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A review by libra17
Batman: Second Chances by Dave Cockrum, Chris Warner, Norm Breyfogle, Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Jo Duffy, Ross Andru, Max Allan Collins, Denys Cowan
5.0
I bought this collection purely because I wanted to actually read Jason Todd's origin story. I've heard so much about it - from other fans, as references in other comics, and in fanworks - that I felt I was doing myself a disservice by not actually reading it myself. That being said, I can better understand why some fans were upset upon the original introduction of Jason as Robin. Bruce's stated reason for firing Dick as Robin was that it was simply too dangerous to be a child vigilante (despite the fact that he was 19 when the Joker shot him in "Did Robin Die Tonight?"), and then two issues later he's offering a random kid who's significantly younger than Dick and has little/no training a cape? I mean, I like Jason - he's one of my favorite characters - and that made me angry. And I have the benefit of several decades worth of hindsight and the knowledge that he will grow to be an awesome character! So, I definitely got a better understanding of fan reactions to the first two Robins and the transition from Robin I to Robin II out of this volume.
While I liked the other stories that were included here, my hands down favorite was "White Gold and Truth," the second to last story in the volume, where Dick returns to Gotham as Nightwing to confront Bruce about Jason being Robin. It had great interaction between Dick and Bruce, but more than that I loved the interaction between Dick and Jason. I've heard it said that one of the reasons Jason as Robin was a base breaker was because Dick never accepted Jason having the mantle. This story proves that completely wrong. Dick gives Jason his old Robin costume, his phone number and invites Jason to reach out to him, then they bond by busting a illegal drug lab together. The acceptance of the Robin mantle passing from one to the next could not be clearer, and they panels on which these take place beautifully show how the end of one era has been accepted and the dawn of another era has been celebrated by the participants themselves.
Just for the three stories that I really wanted to read - "Did Robin Die Tonight?," "Just Another Kid on Crime Alley!," and "White Gold and Truth" - Second Chances would have been worth the buy. The other stories included, especially the ones showing some of Jason's run as Robin, just added to my enjoyment of the collection. 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.
While I liked the other stories that were included here, my hands down favorite was "White Gold and Truth," the second to last story in the volume, where Dick returns to Gotham as Nightwing to confront Bruce about Jason being Robin. It had great interaction between Dick and Bruce, but more than that I loved the interaction between Dick and Jason. I've heard it said that one of the reasons Jason as Robin was a base breaker was because Dick never accepted Jason having the mantle. This story proves that completely wrong. Dick gives Jason his old Robin costume, his phone number and invites Jason to reach out to him, then they bond by busting a illegal drug lab together. The acceptance of the Robin mantle passing from one to the next could not be clearer, and they panels on which these take place beautifully show how the end of one era has been accepted and the dawn of another era has been celebrated by the participants themselves.
Just for the three stories that I really wanted to read - "Did Robin Die Tonight?," "Just Another Kid on Crime Alley!," and "White Gold and Truth" - Second Chances would have been worth the buy. The other stories included, especially the ones showing some of Jason's run as Robin, just added to my enjoyment of the collection. 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.