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A review by captwinghead
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 pretty good collection of Batman comics. Considering I read #357 through to here, I can only imagine how confused Batman readers were back in the 80s. They retconned things that were settled less than 50 issues previous to these and it's really odd. Most things were changed to add more conflict.
This collection chronicles Jason Todd's retconned introduction. When Batsy met him in issue #357, he was Jason Todd, the acrobat and son of the "Flying Todds". His parents were killed by Killer Croc and he went to stay with Bruce. He had red hair which he later dyed to put on a costume and fight crime with Batman. They did everything to avoid calling him "Robin", but Bruce slipped up a few times and eventually Dick drops by to tell them it's silly for them not to just call him Robin. Dick willingly hands over the costume.
After the retcon, Jason Todd is a street kid Bruce finds trying to boost the wheels off of the batmobile. He has black hair, he's been living alone for a long time after his mother died of a drug overdose and his father was killed by Two Face, who he worked for. Bruce sends him to a "school" run by a woman who uses street kids to commit crimes. He helps Batman close the school down and Bruce agrees to train him to be Robin. In the retcon, Jason is pretty much Dick's complete opposite. Adding conflict.
In the retcon, Dick was fired after the Joker shot him and Bruce suddenly(?) felt guilty about having a child for a partner. Dick was 19 at the time (I swear, the ages for Dick and Jason shift all the time). He leaves the manor, goes to college, fails at college and starts leading the Teen Titans. In the retcon, Robin was taken from him. Adding conflict.
When Dick confronts Bruce about hiring another child sidekick, Bruce tries to give the run around before ultimately admitting that he missed Dick. Which, y'know, I'd empathize with him for if he hadn't been the one that fired Dick. It's a great scene though.
Overall, pretty solid collection. Nowhere near as weighed down by unnecessary romantic conflict like the issues before it and I loved seeing Jason's joy at being Robin.
This collection chronicles Jason Todd's retconned introduction. When Batsy met him in issue #357, he was Jason Todd, the acrobat and son of the "Flying Todds". His parents were killed by Killer Croc and he went to stay with Bruce. He had red hair which he later dyed to put on a costume and fight crime with Batman. They did everything to avoid calling him "Robin", but Bruce slipped up a few times and eventually Dick drops by to tell them it's silly for them not to just call him Robin. Dick willingly hands over the costume.
After the retcon, Jason Todd is a street kid Bruce finds trying to boost the wheels off of the batmobile. He has black hair, he's been living alone for a long time after his mother died of a drug overdose and his father was killed by Two Face, who he worked for. Bruce sends him to a "school" run by a woman who uses street kids to commit crimes. He helps Batman close the school down and Bruce agrees to train him to be Robin. In the retcon, Jason is pretty much Dick's complete opposite. Adding conflict.
In the retcon, Dick was fired after the Joker shot him and Bruce suddenly(?) felt guilty about having a child for a partner. Dick was 19 at the time (I swear, the ages for Dick and Jason shift all the time). He leaves the manor, goes to college, fails at college and starts leading the Teen Titans. In the retcon, Robin was taken from him. Adding conflict.
When Dick confronts Bruce about hiring another child sidekick, Bruce tries to give the run around before ultimately admitting that he missed Dick. Which, y'know, I'd empathize with him for if he hadn't been the one that fired Dick. It's a great scene though.
Overall, pretty solid collection. Nowhere near as weighed down by unnecessary romantic conflict like the issues before it and I loved seeing Jason's joy at being Robin.