A review by nickpalmieri
Batman: Second Chances by Dave Cockrum, Chris Warner, Norm Breyfogle, Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Jo Duffy, Ross Andru, Max Allan Collins, Denys Cowan

4.0

A fun collection. For those interested in the origins of Jason Todd as Robin and some development just before his descent/demise, this is the book to read. There are 12 stories total here, 8 of which are written by Max Allan Collins. These chapters are fun escapism, but for the most part nothing too memorable. His four issues that establish Jason make up a nice arc that foreshadows some later events. I enjoyed those the most compared to his smaller adventures. The three issues near the end of the book by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo are where the real quality kicks in. Starlin's writing is much darker and more dramatic, and overall much closer to what modern readers associate with Batman. The first of his issues is a great stand-alone tale that gets picked up again a few issues after this collection ends; the second is unfortunately a tie-in to an event, so despite being a fun read, the plot doesn't stand up well on its own; and the third issue may waste a few pages going over events we saw earlier in the book, but it's mostly a great confrontation between Dick/Jason/Bruce. It's a shame that each of these stories are extremely enjoyable, but with a caveat. Hopefully DC will release another book collecting the issues between this and A Death in the Family, where Starlin really hits his stride! But for now, this is an enjoyable nugget for those looking for some Jason-as-Robin tales.

If you like the Collins stories, I also recommend "Legends of the Dark Knigt: Alan Davis," and if you liked the Starlin stories, check out "A Death in the Family" and "The Cult!"