The issue we've been waiting for and dreading since HIC #1. Jason gets the news.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Right away the opening page grabs us because the audience should already know (unless their avoiding HIC spoilers) that Roy Harper is dead. He had a funeral in the last issue of Green Arrow which Dick couldn't go to because he has amnesia and apparently Jason wasn't aware of. I'd like to think Jason changed his number and isn't in contact with Damian at this stage. Their not really close like Dick was with Damian but you'd assume he'd at least mention it. But regardless the readers have information we know is going to be devastating for Jason to hear.
I liked the message Roy set on his phone that's simple yet it tells you a lot about his personality. He was a hero that was open about his faults and tried to improve himself. The "Carpe to the Diem" not only highlights his live in the moment vibe but is some unintended advise for Jason. Which Jason already realizes as he later (earlier time-wise) tells Bruce that Roy wouldn't want him to waste his life mourning. He just doesn't know how to follow through with it.
Jaybird was a nickname Roy gave Jason when they first met and Roy commented on there already being a Robin he knew. It's a combo of Jason's name and a nod to his codename but it also got across that Roy was seeing Jason as a different person from Dick. I've always liked it but it became more meaningful. More so since Jason refers to himself as Jaybird for the first time.
We see how little of a damn Jason cares about himself when he recklessly approaches a man about Underlife directly in a diner full of supporters unmasked. He's the one that attacks first thinking about how much he's been restraining himself because of the deal with Bruce. Yet he still turns his back to the biggest one because he underestimated how dangerous they were. Seeing Jason get effortlessly saved by Bruce after their bad parting is definitely a tense moment. Because Bruce easily found Jason and is encountering him in civilian clothes. Still a badass moment for Bruce.
I had trouble seeing how these two would meet so soon after their falling out. That happened two issues ago where Bruce coldly brutalized Jason so bad he couldn't get out of bed for nearly a month. I think it would have been harder to buy if Jason was seeking Bruce out after he was called. The nonchalant way he enters and sits down with Jason would make you forget what their last interact was like. At least until Jason directly brings up why they fought. Bruce bans Jason from ever returning to Gotham. The reaction to that is heartbreaking enough.
The body language in this scene is amazing, I especially like how Jason turns away from Bruce when he echoes the "not for lack of trying" to hide his emotion. If the theory about Jason deciding not to kill Penguin is true it's even more meaningfully. He's posture is defensive and suspicious until Bruce tells him what happened. Woods has had some negative comments about his art but he's a skilled artist. Jason is bulkier than feels right and unmasked I'm reminded too much of a much older Conner Kent but he knows how to show emotion. Not just with facial expressions but also with gestures.
The silent panels building up to Bruce telling Jason that Roy is dead really make the impact that much harder. I love the way you can tell that it's difficult for Bruce to tell him and how he does actually look sympathetic. Given the way Lobdell spoke of this meeting in DC Nation I thought Bruce would be much colder. That he would say it as he was leaving or something, not with a comforting hand on Jason's shoulder. This disbelief to anger feels natural in a way the emotions didn't always feel in Green Arrow #45. Ollie had more time to go through emotions while Jason is just learning the news. The anger in his eyes was expertly done by Woods.
We got confirmation that Jason in fact didn't know about Sanctuary beyond Roy's "rehab for capes" line despite Bruce being a founder. Top notch parenting again Bruce, Ollie may have messed up but I think this is further proof on who's screwed up the most. Jason's pause before deciding there's a lot of people who will be looking for revenge thus he doesn't need to be in the mix stuns Bruce. I did smile when Bruce repeats Alfred's advise to let emotions out and Jason's reaction.
I'm surprised that Bruce is being mature and caring about telling Jason about Roy's death. I would have thought Jason would hold more of a grudge. Still Bruce treats death with respect and can understand loss. I'm a little disappointed that the wrongness of Bruce's actions aren't mentioned but it wouldn't fit. Not in a story about Jason finding out his friend is dead and Bruce seeming to worry how Jason takes it. I thought this would be about just Roy but that will come later. I don't like how Bruce continues to get away with his cruel actions without even an apology for going too far. For not even figuring out why Jason shot Penguin. Asking what happened to his teammates, etc. Still it feels far too soon for that at this point.
The fear I have is DC not allowing Bruce to be in the wrong, admit to it and make steps to improve him self so it doesn't happen again. Except for saying he didn't regret shooting Penguin Jason doesn't stand up for himself and acknowledges how hard it was for Bruce to tell him in person.
We don't get insight for how Jason feels through his narrative boxes making Bruce's concern feel more justified. Is Jason in full denial about Roy being gone and seeming to think he'll be back soon? Not hard to see why he'd think that given the way he sees death as a revolving door. Not long ago he found out his own dad wasn't buried in his grave. Is Jason suicidal? A few of his word choices and his recklessness seem to point in that direction.
We end with Jason not knowing how much he underestimated Underlife.
It was good seeing Bruce acting like a comforting parent but I hope the wrongness of Bruce's actions aren't brushed aside like usual. I expect we will see more of Jason's grief in future issues. I'll be addressing Bruce's behavior and Jason's emotional state further in separate entries.
Say What?: I actually thought Jason's remark to him having a smart mouth before he said it. The guy calls Jason out for thinking they were just backwater yokels. This does show how off his game Jason is.
Something about Jason admitting he needs a sec if Bruce is there to fight that's very endearing. This isn't the bravado from most of UTH. It's also sad because he expects a fight.
"Even Arkham" is extremely harsh.
Bruce admits Jason didn't technically break their deal but he's still counting it as a breach of it.
It's been one week since Jason last saw Roy.
Jason thinks Bruce hates him and honestly it's easy to see why.
Questions Raised?: Did who ever sent Jason to Arkham (Bruce, Dick, etc.) make him intentionally avoid getting help for his trauma? Because he didn't go with Roy for a reason. With doctors like Harley Quinn it's easier to see why he wouldn't like it.
Did You Notice?: Roy's picture has him holding a beer bottle.
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