Jason Todd’s inner turmoil is consuming him. Batman is struggling on how to mentor the troubled youth. And this new vigilante, Wraith, has his own philosophy on how to handle the criminals in Gotham and will cross lines that the Caped Crusader won’t by willing to kill. As Jason tries to figure out who he wants to be, Wraith looks to show the new Robin how they should really be dealing with crime. Will Jason start to go down this violent path? Here are my thoughts.
Just like the first issue of this miniseries, I thought issue #2 of Robin & Batman: Jason Todd was a really solid effort by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen. I enjoyed this issue a little bit more than the previous issue as the story highlighted the growing fissure between Jason and Bruce and the psychological exploration of Jason’s mindset during his early days as Robin. The issue also explores the dichotomy of how Wraith deals with criminals and how Batman deals with the crime in Gotham. Wraith feels that Batman has gone soft and believes his “no kill” rule accomplishes nothing.
Wraith makes some good points.That storyline isn’t anything new, but I feel that the way Lemire approached this topic was captivating. Knowing what happens to Jason and what he’ll eventually turn into, I appreciated the added context that Lemire introduced by having Wraith influence Jason and start him on the path of becoming Red Hood.
Wraith sees himself in Jason, as Lemire’s foreshadows Jason’s impending transition into the Red Hood.Dick Grayson also has a cameo appearance, and his interactions with Jason as he takes him on patrol were my favorite part of the issue. Dick being in his classic blue-and-gold Nightwing outfit with the popped collar was icing on the cake. There were some really fun action sequences with the two of them fighting various villains, but their conversation on a rooftop was an excellent character study of the two Robins and was written extremely well. It showcased how different their approach on fighting crime is and how different their viewpoints are when working with Batman.
Dick and Jason’s interactions were the best part of the issue.Dustin Nguyen’s art continues to be stellar, and I think he brings out the best in Lemire. As I mentioned in my review of the first issue, Nguyen’s watercolor aesthetic is perfect for this very melancholic story of an adolescent youth who is angry and trying to figure out how he fits into being a crime fighter. The way Nguyen used the color black really stood out to me, especially when Batman fights Wraith for the first time. Wraith’s character design was also really cool, and Nguyen’s design of his mask was menacing and blended well with his aesthetic.
My only nitpick of the issue is that I think Lemire’s depiction of Jason is too agitated. I wanted there to be a little more nuance in his personality, but with only three issues, I get why Jason is the way he is in this particular story Lemire is trying to tell. Other than that, this was another solid issue, and I’m intrigued to see what happens next in the final issue.
Recommended if…
- You enjoyed the first issue.
- You understand Wraith’s opposing philosophy compared to Batman’s “no killing” rule.
- You’re a fan of Dustin Nguyen’s artwork.
Overall
Robin & Batman: Jason Todd #2 was a slight improvement over an already good issue #1. It foreshadowed Jason’s impending philosophy on how he’s going to handle crime when he will eventually become the anti-hero, Red Hood. And the cameo from Nightwing was enthralling and the highlight of the issue. How will Wraith’s influence affect Jason on an emotional and spiritual level? I can’t wait for the conclusion.
Score: 8.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of review.
English (US) · 