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scans_dailyIn the first Perfect Moment, we saw Dick announce his intention to give up being Robin to the Titans, these are his oldest friends and staunchest allies, people he trusts implicitly and shares a bond with.
Now comes the trickier part, telling his Dad..
It's important to remember that this is pre-Crisis, Jason Todd was also an orphaned acrobat, a genuinely nice kid, No street punk angst here.
Also that Batman would never DREAM of telling Dick (especially one over the age of 18) what heroic identity he could, or could not hold. It's a consistent flaw in the post-Crisis Jason Todd Mk2 universe that Bruce Wayne feels he has the right and authority to dictate what identity Dick uses, never mind relieving him of duty because he either A) was injured in a case as an adult (despite having suffered much more grievous injuries as a minor) or B) failing to be there for Batman when Batman wanted him there (Note "wanted", not necessarily "needed"), depending on whether you're reading the original or the modified version of the scene.
The "firing" depicts Bruce's control freak tendencies trumping his parental responsibilities to Dick, and is pretty much entirely reprehensible. Batman saying he's not prepared to take responsibility for Dick is one thing (Though should be very OOC) but to deny him the heroic identity he created for himself and earned the respect of much of heroic population with just comes across as spiteful.
This though is 1984, in DC terms a gentler time, one much less dependent on Batman being a mega-jerk to all and sundry (never mind his oldest son) for cheap drama, this is about people, a parent and the young man he adopted and raised.
From writer Doug Moench, and exquisite art team of Don Newton and Alfredo Alcala, I present, One Perfect Moment from Batman 368
Leafing through this issue again I wish I could post more of it, the art is absolutely beautiful, and the story a powerful one, but ones has to keep ones own rules.
Anyway, back to the plot at hand. Strawberry blond Jason has tried being Batman's sidekick but initially hasn't got a hero name of his own. Then he dyes his hair black and borrows a Robin costume, which infuriates Batman because it's not Jason's ID to use.
So Jason has switched back to his original costume, but keeps the black hair. He and Bruce have spent several pages trying to come up with new names... none of which work.
..we cut away to a scene involving Crazy Quilt setting up shop again, but that's not relevant to his sequence. Then we head back to...
Newton drawing Robin's = Love
And that was how it used to be done folks. Mutual respect, paternal pride in a son who has outgrown his original role and is ready to embrace a new one, whilst at the same time wanting to hand on his own legacy to the newest member of the family.
Yeah, that was worth losing to "You're FIRED Dick!" wasn't it... :(
Now comes the trickier part, telling his Dad..
It's important to remember that this is pre-Crisis, Jason Todd was also an orphaned acrobat, a genuinely nice kid, No street punk angst here.
Also that Batman would never DREAM of telling Dick (especially one over the age of 18) what heroic identity he could, or could not hold. It's a consistent flaw in the post-Crisis Jason Todd Mk2 universe that Bruce Wayne feels he has the right and authority to dictate what identity Dick uses, never mind relieving him of duty because he either A) was injured in a case as an adult (despite having suffered much more grievous injuries as a minor) or B) failing to be there for Batman when Batman wanted him there (Note "wanted", not necessarily "needed"), depending on whether you're reading the original or the modified version of the scene.
The "firing" depicts Bruce's control freak tendencies trumping his parental responsibilities to Dick, and is pretty much entirely reprehensible. Batman saying he's not prepared to take responsibility for Dick is one thing (Though should be very OOC) but to deny him the heroic identity he created for himself and earned the respect of much of heroic population with just comes across as spiteful.
This though is 1984, in DC terms a gentler time, one much less dependent on Batman being a mega-jerk to all and sundry (never mind his oldest son) for cheap drama, this is about people, a parent and the young man he adopted and raised.
From writer Doug Moench, and exquisite art team of Don Newton and Alfredo Alcala, I present, One Perfect Moment from Batman 368
Leafing through this issue again I wish I could post more of it, the art is absolutely beautiful, and the story a powerful one, but ones has to keep ones own rules.
Anyway, back to the plot at hand. Strawberry blond Jason has tried being Batman's sidekick but initially hasn't got a hero name of his own. Then he dyes his hair black and borrows a Robin costume, which infuriates Batman because it's not Jason's ID to use.
So Jason has switched back to his original costume, but keeps the black hair. He and Bruce have spent several pages trying to come up with new names... none of which work.
..we cut away to a scene involving Crazy Quilt setting up shop again, but that's not relevant to his sequence. Then we head back to...
Newton drawing Robin's = Love
And that was how it used to be done folks. Mutual respect, paternal pride in a son who has outgrown his original role and is ready to embrace a new one, whilst at the same time wanting to hand on his own legacy to the newest member of the family.
Yeah, that was worth losing to "You're FIRED Dick!" wasn't it... :(
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Date: 2010-07-30 09:20 pm (UTC)