While in the midst of struggling to figure out what kind of crime fighter he wants to be, Jason has aligned himself with the ruthless vigilante, Wraith. Can Batman steer Jason back on the right path or is his fate set in stone? Issue #3 of Robin & Batman: Jason Todd concludes this miniseries by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen. Does the finale soar or does it get struck to death repeatedly by a crowbar?
While not my favorite of the three issues, I thought issue #3 ended in a satisfying way. I think Jeff Lemire excels at getting into the psyche of the characters he writes, and that was no different in this series. I understand why Jason would be so troubled and traumatized and why he would use his fear and anger to cope. This depiction of Jason that Lemire wanted to portray leaned a little too into his angst, but I think that’s what Lemire was aiming for. Personally, I wanted to see more from Jason’s personality but I understand there’s only so much you can do in three issues.
But by the end, there were a couple of highlights in Lemire’s script for me. One was a very moving moment between Bruce and Jason as they came back together. And the other was the final conversation between Jason and Wraith in Arkham Asylum, where both characters discuss each other’s philosophies.
What more can be said about Dustin Nguyen’s artwork and colors? They blended perfectly with each other and elevated Lemire’s script even more. Nguyen’s illustrations complemented this melodramatic story so well.
The color red was very prominent throughout the series, and there’s one sequence where Wraith and Jason break into a drug lab and red is the primary color. I thought that visual was so captivating, and it symbolized Jason’s rage and his transcendence into his more violent nature. The characters’ facial expressions made me feel what the characters were going through and some artists aren’t able to translate those emotions as effectively as Nguyen can. This series once again proved to me that Lemire and Nguyen just bring the best out of each other.
I did have some critiques in this issue. The pacing was my main issue but again with only three issues, I understand why it can be difficult to nail the pacing. There was also a specific story issue where Batman and Alfred are having a discussion in the Batcave about Jason where in one page, Alfred feels guilty about not welcoming Jason in as he did with Dick. But Bruce then reassures him that it’s not too late for Jason. Then three pages later, it’s Batman who states that having protégés might be making him weak and holding him back while Alfred reassures that they’re all family and they’re worth fighting for. Uhh… bipolar much?
Another issue I had is that I felt that this series was too focused on foreshadowing his transformation into Red Hood instead of his time as Robin. Even though I prefer Jason’s time as Red Hood over his time as Robin, I wanted to see how he was different as Robin. And I know that “A Death in the Family” is probably the most well-known Jason Todd storyline, but showing the Joker at the end was a little too much. Jason’s characteristics also felt very similar to Damian’s; to the point where Jason even looks like Damian in a panel. But the positives definitely outweighed the negatives for me.
Now, which Robin would you like to see them tackle in the next one? Let me know in the comments.
Recommended if…
- You’re a fan of Jason Todd.
- You have been enjoying this series.
- You think Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen just don’t miss when they work together.
Overall
Robin & Batman: Jason Todd once again further cements why Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen are one of the writer/artist duos in comics right now. The artwork was beautiful, and the story dove into the psyche of the most misunderstood Robin in the Bat Family. While the pacing had some issues and Jason’s depiction might have been one note, this creative team crafted an engaging story that I left satisfied by the end.
Score: 8/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of review.
English (US) · 