Yeah, exactly... I think that's how we have to sum it up as..."Bruce Jones it's unfortunately still canon."
There IS Dick/Jason interaction that doesn't involve tentacles at all and actually involves Jason helping to clear someone's name in Outsiders 44 & 45, of which I would have to scan and post laaaaater.
And yeah... Helena. Hah. I was only just bringing that up to make the point of Dick's concern over his secret identity. (If s/he's not a redhead, it didn't happen, amirite? ;-P)
And yeah, I get what you're driving at re: "Wish he'd stayed dead" just still.... I guess I can't imagine any of the boys or Bruce saying that. But that's just me.