Collects the "New Adventures" storylines by Max Allan Collins and Jim Starlin from the post-Batman: Year One comics.

Description
The Dark Knight. The Boy Wonder. The Dynamic Duo. Together, Batman and Robin have kept the streets of Gotham City safe-while the boy beneath the mask, Dick Grayson, has kept Bruce Wayne from a lonely life of brooding darkness. But when a bullet fired from the Joker’s gun nearly clips Robin’s wings for good, their partnership is severed, and Batman resumes his war on crime alone.

But he’s not alone for long.

When Batman first meets a tough kid named Jason Todd, the boy is more criminal than crimefighter. But from that first encounter, a powerful new bond is forged. The Dark Knight sees Jason’s potential to be a hero-as well as the rage and revenge that torment him.

The Batman has found his new Robin. Can Gotham’s greatest hero help his protege fly right?

Discover the origin of one of comics’ most controversial characters in BATMAN: SECOND CHANCES-collecting the earliest adventures of Jason Todd, the second Robin, from the minds of legendary creators Max Allan Collins, Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Dave Cockrum, Denys Cowan, Norm Breyfogle, Jo Duffy and more! Collects BATMAN #402-403, #408-416 and BATMAN ANNUAL #11.

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The interesting thing is, Jason Todd first appears in Batman #357 and Robin in #368, pre-crisis. This is the post-crisis retcon of the character.

Yep. I was contemplating having these issues bound into a book, but DC has done part of the job for me.

This was part of the retro-origin period that hurt DC. Sure, Jason Todd's existing origin mirrored Dick Grayson's too much and probably should have been done differently, but it happened. Move on. It's no different than Kid Flash's origin mimicking the Flash's - an unlike coincidence but not worth the confusion of continuity that is going to be the result of changing it. Also, the Starlin story was not that good. Even the previous origin of Jason Todd Robin was better than a kid stealing tires.

With the exception of Year One, this Batman's books were hit and miss for the second half of the 80's. Shortly before Don Newton had left Batman and Gene Colan was stuck with the unsteady hand of Bob Smith as inker on Detective. Moench's writing was more off than on and his Nocturna story seemed to go on forever. Collins was a bore and Starlin turned out to be a disappointment as well. The death of Jason Todd was the beginning of more Robins that diluted the hero's name with each passing of the torch. Barr & Davis had a good run with smilin' Bats, but it was far too short.

Despite this, I'm looking forward to the Norm Breyfogle Legends of the Dark Knight hardcover coming out next week.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1401258980/?tag=imwan-20

I thought that the original Jason Todd origin was spot on. I thought that the street punk reboot was ridiculous. The stealing the tires off of the Batmobile shtick was way worse than having a second Robin with ties to the circus.

DC needs to hurry up and give me the next Tales of the Batman/Don Newton so I can read that Jason Todd origin story again. I loved the Squid and thought that he was a great addition to Batman's villains. Too bad they killed him off, but it was a good death.

I thought the Max Allan Collins Batman run was terrible.

Did they fry him up with a little marinara on the side?

I liked the Jason Todd origin reboot -- I liked the fact he wasn't a clone of Dick anymore.

And I really enjoyed the Starlin/Aparo run on Batman -- I wish it had continued after A Death In The Family.

It truly was. I remember some comments by Dave Cockrum in an interview bad-mouth the scripts, one of the first times I'd seen someone criticize a collaborator like that.

Even Denny O'Neil made some comments around that time about hiring a writer who turned out to be a mistake. He didn't name the writer, but I couldn't see any way it could be anyone but Collins.