What an introduction? Seriously, does it get any cooler than holding a sword to Batman's throat for your first appearance? I think not!
From there, at least for me, it went uphill because Damian fascinated me, probably to the same degree he repulsed a lot of people. He was obnoxious, spoiled, petulant, irritating, and entitled...the perfect ingredients for a character readers were intended to hate (insert Superboy Prime into that same vein now that I think about it...he's SUPPOSED to be an annoying shit). Mix in the fact that he took out a fan favorite Robin in Tim Drake...
...and that he took it upon himself to become a Robin...
...and how can you even question how we the reader were being told to feel about this brat? Even Bruce could barely tolerate the kid...
Still through his initial adventure alongside Bruce, I found it hard not to sympathize with the kid. After all he was raised by an Al Ghul, sure it was Talia but she is still an Al Ghul...meaning his playmates were The League of Assassins (sometimes I have to stop myself from typing "...of Shadows") and he likely learned how to stab things before he ever learned how write his own name. I couldn't help but feel bad for this kid who, even though he decided to go with his mother at the end of the "Batman & Son" arc, was still reaching out for his family to be together.
Think about this, when you were a kid would you rather be with the parent who gives you rules and restrictions or the one who let's you do whatever you please? Generally a pretty clear choice for most children I'd say. Ultimately though, I think that "family" was all Damian ever wanted from his life (By the by, as I noted in a previous blog, that panel right there is essentially the birth of Batman Inc. & Leviathan)...
I also found something endearing about his desire to "take his rightful place" and get rid of Tim Drake...yeah that sounds weird to read back considering Drake has always been MY Robin. It's psychotic after a fashion for Damian to feel he has to off Tim to be close to Bruce, but that was the way Damian knew how to do things. He knew how to kill...born to kill as one of the New 52 "Batman & Robin" arcs was called, and as we found out in Damian's return during the "Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul" arc, he was also born to be a vessel for the essence of his grandpappy. How can you not feel bad for a kid, or his mother really, when they find out Damian's entire existence was part of a plan for Ra's to continue his already long life?
His Joffrey-like (MARCH 30th!) personality was still a difficult thing to tolerate at this point but it's also quite easy to understand why Damian has developed it. He's somewhere in the 9-11 years old range (who knows with DC's sliding continuity of the New 52) and has been told he's to inherit the world when he grows up. Of course he has a sense of entitlement and of course he's a dick...that's what he's been molded to be, that is the "nurture" Damian had had up to that point in his existence AND it was something that he (like most real life adults) would struggle with for the duration of his life.
It wasn't until Bruce's "death" in the RIP/Final Crisis arc that we really saw something deeper out of Damian, and really Talia too, when they attempted to save Bruce from what The Black Glove was doing and ended up saving Commissioner Gordon in the process. We also saw was some hardcore jealousy from Talia when she had Jezebel Jet, ummm, taken care of...
It was Dick Grayson, more so than Bruce Wayne I'd say, that helped shape Damian into a...well, a human being. He was patient and loving and mentor-like with the kid during their tenure as the Dynamic Duo. Under Dick's tutelage, Damian became a fully realized person who actually cared about other people...particularly Dick and Alfred Pennyworth.
That image is a little ahead of me but I think it showcases the evolution of the Damian/Alfred relationship perfectly. As Robin to GraysonBats, Damian learned how to care about others and how to function within the norms of, well, I suppose I will call it Bat-Society because it sure as hell isn't Society-Society. As we saw in that most recent, and Damian's final, issue of Batman Inc, Dick & Damian established a relationship that was real and deep, they became brothers as well as partners, and this was one of the most touching moments of Inc for me:
Throughout the Dick/Damian partnership there was a sense of fun but also of feeling of Damian wanting to know if his father would approve of him. The opportunity to know the truth of that came after Bruce returned, redonned the cape & cowl, and began to operate as Batman alongside Damian. It was a strained relationship, with Bruce still seeing the Damian that existed prior to his "death" instead of what Damian had grown into alongside Dick. I always felt as if Bruce was so worried about Damian becoming like his mother or Ra's that he overreacted to the slightest sign of such behavior:
I mean he is essentially telling the kid that evil is in his blood and patting him on the back for NOT being evil. I think that comes more from Bruce not having the slightest clue how to be a father but at least Damian had Alfred to tell him the way it really is, that it has NOTHING to do with his blood and EVERYTHING to do with his choices.
Ultimately what Damian chose was to work to be good, to work at being a hero despite what he was created to be and what his mother raised him to become, and it is those choices that slowly caused the fanboys of the world to embrace him.
If Damian had been killed off five years ago (or whenever Grant Morrison first planned it) I highly doubt the majority of fans would have had an emotional reaction to it, but with the time that has been put into developing Damian's character, with the growth that we have seen written by scribes like Morrison and Peter Tomasi, we (in the same fashion Damian grew them for his pets) have grown an emotional attachment to Damian.
Finding that panel actually made me kind of sad....it was Damian saying goodbye to his pets without knowing that's what he was doing (and it's Grant having cats in a story again as well).
I will certainly miss Damian Wayne and I certainly do not want to see the role of Robin filled any time soon by anyone. In my head this death, even more so than the death of Jason Todd, would put Bruce in a frame of mind to NEVER have anyone don that costume EVER again. Not Tim or Jason, not bringing Stephanie Brown or Cassandra Cain into New 52 continuity, not this silly Harper Row rumor I've read...NOBODY. Dick, Jason, Tim...they were LIKE Bruce's kid (legally all three were adopted in the Old DCU) but Damian WAS a Wayne by birth, by blood, and he died like a Wayne because he died a hero.
So instead of bidding farewell with say, the image of his death, rather I will leave it with some of my favorite Damian images & moments. Thank you to all the creators who helped build Damian up and make him a character I actually gave a damn about. In a comic book field filled with characters of little substance and growth, Damian was a true gem!
High angle
shot of the interior of the Batcave. Tim Drake, in the Robin outfit,
sits at the Batcomputer inputting data about something or other; a
picture of Anarky looms large on the screen. At his side, draped over
the back of a chair is the Red Robin outfit he recently wore in Robin
#182. Tim’s head still shows signs of burns, and the Batcave still is
not 100% intact since R.I.P. and the Black Glove’s invasion. One thing
that has been repaired, most likely by Alfred, is Jason Todd’s memorial.
Page 2
1 - Close on Tim’s face, bruised and battered, yet content with the work he’s accomplished since Bruce’s death.
TIM
(caption)
The General's down, Anarky's down, still an endless parade of crazy all on my shoulders.
2 - Wider shot. Tim at the computer, his head in his hands, Alfred descending down the stairs from the manor in the BG.
ALFRED
Master
Timothy? Some tea to relax perhaps? Maybe some rest to heal your
wounds? I know how much the Master’s children love their rest
3
- Alfred standing over Tim’s shoulders, a tray of tea and sandwiches in
hand. Tim with a half smile on his face, pained as it may be.
TIM
Sarcasm noted. Thanks for the sandwiches though.
ALFRED
A thank you? Well at least you’re more appreciative than Master Bruce is….
4
- Tim and Alfred stop and stare at one another, a look of shock on
Alfred’s face. Physically they are close to one another, but you can
feel the distance between them.
ALFRED
I…I’m sorry Master Timothy. Sometimes, I just…I forget.
TIM
It’s okay. Honestly, I haven’t even had time to digest it. It’s non-stop, and I feel like…
Page 3
1 - Close on Alfred’s face, tears welled up in his eyes that he is obviously fighting.
ALFRED
…Like you have to do it all on your own. Timothy, you may be more like Bruce than any of his other children.
2 - Tim, computer looming in the background, smiles just slightly. Alfred has set the tray down on the computer.
TIM
Sometimes
it’s weird hearing that. I mean Bruce adopted me and all, but I still
never got used to the idea that I was legally his son.
ALFRED
Legal
or not, Timothy, you are Master Wayne’s progeny inside and out. As
much as you are like Jack Drake, in so many ways you are just like Bruce.
3 - A tear in Tim’s eye, he turns away from Alfred and back to the computer. Alfred walks away up the stairs to the manor.
TIM
Thanks…Alfie. You are…too good to me.
ALFRED
(off panel)
And put some cream on that burn young man!
4 - Tim reaches over to pick up a sandwich and finds a batarang stuck into the wedge.
5 - Tim looks up, his staff already in his left hand as his body tenses for a fight.
TIM
Dick? Is that you?
6
- Another overhead shot of the Batcave, tighter than the first though.
Tim stands in front of the Batcomputer, staff in hand, as something
else is thrown at his feet from the shadows. Not a batarang, rather the
signature Red Hood helmet of Jason Todd.
JASON
(off panel)
Hey, Tim.
Page 4
FULL PAGE
Jason
stands there looking at Tim, the scene is basically identical to Titans
#29, page 4, except this is taking place in the Batcave and not Titans
Tower.
JASON
(smile on his face)
I was here first.
Page 5
1 - Tim kicks the Red Hood helmet back towards Jason.
TIM
Where’s Alfred? How did you get in here?
2
- Jason calmly bends over to pick it up, a slight wince of pain on his
face, obviously between Robin #182 and his encounter/accident last issue he’s not 100% healed. Tim has his staff
in hand, unsure of Jason’s intentions.
JASON
Holding
on to an old rag I see. You take the Robin spot before the body’s even
cold, and now you can’t wait to slide into another of my outfits.
3 - Close on the Red Robin attire draped over the chair. Tim’s free hand is resting on top of it.
TIM
You didn’t answer the questions Jason.
4
- Back to a two shot, the reflection of the Jason Todd memorial can be
seen on the Bat computer’s monitor. Tim is now holding the Red Robin
gear; Jason has the Red Hood helmet in hand.
JASON
You sure you don’t want this too?
5 - Jason tosses the Red Hood helmet at Tim; he bats it away with the staff.
6 - It clinks to rest at the base of the Jason Todd memorial
Page 6
1 - Jason looks like he’s trying to hold in laughter as he walks towards the memorial. Tim is circling him.
JASON
That’s just too cute.
TIM
Alfred?
JASON
He doesn’t even know I’m here Tim. Did you seriously think you and Dick were the only ones who had secret ways in and out of this place?
2 - Tim holds his staff up to the neck of Jason. Despite giving Jason his freedom, Tim still doesn’t trust him at all.
JASON
I come to say thanks for getting me out of jail and this is the welcome I get? No wonder no one visits.
TIM
That was a favor to Bruce. Giving you another second chance was what he would’ve wanted.
JASON
Speaking of Bruce. What’s the story with “Dad” anyway? The details not the cliff notes...
TIM
You don’t deserve to know, “brother”.
3 - Jason deftly takes the staff from Tim and reverses their position.
4 - Now it’s Tim pinned against the wall, Jason choking him just a little.
JASON
Don’t be such a smart-ass, kid. Remember what happened last time we did this dance.
TIM
Different…time. Different…me.
5 - Tim with a knee to Jason’s liver as he simultaneously head butts him.
6 - Tim rubbing his forehead as Jason picks himself up off the ground
TIM
Should’ve left your helmet on. Remember what I told you that night Jason?
Page 7
1 - Tim picks another staff up from a weapon cache near him,
TIM
I am that good.
2 - Tim pushes a button and the staff extends to full length.
TIM
Better than you ever were…
3 - Tim tosses it to Jason who just smiles.
TIM
…maybe than you’ll ever be…
4 - They stand far apart. Each man waiting for the other to make the first move.
TIM
…but this is your chance to prove me wrong.
JASON
You don’t wanna do this again.
TIM
You think? I think that maybe this is part of the reason I got you out of jail. So we could do this one more time.
JASON
Then
getting me out was the stupidest thing you’ve ever done Tim. Dumber
than becoming Robin, dumber than thinking you can be Bruce, dumber than
getting your Dad killed…
5 - Same as 4 except for one lone bat flying between the two of them.
Page 8
1 - Tim’s face, seemingly unaffected by Jason’s comment.
2 - Jason’s face, a sly grin, thinking he just shook Tim off his game
3 - Tim again, resolute in his stance.
TIM
Not going to work.
4 - Jason again, shrugging his shoulders.
JASON
Can’t blame a guy for trying.
Page 9
1 - Jason jumps and flips directly behind Tim.
JASON
So you going to tell me?
2 - Tim ducks a swing of the staff, sweeps Jason’s leg out from under him
TIM
You going to tell me what you’ve done since I got you out? It’s been a week, and Amygdala’s turned up dead.
3 - Jason kicks Tim off of him as Tim tries to take mount position.
JASON
Guess we’re at in impasse Timmy. Cause what I’ve done is none of your damn business.
4 - Tim rebounds off a wall, catches Jason with a right cross that busts his nose open.
TIM
Yes it is!
5 - Tim fires off a knee to the sternum.
TIM
As long as you stay in Gotham, it IS my business!
6 - An elbow to the back of the head sends Jason down to the cave floor. Blood from Jason’s mouth splatters on the ground.
JASON
You’re not him. Never…will....be
Page 10
1 - Jason trip Tim up with his staff
2 - Jason get to his feet and smacks Tim across the face with the staff
JASON
Gonna tell me yet Tim?
3 - Close on Tim as he spits blood.
TIM
Earn it.
4 - Jason swings at Tim; Tim sidesteps and punches Jason in the gut.
TIM
I don’t want to be Bruce, but sometimes…
5 - Tim picks up his staff, uppercuts Jason with it.
TIM
…sometimes it seems unavoidable.
Page 11
1 - Jason jumps at Tim
JASON
This place should be mine!
2 - Tim rolls thru, kicking Jason off but…
TIM
He wanted me to take his place when the time came but…
3 - .Jason lands on his feet, and reaches for his gun.
TIM
..that time shouldn’t be now!
4 - Tim throws a batarang into the hand of Jason, knocking the gun away.
TIM
No guns! Haven’t you learned anything?
5 - Tim leaps at Jason; Jason catches him with a left hook across the jaw using the butt of his other gun.
JASON
Bad habits are hard to break I guess.
TIM
Did you come back just so you could be a disappointment?
Page 12
1 - Jason looks shocked at this statement, and hesitates. Tim uses the pause to scramble to his feet.
TIM
Because
that’s what you’ve been, Jason. To Bruce, Alfred, the whole damn world. You
were given another chance at life and you’ve thrown it away! For what?
To piss off Bruce?
JASON
You don’t know…
2 - Jason snaps out of his shock, and delivers an uppercut to Tim that knocks him off his feet and into the Bat Computer.
JASON
…ANYTHING!!!
3 - Jason throws a batarang of his own that knocks Tim’s staff off the edge of the cliff and down to a lower level of the cave.
JASON
Don’t you listen??!?! Like I said before, you had it all you idiot. Friends, family, a house, a love. I had nothing! NOTHING!
4 - Jason’s charge at Tim is met with a lifting knee to the jaw, blood pops out of Jason’s mouth.
TIM
You had Bruce! You had Alfred! You had the Titans! What the hell else did you want?
5 - Jason knocks Tim back with a shoulder tackle.
JASON
Respect.
I never had their respect, not like Dick, not like you. Everyone saw
me as the second Robin, the replacement, the stand in. I wasn’t as good
as Dick, I couldn’t hope to be like Bruce.
TIM
What a walking stereotype you are Jason.
Page 13
1 - Jason and Tim tumble over a ledge down to that lower level of the cave.
2 - Tim grabs his staff as Jason rolls off into the shadows.
TIM
You’re
the worst middle child in history JT. Selfish, self-centered, and
never realizing how great you had it. You weren’t respected? You
weren’t missed?
3 - A batarang comes flying out of the shadows, Tim deflects it with ease.
TIM
Bruce
fell apart after you died! Ask Dick! Ask Alfred! Reckless, his self
regard thrown out the window, he didn’t care if he lived or died!
BECAUSE OF YOU!
JASON
(from the shadows)
Then he should have killed him Tim. Joker should be dead!
4 - Tim throws a batarang of his own in the direction of the voice, it just hits rock.
TIM
If you truly think that then you NEVER should have been a Robin. Then you NEVER got it, never understood what Dick and I did.
JASON
(from shadows still)
What’s that Tim? How to be weak? How to just…let them all get away with it? You know Arkham, Blackgate, both just revolving doors!
Page 14
1 - Tim paces around the room, looking for some sign of where Jason will be coming from
TIM
If you believe that, if you really in your heart think that’s true Jason, then why haven’t YOU killed the Joker yet?
2 - Jason steps out of the shadows directly behind Tim, his signature knife held to Tim’s throat
JASON
Because Bruce was always there to stop me, or to save him. TO SAVE HIM!
Page 15
1 - Tim pushes off the ground, slamming Jason into the wall, causing him to drop the knife.
TIM
He’s
not saving him Jason! He was saving you from yourself! All Bruce
wanted was for you to come home, for you to come back here!
2 - Jason ankle picks Tim, pulling him down to the ground.
JASON
He never offered! Never opened his arms! Hell, he never cared at all!
TIM
You’re a fool.
3 - Jason nails Tim square in the jaw with a left, dazing him.
JASON
A
fool? A FOOL? A fool is someone who sits in this cave plotting little
War Games, trying to save this city. It doesn’t want to be saved!
Gotham loves its sin! Bruce never understood that, not sure if Dick did
either. But you, you should.
4 - Jason stands up; Tim is still out of it on the ground.
JASON
This
city, this war, it took both of your parents. You thought it took
Stephanie, and I’m sure it’s cost you other girls. You got the plague
because of this world, and you call me the fool?
TIM
Ye…ye…yes!
Page 16
1 - Jason lifts Tim up by his collar, holding him against one of the many Batmobiles in residence.
JASON
How? How the hell can you call me the fool Timmy?
TIM
Be…because…you gave me time…
2 - Tim head butts Jason again, breaking his nose for certain.
TIM
Told you, you should’ve worn the helmet.
3 - Jason lashes out with a kick; Tim leaps over it, and nails Jason with a kick of his own
TIM
Too slow.
4 - Jason throws a punch, Tim blocks it, and counterpunches
TIM
Predictable.
5 - Jason charges at Tim but he hops over
TIM
Did you actually train with Bruce?
Page 17
1 - Jason, obviously enraged, pulls a knife out of his boot and throws it at Tim
JASON
GO TO HELL!
2 - The knife grazes Tim’s shoulder, drawing blood, but he barely notices
TIM
Try harder. Do it better.
3 - Jason has a flashback to his training in the cave; in this instance it’s Bruce watching him run an obstacle course.
BRUCE
Try harder. Do it better.
4 - Jason wipes the blood from his face as he stands up, staring Tim down.
JASON
Shut up! You don’t have the right to say those words…
TIM
I don’t? I’m the one wearing the union suit Jay, you’re just a bad imitation...of the Joker's gimmick no less.
JASON
Shut up.
TIM
Make me.
Page 18
1 - Jason charges once more at Tim, he sidesteps, letting Jason crash headfirst into the mirror of the Batmobile.
TIM
Try harder. Do it better.
JASON
NO!
2 - Jason throws his last remaining knife at Tim. Tim simply catches it.
TIM
Try harder. Do it better!
3 - Jason pounces at Tim once more, his discipline is obviously out the window. Tim lets Jason take him down.
JASON
Did you hear that too? Did he make you feel worthless too?
TIM
It wasn’t about that Jay. It was always to make you better, always to make you sure you didn’t get yourself killed.
JASON
It
was his way to let me know he was better than me, and that I could
never be as good as him. His sick need to show his superiority.
4 - Tim eats a head butt from Jason this time, breaking his nose.
JASON
How’d you like it Timmy?
Page 19
1 - Tim rolls Jason onto his back where Tim presses his forearm against Jason’s throat.
TIM
I’ve had worse from Spoiler.
JASON
Heh, you…got replaced…by a girl.
2 - Jason gets out from under Tim, kicks Tim in the back of the head.
JASON
At least I got a memorial when I was dead. Your girlfriend didn’t get a damn thing. Guess she wasn’t up to par either.
3 - Tim rolls with the impact, up to his feet, and wipes away some blood of his own.
TIM
She
wasn’t, not then. I knew it before Bruce did, so don’t think you can get at
me that way either JT. Until I knew she wasn’t dead, I was angry about
the memorial. Until I realized that Bruce couldn’t handle having that
failure in his face right next to yours.
JASON.
And what about his failure Timmy? What about his failure in Gotham? His failure as Bruce Wayne? His failure as a father?!?
4
- Tim’s body relaxes, he finally realizes this is a fight he cannot
win, not really. Jason, on the other hand, tenses up to continue the
confrontation.
TIM
He didn’t fail Jason. He did
everything he could to protect this city. And he made us ready to carry
on without him. Me, Dick, Barbara, Cassie, even you if you could just
get over yourself.
JASON
Over myself? How can I get over myself if I can’t even deal with the man who did this to me?
Page 20
1-
Jason attacks one more time, but this time Tim responds with his brain
instead of brawn and throws Tangleweb capsules at Jason.
TIM
The Joker? You’ve done that remember? Bombs, bridge, explosions, ring a bell?
2 - Jason is wrapped in the Tangleweb at the feet of Tim who stands over his fallen brother with the staff in hand.
JASON
Not that grinning idiot, you moron. Bruce! I wanted Bruce!
3 - Tim leans down over Jason, blood dripping from his nose as it also drips from Jason’s
TIM
You don’t get that Jay, not anymore and you’ll never get to know what really happened. You’re not his problem anymore, you’re mine.
JASON
He's not dead. I don't believe that for a second. WHERE DID HE GO?
TIM
Helping
you out of jail, biggest mistake I’ve made in awhile. I should’ve left
you to rot there; at least I wouldn’t have to worry then.
4 - Tim stands up; Jason is fighting against his restraints to no avail
JASON
JUST TELL ME DAMN IT! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO BRUCE!
TIM
No.
5
- Jason’s body relaxes as he starts to lose consciousness, the
Tangleweb gives just a bit. He’s given up. Tim stands a distance away
from the former Robin, a tear in his eye.
JASON
Please? Please Tim. Tell me what happened to him. Tell me what happened to my…dad.
6 - Close on Tim’s face as he wipes a tear away. From the darkness behind him a dart flies out into Tim’s shoulder.
TIM
He…..
Page 21
1
- Tim collapses to the cave floor. A figure stands in the shadows over
his body with a dart gun noticeable in his right hand.
2 - Close on Jason’s face as he fades into unconsciousness
Here is the complete version of the first part of the Jason Todd script I wrote a few years ago. I apologize for the screwed up layout, but no matter how many times I tried correcting the problems, instead of getting fixed, it just kept coming out bad in different fashions.
I never did come up with a title for this story...maybe something like "Can You Ever Go Home Again?"
Page 1
FULL PAGE
JASON TODD, in his
RED HOOD apparel, stands on a rooftop overlooking Gotham City.Snow falls around him; an electronic
billboard behind him reads “ONLY 3 SHOPPING DAYS LEFT UNTIL CHRISTMAS! GO TO
WWW.IWANTTOYS.COM FOR RUSH DELIVERY!”
JASON TODD
(Caption)
Another white
Christmas, another day for family and friends, another day to pretend it’s all
okay,
Page 2
1- Jason hops down
onto the fire escape, taking the long way to the street for once.
2- As he descends,
he passes a window with Xmas light and a tree
3- A family eating
dinner together
4- An older man by
himself watching TV in the dark
5 - Jason stops
halfway down, looks out over the city…
JASON TODD
(caption)
No crime.Maybe the first day since Bruce… (pause)
Page 3
1- An open window,
minimal Xmas decoration, a single father and his kid arguing over something
catches Jason’s attention for a moment.
2- Back to Jason
perched on the fire escape…
JASON TODD
(caption)
…since Batman
abandoned this hellhole.
3 - Jason hops
down into a familiar alley from the fire escape. Graffiti is visible reading,
“ABANDON ALL HOPE YOU WHO ENTER CRIME ALLEY”
JASON TODD
Wherever you went,
whatever you’re doing, I hope you know that you gave up.In the end, Bruce, you gave up.
4- Jason pops the
seal off his Red Hood helmet.
5 - Jason kneels
down, setting the helmet on the ground to his side, a slight smile on his face.
6 - Tight on Jason
placing two bullets on the ground next to a couple of withered roses, something
left over from Bruce’s yearly visit.
Page 4
FULL PAGE
Jason stands over
the flowers and the bullets, helmet in hand at his side, staring at this
landmark in Bat-history, the smile on his face faded to solemnity.The snowfall is getting harder, and you can
see the kid from earlier storming away in the BG.
JASON TODD
What would Mommy
and Daddy think of you right now Bruce? What happened to that precious vow you
drilled into my head once upon a time?
Page 5
1 - Jason turns
his head to an off panel yelling voice.
YELLING VOICE
Come back here
Jason!
2 - Father from
previous page standing under streetlight, dressed in some sort of overalls, as
if he worked in a factory. A package is in his left hand, a cell phone in his
right. In BG, the figure of Jason Todd can be seen scaling back to the rooftops
via “Batline”.
FATHER
Jason! Jason! Get
back here son!
3 - JASON, the
son, can be seen in the distance running off into the ever-increasing snowfall,
maybe from a perspective over his father’s shoulder.
4 - Father is
shown walking back into the building with the cell phone at his ear.
FATHER
Hello? No, he’d
rather run off than talk to his mother.
Page 6
1 - Jason Todd,
with helmet back on, watching from the rooftop as the kid Jason runs down the
street.
JASON TODD
(caption)
Well this may end
up a way to cure my boredom.
2 - CLOSE Kid
Jason stops running, dressed in a pair of ripped jeans, long sleeved thermal
shirt, shoes that are one stitch away from falling apart, skull cap, and no
coat.
3 - Kid Jason
wanders into a different alleyway, looking over his shoulder to make sure
Father isn’t following him.
4- Kid Jason runs
smack into the chest of a massive individual.
5 - Kid Jason
looks up, eyes wide…
KID JASON
Oh $*&^!!
6 - Kid Jason is
staring up at AMYGDALA, a man not seen in a long time.
7 - Terrified Kid
Jason backing away from Amygdala, Jason Todd barely visible in the BG on a
rooftop.
AMYGDALA
Why are you come
into my alley?
KID JASON
Umm, umm, uhhh.
AMYGDALA
(yelling)
WHY YOU COME TO MY
ALLEY?
KID JASON
I just wanted to
get away!
Page 7
1 - Amygdala’s
body language is evident of the rage fading as quickly as it came.His shoulders drop, his eyes get soft, and a
child-like innocence takes the place of the raging hulk.
AMYGDALA
Oh. I tried to get
away before too, that’s how I got here to my new home.
KID JASON
Home? This is your
home?
2 - Amygdala’s
body tenses up again, he feels mocked.
AMYGDALA
You don’t like my
home? What’s wrong with my home?
KID JASON
(scared)
Nothing. Nothing’s
wrong with your home, it’s nice. Big.
3 - Amygdala lets
out a deep breath and relaxes.It’s
obvious he’s regressed from the last time he was seen in Nightwing.
AMYGDALA
It not as nice as
my last home, but that went boom a long, long time ago.
KID JASON
Boom?
AMYGDALA
Yeah, explodeded.
4 - Kid Jason
backs away a little as Amygdala sits down on a stack of old cardboard
boxes.The snowfall has started to
lighten up, as have the winds whipping the debris around.
KID JASON
What did you d….I
mean what happened?
5 - Jason Todd
descends from the rooftop onto a nearby fire escape, attempting to get a closer
listen to Amygdala’s tale.
6 - The stack of
boxes Amygdala is sitting on gives out under his weight, it’s almost comedic
but Kid Jason won’t laugh out of fear, and Amygdala doesn’t even notice.
7 - Amygdala looks
up to the sky, like he’s searching for the answer somewhere up there, a bit of
a mournful look on his face.
AMYGDALA
Ummm…I don’t
remember so good, but I think I was watching TV when my whole home just went
KABOOM!There was smoke and fire and
somehow I made it alive, and at the funeral it was just me and the nice guy
with black hair.
8 - Wider shot of
the alley, Kid Jason has gotten a little closer to Amygdala.
KID JASON
Do you remember
his name?
AMYGDALA
No.But he was a nice guy, always made sure I
took my pills he did.He might have
helped me get a job too at that prison I worked at maybe.
KID JASON
Okay, so how’d you
end up here at…at your new home?
AMYGDALA
I runned…
Page 8
1 - Flashback
scene of Amygdala being talked to by police.
AMYGDALA
(caption)
The policemans
tried to find my family, but I hadn’t seen them since they put me in a hospital
before the doctors did sumthin’ to me.
2 - Flashback of
the police being assaulted by Amygdala
AMYGDALA
(caption)
I think, I think
they tried to put me in their car, but I didn’t wanna go.I think maybe I hurt somebody bad…
3 - Flashback of
Amygdala tipping over the police car.
AMYGDALA
I think I broked
their car too, but then I just ran cause I think they tried to shock me.I can’t think too good, my medicine got burnt
up in the fire and I wasn’t feeling good that day.
4 - Kid Jason with
a terrified look on his face that he’s trying to fight.He’s taken a few steps back from his
erstwhile friend but trying not too be obvious about it.
5 - Jason Todd has
fully come to ground and is listening from the shadows.
KID JASON
(off panel)
What did the
doctors do ta ya?
6 -Amygdala rubs
his eyes, possibly wiping away a tear…
AMYGDALA
Did sumthin’ to my
brain that was s‘pposed to make me better. But now I’m s‘pposed ta take
medicine all the time and I don’t got none.Ain’t had any for a long time, long as I been here.
7 - Kid Jason
comes closer again, sitting down on a box next to Amygdala, almost
compassionate.
KID JASON
How long’ve you
been here?
AMYGDALA
I dunno.I ran from the policeman ‘til I couldn’t run
anymore and then I was here, and then you was here.Ummm…I think this is the second time it’s
snowed since I been here.No one tells
me nuthin no more, no more friends…
8 - Finally
shattering his fear, Kid Jason puts a comforting hand on Amygdala’s shoulder…
KID JASON
I guess, uh, I
guess…you’ve got a friend now.
Page 9
1 - Amygdala’s
eyes light up like the fourth of July, a huge grin on his face as he stands up,
dwarfing Kid Jason.
AMYGDALA
Friend?I have a friend? FRIEND!!!!
2 - Amygdala
scoops up Kid Jason and gives him the bear hug to end all bear hugs, spinning
around in jubilant celebration.
AMYGDALA
FRIEND! FRIEND!
FRIEND! I HAVE FRIEND!
3- Jason Todd pops
off his Red Hood helmet, a half smile on his face as he watches the spectacle
before him.
4 - Kid Jason’s
face is turning a light shade of blue as Amygdala’s hug squeezes the life out
of him.
KID JASON
Can’t….breath….st….op…
5 - Amygdala puts
Kid Jason down with a playful look on his face.He’s the happiest he’s been in years!
AMYGDALA
I sorry
friend.Sometimes I don’t know when I
hurt sumthin’ cause I’m really strong, even when I was small.
KID JASON
(coughing)
Hard to believe
you were ever small…
6 - Amygdala’s
body language does a complete 180, he doesn’t get jokes, close on his head as
he yells with veins bulging.
AMYGDALA
You make fun of
me?YOU MAKIN’ FUN OF ME?!?!?
7 - Jason Todd
slowly pulling his gun out from his waist holster…
8 - Kid Jason
backpedals, taken totally off guard by his new friend’s explosion…
KID JASON
No, no, no!I was just havin’ fun with ya! That’s what
friends do sometimes, have fun with each other!
AMYGDALA
(confused)
Really? Have fun?
Last friend who want’d to have fun wore a talkin’ sock on his hand.His fun was robbin’ a store and tryin’ to
kill Batman. This is more fun…
Page 10
1 - Jason Todd
relaxes his grip on the gun in his holster, and lets out a deep breath.For once, he doesn’t want to kill anything.
2 - Amygdala sits
down on top of a dumpster against the wall, Kid Jason kind of mulls around the
area, kicking at cans and the like
AMYGDALA
Why you run away
friend?
KID JASON
I guess I was tired of dealin’ with it all.Tired of being a disappointment.
3 - Jason Todd
winces at that word, cueing a flashback to…
4 - Batman #424
when Jason let someone die, telling Batman “He Slipped”
5 - Back to Kid
Jason and Amygdala, Kid Jason looking at something in his hand that he picked
up off the ground.
KID JASON
See, I guess I’ve
been blamin’ my dad for my parents breakin’ up. He works all the time, never
home, hell he won’t even be home for Christmas.
6 - Kid Jason
throws the crushed can at the wall...
7 - Tings down at
the feet of Jason Todd.
8 - Jason Todd’s
face looks softer than it has previously…
Page 11
1 - Kid Jason
looks cold for the first time tonight as he wipes a tear from his eye
AMYGDALA
(clueless)
Chris’mas?
KID JASON
Yeah,
Christmas.So I told him I hated him,
and that I wanted to go live with my mom.Didn’t realize how much it hurt him.
2 - Jason Todd,
biting his lower lip until blood comes out cues…
3 - Flashback to
Batman #425 when Jason Todd’s mistakes cost three people their lives, and
Bruce‘s disappointment…
4 - Kid Jason sits
down as Amygdala stands up and wanders over to the opposite side of the
alley.The entry to the alley is visible
in the BG behind Kid Jason, the snow and winds have started to pick up again.
KID JASON
So he picked up
the phone, dialed my mom up, and told her I had a question to ask her.Truth is there’s no way in hell I would wanna
go live with that…that…that bitch!
5 - Jason Todd,
hands on his forehead, as if the memories hurt…
6 - Flashback to
Batman 427 as Sheila Haywood stands next to the Joker over Jason Todd’s bloody,
beaten body.
7 - Kid Jason, his
head also in his hands, wipes the tears away.
KID JASON
She’s the terrible
one. She cheated on my dad, she left us high and dry, she…
MOCKING VOICE
(off panel)
WAAAAAAAAAH! My
mommy sucks! WAAAAAHHH!
8 - Four thugs
(Jerry, Lynn, Evan, Joe) stand in the entrance to the alley.Two carry baseball bats, one has a crowbar, and
the other appears unarmed.The snow is
whipping around them in a frenzy, collecting on their shoulders, hats, and
feet.They have obviously been standing
there awhile.
JERRY
Life sucks kid,
parent suck too.Why don’t ya go and cut
yourself over it?
LYNN
(swinging the bat
at his side)
But first…why
don’t you give us everything you got?
Page 12
1 - Jason Todd
slides his Red Hood helmet back on over his face.Is that melted snow or a tear on his cheek?
2 - Amygdala is
out of the line of sight of the four thugs.His arms are tensing up, he is beginning to perspire despite the
freezing temperatures, his eyes are bulging.The beast is ready to come out…
3 - Jerry steps a
little closer to Kid Jason, crowbar pointed at the juvenile as he falls
backwards over the box he was sitting on.
JERRY
Better yet, how
about you take us to your daddy’s house and give us everything he’s got too.
EVAN
(giggling)
And then you can
take us ta yer mommy’s house and we can take what she’s got too!
4 - All four men
stand there, laughing over the scared kid they’re bullying, in the BG the light
reflects off Jason Todd’s helmet.
5 - Same, but a
massive hand has grabbed Evan around the neck.
6 - Amygdala,
roaring incoherently, slams Evan’s head into the brick wall of the alley.
7 - A bloody smear
is left behind as his dead body slides to the ground.
8- Kid Jason
hiding behind the dumpster from earlier...
Page 13
1 - Amygdala
stares down Jerry, Lynn, and Joe. Blood staining his hand.The three remaining thugs are pissing
themselves quite literally.
AMYGDALA
WHY YOU TRY HURT ME? WHY YOU HURT?!?!?
2 - Lynn charges
at Amygdala with a bat in hand.
3 - Amygdala
snatches the bat in one hand while snapping Lynn’s neck with his other hand
4 - Kid Jason
tries to stand up from behind the dumpster, but Lynn’s body slams against the
wall over his head and slides down right in front of him.
5 - Kid Jason runs
out from behind the dumpster,
6 - Joe catches
him, puts a gun to his head
7 - A gloved hand
comes out of the shadows, crooked blade in hand, and slits the throat of the
would-be killer.
JASON TODD
Not a good idea.
8- Kid Jason runs
without looking back as Amygdala, in the BG towers over Jerry.
Page 14
FULL PAGE
Amygdala stands
over Jerry, gigantic in his rage.Jerry
has fallen to the ground, flailing the crowbar in the air as Amygdala descends
upon him
JERRY
I just wanted some
money!I just needed some money! Don’t
kill me!
Page 15
1 - Amygdala swats
the crowbar away.
2 - Amygdala puts
one foot on the chest of Jerry and begins to push.
3 - Blood begins
to pour out of Jerry’s mouth as Amygdala’s weight crushes him
JERRY
Just….had….feed….kidsss
4 - Finally it
ends with a sickening CRUNCH as Amygdala presses his foot completely into the
chest cavity of Jerry, crushing his ribs, lungs, heart, etc.
5 - Tight on Kid
Jason retching his guts up behind a stack of boxes and trash…
Page 16
FULL PAGE
Standing there,
covered in blood and sweat, Amygdala’s breath is heavy and visible in the cold
December air.Faint strands of “Here
Comes Santa Claus” can be heard from one of the few shops still open on the
street only yards away.
Page 17
1 - Kid Jason
emerges from his hiding spot, wiping vomit off his chin…
KID JASON
Oh, my goooooooo….
2 - Amygdala,
still wrapped in a fit of berserk rage, grabs his “friend” by the shoulders and
slams him against a wall.A loud crack
can be heard, a rib popping more than likely, as Kid Jason screams.
3 - Amygdala, his
faces inches away from Kid Jason’s, contorted in fit of rage, slobber flying as
he yells.
AMYGDALA
WHY YOU HURT ME?
WHY YOU BRING MEN TO HURT ME?
KID JASON
(wincing)
I didn’t do
anything. I just wanted to be your friend.
AMYGDALA
LIAR! NOT FRIEND!
YOU HURT ME! BRING MEN TO HURT ME!
4 - Kid Jason is
crying; the snow and wind are in a fury to match that of Amygdala’s, the blood
stain Lynn left behind is on the wall next to Kid Jason’s head.
KID JASON
(screaming)
HELP! HELP!
SOMEBODY HEL…
5 - Amygdala’s
hand closes around the neck of Kid Jason, cutting off his cry for help.
AMYGDALA
(insane calm)
Not friend, you
liar, just like everybody.Now you die,
no more hurting Amyg…
6 - A pair of
gunshots ring out from off panel, blood splatters across the face of Kid Jason.
Page 18
FULL PAGE - KID
JASON’S POV
Jason Todd stands
there with a smoking gun in each hand, Red Hood helmet on, crooked knife
visible in his waistband “utility belt” still stained with blood.The wind whipping garbage and snow around at
his feet, the dead bodies of Jerry and Joe on the ground.The only sound is that of “Here comes Santa
Claus” fading into “Silent Night”…
Page 19
1 - Jason Todd
puts one more bullet into the head of Amygdala for good measure before he so
much as looks at Kid Jason.
2 - Kid Jason,
trembling, crying, covered in blood, throws up what little was left in his
stomach.This kid isn’t meant for such
violence.
3 - Jason Todd
squats down and locks eyes with Kid Jason for the first time.Amygdala’s brain matter, skull, and blood are
matted into the kid’s hair and all over his face.It’s like Jason is truly seeing the result of
his methods for the first time.
KID JASON
Why?
JASON TODD
What?
KID JASON
W…w…why did you
kill him?
4 - Jason Todd
stands up, holsters his gun, and snaps the locks on his Red Hood helmets loose.
JASON TODD
He was going to
kill you.Don’t…don’t think for a second
he was your friend kid.
5 - Jason looks at
the kid intently, dumbfounded by his reaction.He expected gratitude, thank you’s, not recrimination.
KID JASON
He was sick…you’re
sick.This is…this is just sick.
6 - Kid Jason
tries to stand, Jason Todd reaches out to help but his hand is swatted away.
KID JASON
There’s dead
people. Oh god there’s dead people. And you…you…you’re okay with this?
JASON
(somber)
None of these
people will ever harm another soul kid. No one like you will ever be hurt
again.
KID JASON
(gagging)
But none of ‘em
will ever get a chance to do right either.This guy, I didn’t even know his name yet…I didn’t even…
7 - Kid Jason
collapses back to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, the gravity of the
situation finally hitting him.
KID JASON
…didn’t even know
his name.
8 - Jason Todd,
obviously affected by this, puts his Red Hood helmet back on.The familiar lights of the police cars
reflect on the snow and the alley walls while the sirens overtake the tune of
“Silent Night”.
JASON TODD
It was Amyg…it was
Aaron.His name was Aaron. Go home to
your Dad kid, he’s probably worried sick.And don’t take it for granted, you never know when he’ll just…be….gone.
Page 20
FULL PAGE-
OVERHEAD
Police rushing
into the alleyway, Kid Jason crumbling into the arms of an officer, five dead
bodies, lots of blood and snow, and Jason Todd’s head in the corner looking
down over the entire scene.
JASON TODD
(caption)
Doubt…
Page 20
1 - Jason Todd in
Red Hood helmet speeding away on a motorcycle, snow and wind swirling all
around him.
JASON TODD
(caption)
..the last thing I
need is doubt.But what that kid said, I
can’t shake it.
2 - Same
JASON TODD
(caption)
I looked at him;
all I could think of was Bruce.An
alley, a gun, a blood covered kid.Bruce.
3 - Same
JASON TODD
(caption)
I’ve heard it all
before, the lines about redemption, but this was different. It wasn’t coming
from holier-than-thou Batman…
4 - Same
JASON TODD
(caption)
It was the face of
innocence.It was Dick at the circus, it
was me and Dent, it was…it was Tim and Boomerang‘s kid.
5 - Same
JASON TODD
(caption)
But that way,
Bruce…Batman’s way, it hasn’t worked. Joker’s still out there, Harvey,
Cobblepot, Bane, even…even Bane.
6 - The back wheel
catches on ice, the bike slides out from underneath Jason Todd, sending him
crashing into a snow bank.
Page 21
1 - Jason Todd
sits up out of the snow bank, protected from any serious injury by his helmet
& body armor. The bike though, the bike is not so good, fixable, but
unrideable.
JASON TODD
Bane…even Bane.
2 - Jason Todd
picks the bike up, looks up at his surrounding, and lets out a bit of a
laugh.He hadn’t been really paying
attention to where he was driving apparently.
JASON TODD
(caption)
Bane shattered
him, broke him, and Batman still let him live.It’s like he forgave him, like he didn’t hold that hate in…in his heart.
3 - Jason Todd
walking down the road with the bike despite intense snowfall and bone chilling
winds.One gun is missing from his waist
holster, unknowingly left buried in the snow.
JASON TODD
(caption)
It wasn’t about
hate for Bruce, it…it wasn’t about revenge.Justice, always justice, blind justice.He believed in it, maybe to a fault, but he believed in it.
4 - Jason stops
walking, pops off his helmet, and looks into the snow.In the BG, a set of bars, like a gate, are
visible.
JASON TODD
(caption)
Maybe justice
isn’t possibly always, maybe rehabilitation doesn’t always work, but for Bruce,
it was enough to know he tried.As long
as he tried…
5 - Interior of
the Batcave, still in disrepair from the Black Glove, shot on the shattered
case containing Jason Todd’s Robin costume.
JASON TODD
(caption)
I don’t know if
I’ll ever find my way back to your side of the fence Bruce, if I’ll ever be as
“Batman” as you dreamed, save that for Tim and Dick, but maybe…just maybe...
Page 22
FULL PAGE
Jason Todd stands
just outside the gates of Wayne Manor.It’s hard to tell the state of the Manor due to darkness and the snow,
but it seems as if some windows are still busted out, the scars of what
happened in RIP still remain.I’m
picturing a panel from Robin #7 when Bruce sees the state of the manor under
AzBats watch.It’s looming, towering over
Jason Todd, imposing, with the words “WAYNE” on the top of the gate half covered
in snow.
