InsaneJournal

The Todd's son Jason is unaware of their fate, but has found the Batcave, and cobbled together a Robin costume for fun, then stowed away in the Batmobile for an adventure. And now....

 

Robin and Batgirl are tracing a lead of their own… Clearly we have a somewhat myopic villain here, as it takes a lot to confuse Batman and Batgirl back in those days. And, oh, I've said it before, I'll say it again; Don Newton, how we miss you. Cute gals, sexy thighs guys, and dynamic posing.

See, it IS possible to look menacing when wearing pixie boots. Just threaten to drop someone off a tall building and you’ll be amazed at how much eccentric clothing choices enhance your apparent unpredictability.



Again some neat cape-drape on Dick and Babs here.

Next stop for the Men’s Club that Croc has been using as a base, and an excuse for a beautifully dynamic action sequence, as Robin loses his cool completely, which does not bode well for anyone picking a fight with him.



Rather a lot of scans of Robin and Batgirl kicking butt and taking names, and I make no apology for them. They look AWESOME!

So now the Dynamite Duo (Yes, the team of Robin and Batgirl had their own nickname back then) know that it’s all going down at the Adams Brewery… (I’m sure that Dick is probably secretly wondering if, once they stop the bad guys he can sneak a couple of kegs out for his next party at Hudson U!)



Jason meanwhile has emerged from the Batmobile to find that everyone has already gone off to… do stuff. So he decides to have a look around on his own. Fourth panel is a little bit of a woobie inducing moment, since his Dad is currently occupying bits of a slab down at the morgue and he doesn’t know.

And then, as so often happens in such cases, he notices some supervillains showing up, and rather than thinking “Oh crap, supervillains! HIDE!” realises that they must be preparing to sneak up on Batman, tries to work out a less obvious way into the brewery. Give him credit for the gutsy move of trying, bless ‘im.

These panels highlight why I still argue that a smart acrobat is going to be way ahead of any other kind of person on the Robin-learning-curve. Love his little backflip on the ledge there.



Meanwhile, Batman, Catwoman and Talia have been caught by Croc. The ladies are tied to the outside of a brewing vat that’s set to explode with blistering hot steam.

Croc decides that he has to prove that he is stronger than Batman in a “fair” wrestling fight, and rather than leave Batman to parboil too, decides to challenge him to a bit of alpha male supremacy testing. If Batman can win at hand to hand, he and the ladies go free, if he loses, well, that’ll be a moot point. If he can’t defeat Croc in time, the ladies go boom anyway. Methinks he planned to cheat.



Jason shows that he is a smart little cookie… though perhaps worryingly familiar with how a brewery works for a kid his age.. but let’s not argue with results! He manages this without being seen by anyone (Well, there’s a lot of billowing steam, and people in Gotham seem to not find kids in red, green and gold that noticeable)

The Joker realises that things aren’t going too well, so gets ready to make a quick exit, only to find that Robin and Batgirl have already arrived and are blocking his exit, having already taken care of Two Face, Killer Moth and Clayface II. Nowadays that would be a six part crossover in and of itself, but in those days, we could take it as read that good WOULD triumph because good can kick ass and take names.



Backing away from the terrifying sight of a redhead in a cowl and a seriously sexy bare legged guy, the Joker meets a suitably ironic fate of being hit by a swing from Croc after Batman ducks.

And then, with no one even aware he’s in the room Jason hears Killer Croc drop the bombshell about his parents and he understandably goes a little nuts.

I like the way they manage to give him a means to hurt Croc without punching him, which would have been a little implausible. Causing him to drop the massive metal pipe he was swinging on himself is a much more reasonable approach.



And Batman sees the similarities between Jason’s pain and his own and Dick’s. I wonder where he sees this ending?

Luckily a combination of the falling pipe, plus Batman’s rather smart uppercut, means that Croc is out like a light (as is the Joker) before Jason lets slip that the Todd’s were his parents, though you can forgive him losing his composure.

Dick giving Jason a reassuring hug as he apologises is nice, without being creepy, and if anyone wants to read anything into the last panel where Jason melts into Dick’s arms, probably sobbing heavily, well that’s up to you. Personally, I think it’s rather moving and not at all slashy (And I can read slash into almost anything)

Some time later, after returning to Wayne Manor and seeing Talia and Selina off the premises. Dick want's a chat, and Bruce knows what it will be about...

Remember that the clown in full makeup is NOT a tasteless notion from Alfred to try and amuse the depressed Jason, he’s Waldo the Clown, an old friend of both the Grayson and Todd families (I’ll post Dick and Waldo’s first reunion sometime)

I like that Dick wants to adopt Jason though I couldn’t imagine it happening easily, since Dick is still legally a ward of court himself (that expires are at 21, not 18 IIRC).

But Bruce, past master at shouldering guilt, takes responsibility and a new cycle begins.

Say what you like, I love this final image Next up, Jason’s first foray’s into hero-dom, the problem of the hair, his first bondage experience and the only Dick to Jason handover of the mantle of Robin worthy of the honour.