#aditf

[mordenandmerry]

I heard someone describe the image of Bruce carrying Jason as the modern Pieta so I drew them as the actual Pieta

It was supossed to be a value study but I got a little sidetracked

[ditzybat]

bruce: i just want to make sure you’re safe

tim: you microchipped me like a dog!

bruce, showing affection the only way he knows how to by planting a tracker in tim’s neck: exactly, safe.

[ilostmygenderalongwithmydignity]

Horrible fucked up AU where Sheila survives the bomb. Jason only doesn’t because of his prior injuries, and also he’s shielding her from the blast. Does she tell the truth? Does she play the grieving mother? If Bruce finds out, is it her he tries to kill instead of the Joker? Does Clark stop him this time? Or does she go to prison, rotting in a cell until she dies, just like Willis did? When Jason comes back, is she another parent for him to forgive even when it’s so far past the point they deserve?

[iamthesame-imthesame]

wdym jason todd had to have a closed casket funeral bc he looked like this 😭 🙏

😭 I CANT....

[spiritsglade]

Jason Todd & the Possum Reflex

Welcome to my beautiful crack theory about how Bruce's training is actually what got Jason killed. It could be intriguing for angst if it wasn't extremely stupid, but I suppose that's the charm of comics, isn't it?

First of all, let's cover an odd moment that occurs during A Death in the Family: both Joker and Sheila assume Jason died after the crowbar beating. This leads into a secondary point, that Joker was not planning to kill Jason.

Batman (1940) Issue #427

Joker was beating up Jason for fun. Joker wasn't planning to actually kill Jason, and freaks out a little when he realizes he may have to face the consequences of his actions! His following actions - tying up Sheila and setting the bomb - are meant to cover up the evidence. Joker believing Jason died is the reason he set the explosion that actually killed Jason. <- Put a pin in that. 📌

Except... Joker didn't kill Jason. Jason wakes up again, later, much to Sheila's surprise.

Batman (1940) Issue #427

Now, you may have an objection here. What about about Jason's canonical immortality due to being trans? This would be a plausible alternate explanation - that Jason did die, only to come back to life after the bomb was set - if not for Deadman's perspective.

Deadman: Dead Again Issue #2

Jason was absolutely, unarguably alive that entire time.

Joker did not kill Jason, but both he and Sheila thought he did. And this is odd, isn't it? That Sheila Haywood, a doctor, would not think to check for breathing or a pulse? That Joker wouldn't make sure before going ahead with his very well developed plan Blow Up Evidence and Hope For The Best.

Of course, Deadman would be able to easily tell of Jason was alive or not, given that his powers. So if, say, Jason were to reflexively slow his pulse and breathing to the point that it seems like he's dead, it may be enough to trick Joker and Sheila, but not Deadman.

...

Hey, wait.

IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT BATTLE FOR THE COWL.

Battle for the Cowl by Tony Daniels is a great comic if you want to watch your fav get character assassinated six ways to Sunday. It's also a great comic because of the glorious Possum Reflex. Let's hear what Tim has to say about it:

Battle for the Cowl Issue #3

Tim implies before this panel that the reason why Jason didn't actually kill Tim was because the Possum Reflex meant Jason thought Tim died. Jason is, earlier, seen testing Tim's pulse, and telling Dick that Tim was dead.

Let's pretend that I respect what the comic has to say long enough to come to the conclusion that the Possum Reflex is effective enough to trick Jason into thinking Tim was dead. Meaning that theoretically, it should be enough to trick Joker and Sheila.

Despite getting training from many other sources, Tim specifies that Bruce taught him this technique. Therefore, it is not too far-fetched to say that Bruce developed this technique earlier, and would have taught it to the previous Robins... like Jason.

Now, let's address that earlier pin:

📌Joker believing Jason died is the reason he set the explosion that actually killed Jason.

Jason, in ADitF, did not die due to the crowbar. Joker only believed Jason died because the beating triggered the Possum Reflex. In teaching Jason this technique - a technique meant to protect him - Bruce instead led Jason to his doom.

[jstodd]

personally, for all the tragedy that is jason's death, from the loneliness, to the betrayal, to the desperation and fear -- it's his cause of death that i find utterly devastating.

this kid survives the heartbreak of betrayal. he weathers the storm of the beating, even DARING to spit in his torturer's face. and when he's left for dead, he finds enough in him to try and help someone who deserves less than nothing from him.

and then there's a locked door and a bomb, and he's STILL fighting. he survives the impact, the rubble, the collision -- each breath is a struggle, but his lungs still expand as far as his broken little body will allow.

each breath hurts, but he keeps breathing.

it'd be so EASY to give up, and yet he doesn't

he survives all of this, only for his fight to end with him smothered.

he choked to death.

his fighting spirit was quite literally crushed with nothing more than bad air. this is one time jason's resolve isn't enough. it is the ONE time he is bound to hold on as long as he possibly can with the hope, the desire, the NEED that someone else has to come save him. it is the single, solitary time in his life where instead of being relied upon, HE is reliant.

it's that reliance that kills him.

and isn't that just. . . devastating?

[phantomchick]

Jason's death is so interesting from a narrative perspective, because it really does revolve around Batman to such an extent. Like it's Batman's greatest failure (and was the failure having a Robin, choosing Jason as Robin or letting Robin die, the writers and thus Bruce himself always seem divided or of two minds about it); Batman's grief, the worst event of loss/trauma he's had since his origin story with his parents being killed, it's a story beat so heavily integrated into Batman's transition from lingering silver age hopeful dark hero who still cracks jokes to the broody bronze age cynic and control freak of the 90s and 2000s. It's what takes the Joker from one of the worst rogues to The Worst, the one who won, the one who might do so again (*cough* gets increasingly doubtful these days I know but for a couple decades there *cough*). Jason's death is the day our hero Batman couldn't save the day. Jason's murder in the Robin uniform is what makes Nightwing feel responsibility for ALL child heroes who follow his example from then on, it's what damages Leslie's trust in Batman (and Gordon's to a lesser extent in the immediate aftermath though they didn't do anything with that), it's the dreaded potential outcome that haunts all the bat sidekicks in post-crisis. And Jason's death even when it's ostensibly about him and how he feels about it ultimately always winds its way back to talking about Batman or the Joker.

[the-ghost-of-jason-todd]

i KNOW i saw a jason todd meme like this floating around but i couldn't find it so i made a new one