I have something of a love/hate relationship with this issue. The story starts with two friends at a club when one of them, Debbie, admits she took a drug that's highly dangerous and shrugs off her friends' concern. Not long after they have this exchange Debbie dies. The drug has taken 16 lives already and it's popular because so many people are hungry for a taste of death.
Batman tracks down the man who sold Debbie the drug and is very...intense. He asks the dealer if Debbie wanted to die and the man honestly doesn't know. People usually buy for the thrill of it. From here Batman says somethings that sounds odd considering he didn't know Debbie personally.
Debbie was said to have died at twenty seven and while she might not have found love isn't it presumptuous of Batman to think she never found it? Yeah, it's pretty clear Bruce isn't really taking about Debbie here. These are the words of a grieving father. He tosses the man out and he's saved by Batgirl (Cassandra Cain.) Batman even gets nasty here when he tells the dealer that he's going to spend the rest of his life as "a pretty, white prison bride." Geez...
It's pretty damn clear Batman isn't in a good mood. Something Cass has picked up on as she followed Bruce around all night. She points out his methods of hurting the dealer like he was punishing the man. Trying to bring the conversation back to the drug he mentions the dead people.
Cassandra Cain: But those people...they chose to--
Bruce Wayne: Most people are sheep. They do what they are led to do.
Cassandra Cain: But they weren't innocent victims...
Bruce Wayne: They are victims nonetheless.
Cassandra doesn't know why Batman is acting irrational, she notes he's treating the case like it's personal and wonders if it's about Spoiler. It's mentioned how Stephanie isn't "good enough."
Bruce Wayne: Stephanie Brown is a foolish and reckless young woman...who doesn't know when to quit.
Brushing her off he prepares to finish the mission when Barbara calls. Cass told her what happened and knowing what the day is she let's Bruce know that she's there if he needs her. Ignoring the call Batman confronts the head of the organization making the pills. He gives the man a choice between being arrested and taking the pills himself. The man chooses prison.
Deciding against calling Dick or Tim to talk things out he dresses as Bruce Wayne and brings Cass with him. They go into the graveyard where they stand in front of Jason's headstone and he wishes Jason a happy birthday. She attempts to sum up what little she knows about Jason (no one talks about him so there isn't much) when Bruce informs her it's Jason's 18th birthday. (*1)
While Bruce does give Cass some good information on Jason he also adds to the "Jason got himself killed" pile by claiming Jason was too brash, impulsive and headstrong. They compare Spoiler to him stating it's not too late for her but there's no going back for them. (*2)
Overall: The strengths lie in the power of Bruce's grief over Jason's loss. Something a lot of books have downplayed since Jason's return with the distance between the family and Jason. I liked the positives Bruce lists and seeing what kind of things Bruce wanted for Jason.
Even with Jason back it makes this just as sad as these are things that Jason still doesn't have. He isn't having a normal life and in fact doesn't know how to be normal. He failed miserable at pretending to be normal around Isabel and seems to see himself as a loss cause. Jason isn't getting ready for college, there's no solid romance in his life, he doesn't have kids (he's still too young for that anyway) and we never hear him express any ambition outside the mission or having family/friends.
Bruce hasn't helped him adjust either, he probably doesn't even realize Jason's struggles making this issue more tragic in hindsight.
But that's about the only positives I can give this issue as the narrative paints Jason and Stephanie in horrible lights. They aren't considered "good enough" and are labeled just as reckless as the drug users since they all love the thrill. It gives the exchange between Cass and Bruce a bad taste however you view it. If it's about the victims it just has blanket statements on how responsible they were disregarding why some people use drugs. Not everyone is a thrill seeker some (like Jason's mom Catherine) just wanted an escape from their lives.
If you view it as a double meaning as it's implied Jason/Steph are either seen as people who aren't innocent victims because they chose their path or sheep that are led to the slaughter. It just feels unbelievably insulting especially when the end just states they (Bruce and Cass) can't go back but others should. Everyone in the bat family has been impulsive, headstrong, etc. at some point. This is just more of the same retconning to victim blame instead of showing why Jason's death was a tragedy while setting the same thing up for Steph.
I mentioned this in RHATO reviews but this issue has a panel where Bruce decribes things Jason likes. Despite how I feel about this issue I'm amused that Red Hood titles and some other titles have shown some of these things in their stories. So I'll show an example and/or state why it makes sense to me.
"He Loved Cars"
A nod to his tire stealing origins sure, it's just a detail I love. Willis used to boost cars so Jason probably learned about them from him. Plus they were a means to make money thereby survive. But I loved that Jason admits to loving cars when Roy mentions them in Red Hood/Arsenal #3. Besides being a good character developing moment (how he responds to Roy compared to how he used to talk to him) it reminded me of the Bruce panel.
"And Girls"
It's one of the most important parts of his character. Whether romantic or platonic Jason prefers being around women. He has more problematic relationships with men. In fact the only male friends he could list to Artemis are Dick (who's his brother), Roy (*3) and Bizarro.
Notice how differently Jason treated Kori and Roy at the start of RHATO? There's more of a history and semi-friendship with Roy than Kori before they form the Outlaws. Yet Jason is more open and friendly with Kori and more hostile towards Roy. He threatened Roy for using a former nickname. If a man treated Jason the way Artemis did at the start of RHATO Rebirth I don't think he'd react the same way.
Notice how differently Jason treated Kori and Roy at the start of RHATO? There's more of a history and semi-friendship with Roy than Kori before they form the Outlaws. Yet Jason is more open and friendly with Kori and more hostile towards Roy. He threatened Roy for using a former nickname. If a man treated Jason the way Artemis did at the start of RHATO Rebirth I don't think he'd react the same way.
He usually let's women he's romantically interested make the first move and it's obvious he respects them.
"And getting into fights..."
I didn't take this in a negative way like it being an example of the bad Robin trope. I'll likely make a post about it someday but it's spot on. Jason even mentioned this under Morrison when he was Wingman.
"Neapolitan ice cream"
Sadly I haven't seen this example anywhere but it makes sense. For a poor kid this was a means he'd get three favors at a time. Of course he'd love it.
"And the color green."
I know this and the rest of these examples are probably coincidences but it gives these moments more meaning. Jason loving the color green then getting distracted by Artemis' green eyes becomes more than a joke.
*2 When Steph is Batgirl Bruce favorable compares her to Dick.
*3 Dick isn't quite that close to Jason although their working on it. Dick and Roy are both friends Jason knew before his death. Bizarro is the only one he's made after he returned.
No comments:
Post a Comment