Summary
WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for From the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives #1!36 years ago, fans voted forBatman’ssecondRobin, Jason Todd, to die at the hands of theJokerin the iconicA Death in the Family(1988) storyline, resulting in one of DC’s most heart-wrenching narratives. It seemed that the comic book publisher had already extracted every ounce of trauma from Jason’s tragic demise. However, a new comic release has just delivered another gut punch to fans.
Jason Todd’s love language seems firmly rooted in wanting others to kill the Joker for him.
J. M. DeMatteis, Rick Leonardi, and Rico Renzi’s new “what if” miniseries kicks off withFrom the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives#1, exploring what might have happened if fans had voted for Jason Todd to survive his encounter with the Joker inA Death in the Family.
This issue spotlights Jason’s attempt to push through his trauma by donning his Robin suit before properly healing. This decision leads to an ill-advised one-on-one confrontation withScarecrow, who doses Robin with his Fear Toxin, causing a heartbreaking hallucination involving Jason’s mother.
Jason Todd Hallucinates that His Mother Saves Him From the Joker (Why Is This a Gut Punch?)
Jason’sFear Toxin-induced hallucinationsforce him to relive the Joker brutalizing him with a crowbar. This time, however, his birth mother, Sheila Haywood, intervenes, shooting the Joker point-blank in the head. This starkly contrasts the actual events in the warehouse in Ethiopia, where Sheila betrayed Jason to the Joker, essentially enabling the assault.The hallucination of his mother saving him rather than betraying him is truly heartbreaking, but the real gut punch comes from Jason’s reaction to his mother’s intervention in the hallucination.
Upon shooting the Joker, the hallucination of Sheila tells Jason, “It’s all right now… Your mother is here.” Jason then throws himself into her arms, hugging her tightly as she kisses his hair and apologizes for not saving him the first time.This scene is emotionally devastating, revealing one of Jason’s deepest and purest desires—to have a mother who truly loves him.This desire, contrasted with the reality of his mother essentially signing his death warrant, squeezes out the last bit of trauma from the Boy Wonder’s iconic death scene in the original storyline, making it even more tragic despite Jason surviving in this alternate narrative.
DC’s ROBIN LIVES Series Answers a Massive Fan Question: What If Jason Todd Survived?
DC has announced a four-issue ROBIN LIVES! miniseries that explores the aftermath of Jason Todd’s Joker encounter — only this time, Robin survived.
DC Confirms Jason Todd’s Love Language (& It’s as Heartbreaking as It Is Hilarious)
Another thing that Jason’s hallucination reveals is his specific “love language”: acts of service, particularly people murdering the Joker for him. The hallucination Jason experiences shows his desire for his mother to express her love by killing the Joker. This parallels the events inBatman: Under the Red Hood, where, after returning from the dead, Jason desperately tries to get Bruce to kill the Joker. This can be seen as the former Boy Wonder trying to get his father to prove his love by avenging him. Hence, the secondRobin’slove language seems firmly rooted in wanting others to kill theJokerfor him.
From the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives #1is available now from DC Comics!
FROM THE DC VAULT: DEATH IN THE FAMILY - ROBIN LIVES #1 (2024)
Robin
Red Hood
Jason Todd is a complex figure known for his tumultuous journey as Batman’s second Robin. Initially impulsive and rebellious, he’s resurrected after a tragic death, becoming the vigilante Red Hood. Armed with intense combat skills and a moral ambiguity, he challenges Batman’s methods, navigating a path between heroism and anti-heroism in Gotham’s unforgiving streets.
