The second Robin, Jason Todd, did not have the smoothest of introductions. Famously killed off by a fan poll, he would not come into his own until years later, after his resurrection as the Red Hood. Now, a new miniseries, Robin and Batman: Jason Todd, is redefining the origins of the black sheep of the Batman family.
The new miniseries will be written by Absolute Flash writer Jeff Lemire, with art by Li’l Gotham artist Dustin Nguyen. The series will be set in the early days of the second Robin’s career. The Dark Knight hopes he can mold the kid who tried to steal his hubcaps into a worthy squire. But can he save Jason Todd from the darkness within himself?
A ten-page preview of the first issue may be viewed below.
Why Jason Todd needs a modernized origin
When Jason Todd was first introduced in 1983’s Batman #357, he was not the most original character. Like Dick Grayson, he was a circus acrobat, whose parents were killed by criminals in Gotham City. His origin was changed following Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Beyond being a child of the streets, he was also made more aggressive and reckless than the first Robin. Unfortunately, this was not enough to distinguish him or improve the readers’ opinion of him being a second-string rip-off. He would die at the hands of The Joker shortly thereafter, in 1988’s ‘A Death in the Family.’
Various retro stories since that time have tried to give him more development as the second Robin. However, Robin and Batman: Jason Todd is the first miniseries to be devoted to exploring this moment in time. Given the popularity of Red Hood, it makes sense that DC Comics would finally give him the spotlight in a flashback miniseries.
Robin and Batman: Jason Todd #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on June 11, 2025.
