Batman: Second Chances

Product Information

If you are a fan of the character or a fan of this era of Batman comics this is a collection worth picking up. This is a collection that I am happy to have purchased, and it is one that I would recommend or gift to a comic reader or Jason Todd fan. I'm talking like Batman taking a street hood kid under his wing and thinking he can tame the young guy. I decided to give Jason Todd another look with the purchase of this collection of stories from the late 80s. A few stories that leave unresolved cliffhangers drag down the overall quality, but the volume as a whole is enjoyable.

The issues are interrupted by Year One which makes things a bit funny in regard to Jason’s timeline. I originally skipped it on my first read through since I intend to read the event sometime in the future, but went back for this review. Gotham’s greatest hero has a new Robin – but can he truly teach his protégé to straighten up and fly right? This story took a look at a crime in which the victim was someone Batman knew and how his emotions blinded him. It's a great episode for showing more of Dick's personality too, getting a good number of trademark Robin one-liners (some can be found in the Quotes section), as well as showing some more tension between the Dynamic Duo.Every volume in this brand new series is a hardback book that presents one of the most important superhero tales of recent years. Discover the origin of one of comics’ most controversial characters in BATMAN: SECOND CHANCES-collecting the earliest adventures of Jason Todd, the second Robin, from the minds of legendary creators Max Allan Collins, Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Dave Cockrum, Denys Cowan, Norm Breyfogle, Jo Duffy and more! Here we learn that during one of Batman's annual visits to Crime Alley, the area of Gotham in which Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered, someone had the brass balls to steal the tires off of the Batmobile. Todd's Robin showcases, maybe, a transition to the weird, brooding Batman we now know so well, a Batman who has learned from his mistakes and has withdrawn because of it.

Instead of being a carbon copy of Grayson’s lighthearted sidekick, Todd is much more prone to violence and doesn’t respect Batman if he feels his mentor is wrong on an issue. Starlin is adept at telling tightly plotted 22-page stories with an emotional arc, and Aparo, for me, was the definitive Batman artist of the eighties. This was one of my all-time favorites as a kid -- I read it and reread it often -- and I was relieved to discover how well it holds up.The Dark Knight sees Jason’s potential to be a hero-as well as the rage and revenge that torment him. I liked seeing Dick interacting with Jason, hearing how Dick had to overcome his own inner demons and doubts after Robin was taken away from him, and watching him confront Bruce over the matter. While this is supposed to be the (2nd) origin of Jason Todd-the 2nd Robin, the collection opens with a two part story BEFORE the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" that opened the door for the new origin.

PLEASE NOTE: This series of graphic novels is intended for adults and may not be suitable for younger children. This stunning hardback graphic novel will be a perfect addition to your collection or a perfect gift for all the Batman fans! Some real good stuff and some real cringe stuff but overall I'm glad I stumbled across this one, if for nothing else to see Batman refer to his car as a buggy. The most famous thing about my version of Jason Todd is that fans voted to kill him off, like Andy Kaufman getting voted off SNL by phone. Batman said that only the kidnappers' footprints would be in the OR because the doctors and nurses would wear paper socks over their shoes.It is a somber and subtle affair that you might not expect from Jim Starlin, the creator of Marvel's Thanos. But, there's also issues that don't resolve in this set or are part of a crossover story, so the flow is broken up.