To make the very concept of Batman obsolete, he puts a lot of effort into public relations: he drastically alters his Red Hood costume to look more like a traditional superhero outfit and recruits his sidekick Scarlet. If someone else wanted to tell another Jason story or bring him back and we at least opened the door, that's great! During one of his special moves, he pummels his opponent with it multiple times, a direct reference to Jason Todd's death. It was released on June 15, 2016. In an interview for the Infinite Crisis hardcover, Jeanine Schaefer states that Geoff Johns had planned to reveal the second Red Hood as the Jason Todd of the Earth-Two universe. Jason Todd was not Batmans first experience with a dead Robin, but it was without a doubt his worst. This provides Jason an opportunity to plant a bomb beneath the Batmobile while Batman is on a stakeout for the arms deal. Wingman temporarily allies himself with Damian Wayne, who is using the name "Redbird" at the time. Even after being brutally beaten, Jason still tried to protect his mother. Most of the votes were actually for Jimmy Olsen, who was given AIDS. Scarlet flees Gotham, her mask finally falling from her face as she exits the city limits. She also hires the same carpenters who built Jason's casket and had them build a replica of it (the original was destroyed and beyond repair after Jason emerged from it). Afterward, he pays his respects, swearing vengeance for them. His weapons of choice are a pair of customized IWI Jericho 941s, fitted with extra Picatinny rails and mini red-dot sights. Similarly, Joker has misstated how he killed Jason, and even the DC cosmos has seemingly got the wrong idea, with the other-dimensional Batman Who Laughs commanding his Robins to respond with the call and response"Crow"/"Bar." ", Marv Wolfman(w), Dan Jurgens(a). Dick rushed over as soon as he heard, and offered Bruce his help in tracking down the Joker. Jason's final preparation for his revenge against Batman is to forge alliances with several Gotham villains, including Scarecrow, whom he supplies with his militia and knowledge of Batman's tactics. Maybe hed have tried to get Dick Grayson to return, only to don the Robin costume himself to save his mentors lives. In this new timeline, Jason's new origin is revealed in a special Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 (November 2012) issue, which changes how Batman first met Todd (stealing medicine from Leslie Thompkins, after she had treated him from a brutal beating). [54] Later, however, the Wingman ruse is exposed and Todd returns to being Red Hood. Ironically, the only surviving member of the gang offers Jason the possibility of a large government payday in exchange for his life, because he knows where a very wanted man is. Here Jason is portrayed as a former drug addict and follower of Brother Blood who eventually turned his life around and became a priest. [48], In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. Around this time, Batman discovers that the empty coffin buried at Jason's gravesite is a replica of what he bought. Task Force Z#8is available now from DC Comics. The only Robin to have died in main canon, Jason Todd is the second Robin to Batman following Dick Grayson's maturation into Nightwing. He has published articles highlighting innovative practices for more than 1,200 local governments across 20 countries. However, Todd does not wear the Robin costume until completing six months of training. Slipping out a crowbar, he began to beat Jason with it, intending to kill the boy in order to prevent Jason . Jason will become the Red Hood in the third series, White Knight Presents Harley Quinn, where he and Harleen work together against the returning Neo-Joker. The team also includes Starfire and Roy Harper. Oddly enough, these two missions led them to cross paths, foil the Joker, and find Jasons real mom where they cross paths with the Joker once more. Todd and Drake are confronted by another Red Robin in Robin (vol. In Batman #425, the Dynamic Duo is challenged by Felipe's father, who kidnaps Commissioner Gordon in retaliation for his son's death. He still died but was eventually resurrected and recovered from it physically and mentally. Answer (1 of 4): Jason Todd was unwieldy to most Batman fans. Beyond the reveal that Jason is not dead and has become Red Hood, little else is known about how exactly Jason survives the attack, why Bruce lied about burying his body, or what led him to become . The Joker beats Jason Todd with his crowbar, ultimately leaving him half-dead on the warehouse floor. In the context of Jasons murder by reader input, its easy to read Tims origin as a hedge against the same negative fan reaction that labeled his predecessor as a usurper of Dick Graysons legacy. To meet the publishing schedule, the creative team prepared for either eventuality by writing, and partially illustrating, a comic which Jason survived the Jokers attempted murder and one in which he died. Jason Todd is the titular central antagonist of the 2010 animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood and the main protagonist of the 2020 animated interactive film Batman: Death in the Family He is the former Robin who is murdered by the Joker, and becomes a vigilante after being resurrected by Ra's al Ghul. He debuted as the second sidekick of Batman, donning the mantle of Robin after Dick Grayson. Joker Beats Jason Todd to Near Death, Then Blows Him Up (Batman) Jason Todd was the unpopular second Robin who - in no small part due to his unpopularity - was beaten to a pulp by the. Additionally, Red Hood's actions in Task Force Zare indicative ofJason Todd's stubborn and rebellious nature, traits reflected in the fact that the Joker never succeeded in killing him withthe crowbar. Essence, a fellow exiled member of the All Caste whom Jason knows, appears to him but is invisible to others. Thanks to @domcianciolo and @kittelsen! O'Neil said, "The logical candidate was Jason because we had reason to believe that he wasn't that popular anyway. The Many Deaths of Jason Todd is an Batman fic by Zoeleo, found on Archive of our Own. Jason Todd's death has loomed large in the mythos of the Dark Knight ever since, even after the character's return to life in 2005. Mia is deeply troubled by the discussion but ultimately decides to remain with Green Arrow. The bomb counts down. As I looked the pages over and tried not to freak out too visibly, DC archivist Ben Le Clear told me a story of ONeil who had voted for Jason to live and other DC staff hanging around the offices, biting their nails well into the final evening of the poll. After Batman's "death," Jason Todd assumed the guise of a violent Batman. Batman brings Jason on a mission in Ethiopia to punish some of Damian's other would-be assassins, and while there he also takes him to the place of his death in the hopes Jason can provide insights into his resurrection so that he might apply the method to Damian. It was erected in the Batcave following Jason's death at the hands of the Joker and has since become a staple of the Batcave; even staying . Pearson, Roberta E.; Uricchio, William. I think there was even talk of his possibly being Deathstroke's Robin.[71]. [72], In this alternate timeline, there appeared a version of Jason. in English and Cinema Studies from Oberlin College. Related: Red Hood Writer Talks Jason Todd's New Chapter, New Robin & More, However, while the crowbar beating is what ultimately became the defining image of his death to fans, Jason's lack of focus on the bomb that actually killed him is perplexing. He is later convinced by Damian Wayne to turn against Ra's when the latter takes it too far by using Amazo to slaughter millions. He thought he could do what could never be done for him and 'make him whole'. [73], In the Amalgam Universe, Jason Todd was a young S.H.I.E.L.D. The tragic ending was the one chiseled into comic history. He confronts the kidnapper and is stunned to discover that he is an adult Todd, standing at his own desecrated gravesite, and wearing a redesigned and darker version of his Robin costume. The three intend to rescue Scarlet. The character has made appearances in several forms of media outside of comics, including television series and video games. However, he does not realize that Ma Gunn is using the school as a cover to recruit young delinquents into her criminal gang. The last decade has been a renaissance for Jason Todd, the second character to fill the role of Robin, the worlds most famous superhero sidekick. Batman arrives too late to save them and finds Jason's lifeless body in the rubble. Tim, named for Tim Burton, director of the new but not-yet-released Batman motion picture, was a bright kid whod been in the circus audience the night Dick Graysons parents died. Freeze, Man-Bat, Deadshot, and Sun-Downer, who are allbrought back to life thanks to doses of the Lazarus Resin. O'Neil was quoted on the back cover of A Death in the Family trade paperback collecting the story with Todd's death as saying, "It would be a really sleazy stunt to bring him back. This led to DC Comics holding a telephone poll in 1988's "A Death in the Family" storyline to determine whether or not the character would die at the hands of Batman's nemesis, the Joker. AsRed Hoodcontinues to evolve in his post-death life,it's important that DC works to make sure that at least Jason himself remembers howJokerkilled him. However, the earliest foreshadowing of Jasons fate occurred in Batman #5, written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane, which features the first time a Robin is presumed dead. With the details of his death now cleared up, hopefullyRed Hoodwill continue to subvert his family and readers' expectations in a way that only Jason Todd can. Furious that no memorial statue was made for him (despite his short tenure as a Titan), he demands that Drake tell him if he is as good as Todd has been told. But what sequence of events led to the killing of a boy wonder? As Moonwing, he made a careless mistake, which resulted in a S.H.I.E.L.D. He was a good soldier. Jason Todd was the logical candidate, ONeil said. Jason Todd first appeared in Batman #357 (March 1983). In the second story arc of Batman and Robin by Grant Morrison and Philip Tan, Jason Todd retakes the Red Hood mantle after losing his bid to become the new Batman. The sound that was made when the steel rod connected to the youth's body was sickening to hear. Batman #635 Batman #636 Batman #637 Batman #638 Batman #639 Batman . But what if Jason Todd had lived? [9], O'Neil would later repeat the claim with further specifics: "I heard it was a lawyer who was using a Macintosh and lived in CaliforniaI obviously don't have hard information on this, but I heard someone out there programmed his computer to dial it every couple of minutes, and since there was only about 65 votes that made the difference if that story is true, that guy, that guy killed Jason Todd! RELATED: Red Hood: Joker's Most Disgusting New 52 Moment Almost Breaks Jason Todd. Todd never turns up on any missing person reportsas he was never 'missing'nor can he be identified since no prints are on file for him. Just like readers, Tim had grown up as a fan of Batman and Robin. Todd instead decides to kill Batman directly by traveling across the globe in search of a similar, but the deadlier type of training to Bruce Wayne's own to prepare for that day. Heres the complete page that panel was from, the unused page 10 of Batman #428. Despite feeling sorry for Jason, Dick left Jason to die again so he could continue the attack on the HYDRA base.[74]. He sets off on a globe-trotting adventure to learn his mother's true identity and find out if she's still . Jason's true motives are shown in the third part as he kidnaps Mia Dearden to dissolve her partnership with Green Arrow, feeling that they are kindred spirits, cast down by society and at odds with their mentors. It is also revealed that, like Tim, Jason was also aware that Batman survived his encounter with Darkseid. In the first line of his postscript in the first collected edition of that story, Batman editor Denny ONeil protested his own culpability in Robins death with one quote, We didnt kill the Boy Wonder. While fighting with each other, Tim makes the remark that, "The crowbars are a little bit morbid, no?" As Batman's second Robin, Jason was killed by the Joker during the events of the 1988Batman: A Death in the Familystoryline from Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, and Mike DeCarlo. Ironically, it seems Jason wouldve preferred Batmans reaction to Dicks presumed death over a morbid mannequin in a Robin costume. Jason Todd officially becomes the new Robin, approved by Batman - previously operated as Robin without permission New Teen Titans #20 May 1986 Own Want eBay Value By Grade Low $1 Mid $2 High $4 Robin, Jason Todd joins the Teen Titans Batman #408 June 1987 Own Want eBay Value By Grade Low $2 The Joker tortured Jason for over a year in an abandoned wing of Arkham Asylum while filming himself, and eventually convinced the broken Todd that Batman had abandoned and replaced him. Sheila lives just long enough to tell Batman that Jason died trying to protect her. Todd asks Batman why he has not avenged his death by killing Joker, a psychopath who has murdered countless people and crippled one of their best friends, arguing that Batman should have done it "because he took me away from you". His initial goal was to convince Dick Grayson to go back to being Robin, not to take the role himself. As I'm sure you know, in the infamous Death In The Family storyline, Jason Todd was captured by the Joker, beaten via crowbar, and finally locked in a bomb-laced warehouse and killed. Batman didn't get to him in time and Jason died in the explosion. After this and his subsequent escape, he became the Red Hood. Todd enters into a pact with Hush and the Riddler. However, Robin senses something is wrong and hides in the Batmobile's trunk as Batman heads to the junkyard. DC declined to release a full scan of the second-most-complete alternate page in their archives, but did offer the below scan of its first panel, which reveals Jason stable but in a comatose state, back in the United States. The death of Jason Todd, also known as Red Hood, is one of the most dramatic moments in the history of DC Comics. [44] In the issue, Todd is characterized as increasingly unstable and his idea of "finishing off" Batman and Robin now consists of stripping them down to their underwear and exposing their identities via webcam activated by a phone poll [a nod by Morrison to his death poll]. He "defeated his archenemy". Todd is arrested by Gordon who informs him that the reason he has always worked with Batman is that Batman never violates the law "where it counts". Jason Todd appears in the Rocksteady Studios' Batman: Arkham series, voiced again by Troy Baker. The Death of Jason Todd By: Katie Trillion. Overall, he strives to take over Gotham's gangs, control their activities, and kill Joker in revenge for his death. In Batman #427, Batman ordered Jason not to confront the Joker until he returned from stopping a convoy full of deadly gas, but, fearing for his mothers life, Jason went in anyway. Comic-book lore is malleable and ever-changing, but this detail in particular is at the core of what Jason Todd's death says about his character. [31] Shortly after the events of "War Games" and just before "War Crimes", Jason Todd reappears in Gotham City as the Red Hood. Later, at Duela's funeral, Jason hides until all of the Teen Titans have left except Donna Troy. Answer (1 of 13): The bomb. Indeed, inScott Lobdell and Dexter Soy's Red Hood and the Outlaws #5, even Todd describes himself as "someone who was beaten to death with a crowbar.". With Red Hood still characterizedbyhis rage at criminals, it seems this reframing of his deathcontinues to dictate how he's characterized. ONeil and his creative teams might have taken the opportunity to have Jason sit out for a while, let the audience cool off, and then let him earn his costume back. p. 22. The primary inspiration for the canonical death of Jason was the limited Elseworlds series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, written and illustrated by Frank Miller, because the futuristic story contained references to Batmans deceased partner. [55] After Jason recovers and in the wake of Damian's death, Batman partners with Jason for the first time since Jason's days as Robin. This reading order contains all the essential and recommended comic book issues for you to enjoy Jason Todd. [27] Jason has since repeated the same pattern of killing his teachers when finding them guilty after he has finished with his training. "[10], Despite the poll results, O'Neil noted, "We did the deed, and we got a blast of hate mail and a blast of negative commentary in the press. Said, Schaefer: Well, Geoff's idea was to have Red Hood be the Jason Todd of Earth-Two. After his murder, Jason Todd was later resurrected by Jonathan Crane and became a ruthless and the most dangerous criminal and vigilante known as Red Hood, becoming Jonathan Crane's partner and an enemy of the Titans as a result. "I heard it was one guy, who programmed his computer to dial the thumbs down number every ninety seconds for eight hours, who made the difference", O'Neil said in a Newsarama interview conducted alongside writer Judd Winick during the "Under The Hood" arc. Despite their now-antagonistic relationship, Batman desperately wants to help Todd and intends to atone for his failures. But the poll couldnt be just any question. Jason teams up with Batman, Batgirl, Cyborg and Red Robin to rescue Damian's body from Apokolips. Batman then asks why Jason never returned to him, Jack says that the Joker was jealous of Robin for knowing who Batman was and Jason hated him so much for making him Robin that he disappeared. He is also well known for his tragic and violent death. 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