Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling


Sep 4, 2019

We cover the second Robin, JASON TODD, at the request of Patron Ariel! How did he go from being Dick Grayson 2.0 to one of the angriest members of the Bat-family? Doc unveils one of his most inventive treatment methods yet, plus we finally get an answer to the age-old question of how the Joker got away! (No reason why Batman smells, though.) Listen now!

SHOW NOTES:

  • Intro

  • Background (7:18)

    • Jason Todd created by Gerry Conway & Don Newton in Batman #357 (March 1983)

    • Jason was the second Robin, after Dick Grayson left to become Nightwing

    • Originally the son of circus acrobats who were killed by a criminal, he was adopted by Bruce Wayne in the pre-Crisis continuity

    • Post-Crisis, he was revamped to be an orphan attempting to steal the tires off the Batmobile

    • Batman takes him in as protege to prevent him from becoming a criminal

    • A Death in the Family – Jason is searching for his biological mother, but she’s blackmailed by Joker to draw him out – Joker beats Jason and blows up the warehouse, and Jason dies

      • This was voted on by fans, as Jason was not a popular character among the fanbase

    • Years later, revealed that when Superboy-Prime altered reality, it brought Jason back to life, although he suffered amnesia – Talia al Ghul takes him in and used a Lazarus Pit to restore his health, although it affected his mind

    • Begins to plot his revenge on both Batman and the Joker – Joker for killing him, and Batman for not being able to save him

    • Becomes Gotham crime lord known as the Red Hood – beats Joker within an inch of his life, but spares him to use against Batman

    • Confronts Batman and wants to know why he never killed Joker – gives Bruce ultimatum: kill me, or I kill Joker – Bruce disarms Jason, and Joker escapes

    • Becomes an anti-hero with no qualms about killing villains, and ends up in Arkham, where he kills dozens of inmates before escaping

    • New 52 – revamped origin again, revealing that Joker was responsible for his parents’ deaths – now he heads up the Outlaws, a group of anti-heroes looking for redemption

    • Rebirth – once again Batman takes him in, but realizes he’s too violent – he becomes Red Hood after his resurrection, which places him at odds with Bruce – creates new Outlaws group with Bizarro and Artemis

  • Issues (16:00)

    • Revenge oriented – both against Joker and Batman

    • Forced into Robin mantle by Batman - dyed his hair like Dick, and was told he became Robin to keep him out of trouble - always living in Dick's shadow (23:50)
    • Troubled youth led to life of crime – also potential BPD and depression – led to suicidal thoughts (34:30)

    • Insanity as a result of Lazarus Pits (40:14)

  • Break (45:40)

  • Treatment (46:35)

    • In-universe

    • Out of universe (50:31)

  • Skit (62:09)

  • Ending

References:

Apple Podcasts: here
Google Play: here
Stitcher: here
TuneIn: here
iHeartRadio: here
Spotify: here
Twitter
Facebook
E-mail
Patreon
TeePublic