I read this a while back and it was quite the sad experience. I really like Jason Todd as a character for the reasons many people disliked him; he was completely different from Dick Grayson as Robin. I think this comic book gives insight into the unique relationship Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd have as Batman and Robin as well as father and son. I liked their dynamic because it was that of the "not-so-obedient" son and father looking for his son's best interest. It was realistic and emotionally trying. I think this is a sad but memorable comic book that all Batman fans should be exposed to.
SPOILERS: Don't keep reading if you haven't read the comic book yet or if you mind spoilers.
This is truly the comic book that made me hate the Joker. When I say "hate" The Joker, I mean it because of the emotional pain he caused Batman. The panels with just The Joker and Jason Todd alone as The Joker beat him to a pulp with a crowbar made me cringe in my seat. I was already familiar with the storyline before I started reading the comic book and even when I already knew what was coming, I was horrified. I think the worst part was watching Jason struggle to survive as he tries to leave the abandoned basement that the Joker left him in with the bomb. A lot of times with Batman characters, you forget that they are just kids. I say this when referring to Batgirl and Dick Grayson and pretty much all of Batman's partners in all continuities. I think as comic book readers we forget that they are teenagers when they are they are exposed to some of the most dangerous villains in the world. I could relate to Jason's fear and panic as he slowly awaited his death when the bomb went off and killed him.
I think readers that are parents should be able to relate a lot to Batman when he finally finds Jason's body. On Batman's end when the story is being told, he is racing against the clock because he knows Jason is in danger. It's heart wrenching when he arrives at the scene of Jason's demise and realizes it's too late. He's shown carrying Jason's bloodied and lifeless body surrounded by rubble. It really is terrible. Jason is for all intents and purposes, Bruce's son. The Joker escapes and Bruce is left to take care of funeral preparations and lying to the world about how his son died, essentially.
My final thoughts on this story are that I really like the way the story was done because it allowed me to feel emotionally connected to the characters. I think you know a villain is well done when his/her actions make your blood boil like The Joker. The only resentment I have toward this storyline is that Jason's fate was decided via phone call voting with fans deciding whether he lived or died. Later on it was revealed that someone possibly cheated by creating a program that would call and vote for them over and over again for quite a few hours. Therefore, a single person was possibly responsible for the very small 72-vote margin that determined Jason would die. This makes me upset on a more personal level, but that's just me. I definitely think this comic book has an intriguing story that is truly pivotal to Batman's development as a character. The response readers had to Jason Todd definitely influenced the creation of future Robin, Tim Drake as well as Batman's reluctance to take on another disciple. If you want an emotional father-son story about loss, this is the story for you.
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I think readers that are parents should be able to relate a lot to Batman when he finally finds Jason's body. On Batman's end when the story is being told, he is racing against the clock because he knows Jason is in danger. It's heart wrenching when he arrives at the scene of Jason's demise and realizes it's too late. He's shown carrying Jason's bloodied and lifeless body surrounded by rubble. It really is terrible. Jason is for all intents and purposes, Bruce's son. The Joker escapes and Bruce is left to take care of funeral preparations and lying to the world about how his son died, essentially.
My final thoughts on this story are that I really like the way the story was done because it allowed me to feel emotionally connected to the characters. I think you know a villain is well done when his/her actions make your blood boil like The Joker. The only resentment I have toward this storyline is that Jason's fate was decided via phone call voting with fans deciding whether he lived or died. Later on it was revealed that someone possibly cheated by creating a program that would call and vote for them over and over again for quite a few hours. Therefore, a single person was possibly responsible for the very small 72-vote margin that determined Jason would die. This makes me upset on a more personal level, but that's just me. I definitely think this comic book has an intriguing story that is truly pivotal to Batman's development as a character. The response readers had to Jason Todd definitely influenced the creation of future Robin, Tim Drake as well as Batman's reluctance to take on another disciple. If you want an emotional father-son story about loss, this is the story for you.
Follow me at: www.goodreads.com/nerdreads
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