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We start off with Jason Todd explaining to Talia Al Ghul that Jason had been learning skills from some of society's scumbags. Jason intended to take these skills back to Gotham with him to punish the guilty. Talia notes that several of Jason's “teachers” had ended up dead at Jason's hands, to which Jason explains that they had deserved it..jpg)
Before their meeting comes to an end, Talia reveals to Jason that Batman had replaced him with a new Robin, which needless to say hits Jason hard..jpg)
From there, Jason begins to learn about bomb-making from a Russian criminal. After secretly following the bomb-maker, Jason discovers that his “teacher” was planning on killing several hundred innocent civilians and pinning the act on Arab terrorists to help get the British Government off the back of the Russian mafia..jpg)
Jason decides to sabotage the bombs, but while in the act of disarming the devices is discovered by some of the bomb-maker's goons..jpg)
After a bit of a battle, Jason activates one of the bombs and hightails it out of the warehouse, letting the hapless goons blow up..jpg)
Before Jason can recover from the explosion, the head of the Russian mafia finds him and orders his men to deal with Jason... Permanently.What I Thought: I've enjoyed every single issue of this mini-series so far, and this issue was no different. With the exception of Shadowland, this is probably(one of)the best minis I've read all year. I enjoyed the story, I loved Jason's shocked/devastated reaction to the fact that Batman had replaced him with a new Robin, and I continue to enjoy Jason's interactions with Talia. So yeah, I liked a lot here. I didn't really understand the cliffhanger ending though... We all KNOW that Jason isn't going to get killed here/CAN'T get killed here, so I'm not really sure why Judd decided to make this issue a cliffhanger. The other three issues before this were more or less self-contained, which makes sense since we all know how Jason's saga ends(with Crazy Grant Morrison butchering his character in Batman & Robin!). Besides the peculiar cliffhanger though, everything else here was highly enjoyable.
Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.
Same....Exact....Rating. I couldn't agree more, I didn't even worry about the cliffhanger because as you said, Jason can't die, obviously, so of course he gets through this. I feel like Talia gave him corrupt teachers on purpose too.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm not fretting over the cliffhanger, I just don't get WHY Judd decided to end this issue like that. I mean we all know Jason isn't gonna get killed by those mobsters, so why not just have him escape or kill them or something and THEN end the issue. That just came off as SO weird to me.
ReplyDeleteI kind of like the idea that Talia gave Jason corrupt teachers on purpose. It would be like she was pushing to see just how far over the edge he had gone, and how far he was willing to go. I mean she HAD to know telling Jason about Tim would bother him, so there must be more then meets the eye when it comes to Talia and Jason in this one.
Definitely agree with what you said, And I've said it once and I'll say it a million times, I still think something is up with those two. I STILL think there's more than meets the eye with Jason, Talia and Damian and I may finally get my proof.
ReplyDeleteEvery time you review this series I find myself saying "that doesn't sound so bad!", which goes against every fiber of my being. But you've pretty much sold me on it X-Man.
ReplyDeleteI can go so far as to say that I wouldn't be opposed to some day reading this in a collected form....which is a huge commitment for me and a Jason Todd comic.
You know JT, whenever Jason and Talia talk now, I'm always thinking about what you said about Jason/Talia/Damian! If not for Grant Morrison, I REALLY think DC would go that route.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm glad I've been able to sell you on this comic Kello! It really has been very good. BUT, I am a pretty big Jason Todd fan, so factor that into everything I say... :P
I'm honestly just waiting to see if Judd pulls the trigger and leaves even a hint of doubt. Cause Bruce has done DNA tests yet we never saw what it said... so if I even see Jason and Talia kiss once it'll cement it for me.
ReplyDeleteLike I've said before, I REALLY like that idea, JT. Hell, I LOVE that idea! Damian seems way more like Jason than Bruce imho. BUT, it can be hinted at til the end of time, I could NEVER see Grant allow that to happen to his favorite character. Especially considering the obvious dislike he has towards Jason.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I don't think Grant would ever make it so, he's too happy with Damian being the son of Bruce.
ReplyDeleteOh, and in other Jason is screwed news, apparently their gonna make Jason into Dick's NUMBER ONE ROGUE.... so he's gonna be Dick's Joker which really pisses me off because Jason is far from a villain and he and Dick have always seen each other as brothers. Even in Battle for The Cowl Dick still wanted to help Jason... so that just annoys me. Jason's gonna end up horribly misused and dead again in the next ten years...
Yeah, the only way the Damian/Jason thing could ever happen would be if Grant leaves DC and DC decides to retcon much of Grant's work. Marvel did it with Grant's New X run, so who knows, maybe one day it'll happen.
ReplyDeleteUgh... I REALLY hate the sound of that. First off, TWO-FACE should be Dick's top rogue. I don't understand the idea of making Jason Dick's arch-enemy at all... Jason's always been more of a vigilante/Punisher type, not a crazed villain with an axe to grind. Why would he suddenly halt his assault on crime to pester Dick? SUCK-tacular...
Well in that case let's just say I'm really hoping for that day to come.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY! Two-Face has SO much history with Dick, hell he almost killed him, the storyline in Nightwing. Hell I think at some times Two-Face is more of a Nightwing rogue than Batman's. I really don't get the reasoning of Dick and his "Little Brother" instantly hating each other for NO DAMN REASON. I'm not looking forward to this at all, hell I'll probably not read that stuff because I don't wanna see them ruin Jason by making him Dick's rogue just for the sake of giving him Rogues... Because aren't most of his Rogues dead now?
Hell, with DC/GEOFF Johns, when Grant finally does move back to Marvel(which I'm sure he'll eventually do)Damian will probably be wiped out of existence... Of course Dick will wind up de-aged and running around in a speedo screaming, "Holy machine gun umbrella, Batman!" so it would be a mixed blessing...
ReplyDeleteYeah, with Bludhaven wiped out, most of Dick's old sparring partners seem to be gone. Those crooked cops, Blockbuster, Tarantula, Torque, Nite-Wing, etc. But like you said, it wouldn't take much to make Two-Face Dick's main rogue. Just keep him away from Batman for a while and have him ONLY battle Dick. There's yet another thing Devin Grayson screwed up... Blockbuster had really become Dick's main rogue during the early part of the Nightwing series. Now why couldn't HE return during Blackest Night?! Then Dick would have himself an honest to god rogue. No, instead we'll get Dick vs Jason... For some reason...
Lol I can't lie, that was pretty funny. And hell, I'd almost take that over Damian and his super ability to be better than every past Robin.
ReplyDeleteHell, if you're REALLY that hard-pressed to have Dick have a Rogue why the hell not give him Slade? They JUST fought like 2 issues ago in Batman and Robin. Also, then you could have Dick gather a team of Titans like um, of I don't know, WALLY WEST!!!!!! and some others to take on Deathstroke and his Titans.
HA! Nah, if I have to deal with Damian in order to keep Dick his proper age, then so be it. I mean, let's face it, Damian is only an unlikable asshole when he's written by Grant... Maybe if anyone but Grant took over the Bat-books, Damian would become *gasp* a really good character! Yeah, probably not, but I can dream, can't I? :P
ReplyDeleteYeah, Slade is the perfect choice to be Dick's top rogue, but with him running around in his own series I doubt he'd have time to menace Dick on a monthly basis. But if Slade wasn't in the Titans, then sure, why not him? Although there are times when he seems to grudgingly respect Dick, so maybe he wouldn't be the ideal rogue... I still say Blockbuster was being groomed to become Dick's major rogue until Devin Grayson killed him off.
As for your Titans idea, you KNOW I like it! So long as Wally is ANYWHERE I'd be happy... You know, I am SO worried about the fact that Wally isn't appearing in any comics right now... The longer he stays gone, the easier it'll be for GEOFF to rationalize killing him off during that Flash event next year...
So, I read Batman & Robin #14, didn't review it because I read it in the shop, but it was surprisingly good, even though the last issue sucked. Damian was even written alright, but I agree, it seems like only Grant writes him annoying because Fabian, Dini and Miller write him as an enjoyable character.
ReplyDeleteI could see Blockbuster because I feel the same way, even when he came back in Blackest Night Batman they still went that route. I say just give him a few or Bat's rogues to call his own like Mr. Freeze and other guys Batman barely even fights anymore.
Damn... you're right. I'm positive a Flash is gonna die and it's gonna be him... if not Wally probably Jay or Jesse which I doubt so yeah, Wally may be dead come this time next year which really really sucks. Hell throw Jason Todd, Wally, Connor Hawke and Arsenal in a group together so I can stop worrying about them!!!
Surprisingly good? Hmm, I'll believe that when I read it! :P But yeah, Grant should really just step away from Damian and let somebody like Bryan Miller write him permanently.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd be fine with that. Freeze, Croc, Two-Face, they'd be perfect. NO Mad Hatter though!!!
Watch, if Wally gets killed, I SWEAR I will cut down HALF of the DC books I read in a month and put that $ towards Marvel or even indy books. If GEOFF kills Wally, he will officially be up there with Yost as my most hated writer. Simple as that...
I can't disagree there, man Damian even makes me laugh when Miler writes him. I'd definitely say let him or Fabian write Damian from this moment on.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely no Mad Hatter! I'd forgotten about Croc, and hell when was the last time Bats even had time for him. I definitely would love to see Dick have Freeze, Croc, Two-Face and maybe even Riddler since they wanna make him heel so badly as his rogues.
What if someone ELSE kills Wally? But nah, I agree because it's so unnecessary, I'm surprised they aren't trying to kill Dick when Bruce comes back or something.
Amen! Miller had some seriously funny Damian moments in those issues of Batgirl he appeared in. I can almost see Crazy Grant in his cave after he saw those comics... "ThAt'S NoT HoW DaMiAn sHoUlD bE wRiTtEN!! He'S nOt fUnNy, hE's a KiLlEr!! gRawSehsctEsHwYdFbEm@!!!" Yes, that's how I'd imagine Crazy Grant speaks.
ReplyDelete"Definitely no Mad Hatter!" Thank you! :P *sigh* I still REALLY don't want to see Riddler go back to a life of crime, unless they have an AWESOME storyline ready for him. I mean Batman: Hush level good. If he just goes and becomes a regular, run of the mill costumed goon, then what's the use?
Oh, I KNOW that if ANYBODY kills Wally, it'll be GEOFF. Let's face it, NOTHING happens to a Flash or Green Lantern character without GEOFF'S approval. I'm just sayin', if Wally goes, so do I!
Lol @ you making Crazy Grant speak like a 13 year old girl. Marc would skin you alive! :P Kidding, but yeah I could see him like that too, all upset while playing Call of Duty! And yeah, Miller had some serious laugh out loud moments with Damian and Steph.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY. And Hush is Hush so there's really no role for Riddler as a bad guy. Hell Riddler could've been like a Male Oracle. Imagine Riddler putting together a team of Mixed up Heroes like Jason, Arsenal and Connor. I hate how they wanna make him a bad guy for now reason, like wasn't he a bad guy for like 50 friggin years? What else can he DO?!
Well here's hoping for me, you and Wally's sake that Wally doesn't get killed. What if he makes a sacrifice to save his kids or Bart or something? Or what if he turns evil, how would you feel then. I'm sure they wanna pull a Jason and make him Barry's Rogue....
You're not kidding, Marc probably WOULD skin me alive! :P
ReplyDeleteI actually like the idea of Riddler organizing a group of misfit characters and leading them from afar ala Oracle... Now why can't DC come up with good ideas like that?? SO agreed about him being a villain forever and accomplishing nothing. Batman has oodles(yes, oodles!)of foes, what exactly does Riddler add to Batman's rogue's gallery? Nothing.
See, to me it doesn't matter if Wally died the most heroic death imaginable. He could save every one of my favorite characters and I'd STILL be pissed because I'd know that the only reason he was dead was because of GEOFF and The Saint. And for that I'd be angry... So very angry...
Let's hope he never finds this post!
ReplyDeleteHaha, nice use of oodles. But yeah, that would be PERFECT for Riddler. What team would you give him? I may be biased by adding Jason haha.
Would you be angry enough to Hulk out and go destroy some people? Or would you be angry enough to write notes? Hey, it kept Grayson alive.
Indeed!
ReplyDeleteHell, I'd toss Jason on that team as well. Umm let's see... Roy, Huntress, maybe Hawk, possibly that Abuse kid, Catwoman. There are a lot of possibilities.
First would come the letters... If that fails, THEN it's Hulk out time! :D
I'd probably leave Helena with the Birds but I like that team, Especially Jason, Roy, Hawk and Abuse.. I'd probably even add someone else as a reserve member like Deathstroke or Ravager.
ReplyDeleteHaha, "X SMASH PUNY JOHNS MAN ONCE AND FOR ALL, THEN READ WALLY TRADES!!!!"
Yeah, I'd be all for swapping Huntress out with Ravager actually. That would work for me.
ReplyDeleteDamn straight! Beware the terrible power of angry X!
I'd like that, I could see Ravager having a think for Jason considering how she kept staring at him when he, Tim nd Dick were at the same place during that DREADFUL 52...
ReplyDeleteHaha, so, you did any thinking about the podcast? :P Or using skype again to talk to myself and Marc Diferfwnfdierf?
Yeah, Ravager and Jason seem like the PERFECT couple imo. They're so similar. That would be an explosive relationship, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteI don't know JT... I might have to take a pass this week... I'll see come tomorrow night, but I am just SO wasted from this past week I'm not sure if I can muster staying up until like 5 in the morning again! I need to recharge the old batteries this weekend!