I spent two hours writing up a very good brake down on how the ways Bruce Wayne projected first Dick Grayson then Himself onto Jason Todd has forever altered the way Jason Toddās Robin is remembered but things crashed and didnāt save while I was posting so now we get this
This is how Bruce talks about Jason (important note that school was āspecialā because it was in no way a qualified or registered school but instead a violent gang that made its child recruited beat possibly killed each other as well stuff like encouraged drinking to keep them in line. )
Is actual sweetheart Jason Todd as Robin.
This is him saving two faces life AFTER being told the man killed Jasonās father and is the reason he was alone.
And here is Jason even before he was Robin trying to do right by people even knowing no one believed he would.
Bruce often is depicted as claiming Jason was somehow to angry and broken for him to help but yet
we see Bruce the man who was supposed to guide and help him also would give into anger but his was at times far less focused then Jasonās, (example above If not for Gordon Batman would have killed a man he blamed for his friends and several other womanās murders against any of the actual evidences.) who would later complain Jason was always going off on his own missions when Jason was happy to skip patrol to do homework and from less then a year into being Robin was already being sent by Batman out on his own to hunt down dangers such as scarecrow. He also was the one to often praise Jasonās use of violence and put him in situations where Jason had to rely on it (example getting Jason to help him brake into Arkham, making him fight against guards and was pushed into and praised for using guns
There are several times itās open called out and said that Bruce took in Jason to be a replacement to Dick. A Replacement who Batman took in instead of supporting and working through the problems he and his first son had together. With much of his concerns for Jason being less about his well being and more about Bruce. Jason however was always doing everything he could to try and be Robin constantly terrified of losing the role and probably the safety and security of a home with it. (Panels below include some times Alfred called Bruce out for constantly talking about and comparing Dick and Jason, and when Bruceās supposed concern for Jason putting himself in danger was actually Bruce being scared heād grow up and not need him like his first son .we also have Bruce confessing to Dick why he took Jason in.)
(Other panels include Jasonās reacting to finding out Nightwing was the first Robin and was coming to talk with Bruce by being worried about Nightwing wanting to be Robin again. Jason not hesitating to Volunteer himself as a hostage and being praised for putting himself in danger I think the first time he went out as Robin because āthe other Robin would have done the same thingā and after feeling lied to and betrayed still very early in his time with Bruce getting violent with the man he thinks killed his father and then braking down crying with Bruce Jasonās biggest concern is still failing to live up to Bruceās ideals of Robin)
Jason could yes be angry and lose control under extreme and traumatic situations but he was actually far less likely to then at time even Bruce a grown man and THE BATMAN. He just from the start knew when people needed help he couldnāt just trust others to do it so he had to do it himself a trait Bruce not only praised but was the reason he was chosen to be Robin.
Jason never was some angry weapon he was a kid a little boy who once solved a mystery just thanks to a passing interest in fashion history and called Dick Mr.Nightwing the first time they got to work together. Who dropped out of school in like year 5 to try and keep his āsickā mother alive and was working so hard and so happily to try and catch up on his education once Bruce took him in and allowed him to go back.
But Bruce projected first Dick then Himself onto Jason so much that Jason Todd ended up becoming what Bruce said he was, a frustrated reckless kid heading to a early grave