haters reportedly calling hundreds of times to the pay line and tilting the balance. That, of course, led to Jason coming back from the dead almost twenty years later and becoming the popular anti-hero Red Hood – far eclipsing his popularity as Robin. But we got a glimpse of the alternate reality in a recent printing of the alternate comic that was almost published – not that it gave us too much info. Only a few panels were changed, with Jason ending the issue in a coma with little hope of recover, potentially being written out of the title anyway.
Now, it falls to legendary writer JM DeMatteis to tell the story of what-if – and it kicks off with Joker dead, seemingly from an assassination some time after the events of Death in the Family. Flashbacks show he lost his diplomatic immunity and fled, only to be stopped by Batman and Superman. Jason, meanwhile, woke up from his coma not long after, and healed physically but not mentally – returning to the mansion even more haunted and guarded than he was before. Bruce, Alfred, and even Dick Grayson failed to help him open up – so Bruce sought outside help. This issue goes a little deeper into psychology in Gotham, both in the form of existing character Benjamin Stoner, the head of Arkham Asylum and the man in charge of Joker’s care; and Dr. Saraswati Dev, a new character who Bruce brings in to help Jason (and whose narration indicates will become deeply involved with the Bat-family).
Unfortunately, Jason overhears this conversation, becomes convinced that Bruce is going to send him away to an institution, and runs off with the Robin costume – seeking to take his anger out on Scarecrow. This, naturally, is the worst thing he could do as the sloppy and traumatized teenager is taken advantage of and subject to more trauma – something that is likely going to send him down a dark path. The endgame of Jason potentially becoming an assassin (if that’s what’s happening) seems to indicate that something like Red Hood was always inevitable. I’m not sure if I agree with that, but this is one of the best portrayals of Jason I’ve seen in a while, and a brilliantly realized depiction of the Batman and Bat-family of the era.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
