Death in the Family: Robin Lives #2 – Review

So, so. I thought it was 2024, but now we are back in 1988 with the release of Death in the family: Robin lives No. 2. Last month, we got a surprisingly in-depth issue that explored the dynamic duo in a world where Jason Todd survived an attack by the Joker. Death In the Family itself is a pretty strange book, so turning it into a grounded look into the minds of our heroes was quite an impressive feat. Let's continue our journey into the minds of Batman and Robin and see if the creative team can keep it up.

It's time to rewind

We open in a very familiar setting. The Joker gets shot in the head while facing Batman? I'm sure I've seen this somewhere before… Seriously, I like how they repeat this at the beginning. The threat (or promise) of this event hovers over everything you read, constantly making you wonder who will kill our Clown Prince of Crime in the end.

We get a brief insight into Joker's life in Arkham. We learn that he was treated daily for three months to help him. The great thing about this section is not only the Joker's dialogues, but also the thoughts of his psychiatrist Benjamin Stoner. The Joker begins by praising the doctor highly and saying that he cured him. Stoner, of course, doesn't believe him for a second and asks him to stop acting. The clown takes offense and breaks into a tirade.

The phrase “I am an entertainer – an artist – of the highest order!” is entirely true of the Joker. He is not a scheming genius or someone trying to burn the world down. He is a selfish man-child trying to convince everyone of his greatness. All the while, Stoner is grieving because he truly believes he can help when many others have either failed or given up.

Now Batman finally graces our page. He is processing the events of the last few months in the only way he knows how. He is wreaking havoc in the criminal underworld and doesn't allow himself a moment's rest. We get our promised fight with Copperhead, which was over much quicker than expected. I was pretty happy about that, because this series is really excellent in its character moments. A big fight scene would be a waste of time in my opinion.

Now we get a glimpse of our prodigy. Jason has been in therapy at a clinic since his fight with Scarecrow. Dr. Dev laments the fact that Jason seems to be hiding something that is preventing her from truly helping him. The idea that his role as Robin still prevents him from healing and living a life of his own is very well done. The actual importance of a secret identity is often addressed in recent works, so I'm glad they acknowledge it here.

Same bat family, same bat trauma

I said in my last review that DeMatteis doesn't idolize Bruce, but shows him as a real, flawed person. That's absolutely true in this issue, too, with one scene in particular coming to mind. He visits Nightwing to ask him if he wished he'd never known about Batman. He starts by saying that sometimes he wishes he'd had a normal childhood. Bruce storms out, and we think he's angry at Dick for the answer. Instead, we're told he's not angry at Dick, but at himself for never thinking to ask.

His reaction to the answer is far from ideal. No matter what happens, one should not just storm out in such a situation. The explanation that he was so angry, so ashamed, that he couldn't bear to stay, sheds a different light on the situation and allows us as readers to form our own opinions about him.

We also get to know how Jason feels about his role as Robin. “Being Robin gives my life meaning and purpose!” We see right away how his perception of self-worth is tied to his role as Robin. It's a short, simple sentence, but it's immediately effective. You feel for both characters when Bruce argues with Jason because you know what they're both feeling, but neither can express it in a healthy way. I want Bruce to be able to show that he really cares, and I want them to make up. Bravo DeMatteis, bravo.

Of course, I can't talk about this book without once again acknowledging the great work of Leonardi. His rough, sketchy line drawing sets this story apart from Addams' style while still harking back to older character designs. He managed to make the Copperhead costume seem somewhat terrifying. If that's not an achievement, I don't know what is.

The little details are also worth mentioning. Renzi's coloring in the Institute makes it seem like a real place of healing for Jason with its beautiful, cool tones. Gotham's purple-tinged night sky. The shadows in Dr. Dev's office. The lighting in the book is top notch and really shows a great attention to detail. Batman has more stubble in this book because he doesn't take care of himself. The entire creative team really puts maximum effort and love into this book and it shows 100%.

Recommended if …

• Superhero psychoanalysis seems like a pretty fascinating prospect
• You want to see a beautiful, unique book.
• Jason has some time to shine and heal in this book. Need I say more?

In total:

I'm so glad this series continues to be well done. Jason Todd is the subject of a lot of fan discussion and it's often hard to see him as Robin rather than his pseudonym Red-Hood. Peeling back the layers of time and examining the boy he was is a really interesting way to look at him and honestly one of his best written stories in quite some time. I'm quite a fan of father-son conflict in stories so this is right up my alley. All in all, keep up the good work creative team and I'll see you next month.

Score: 9/10

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