10 Iconic Comic Book Moments Erased By Stupid Retcons
2. Jason Todd is Murdered By The Joker
In the 80s, Dick Grayson was appearing less and less in the Batman comics as Robin, due to his role in the popular Teen Titans comic. The Batman editors felt it was time to bring in a successor and so Jason Todd was introduced. At first, his origin was virtually identical to Dick Graysons, but following the Crisis on Infinite Earths story, Todd was presented as a street orphan taken under Batmans wing. The character was hugely unpopular, and in A Death in the Family, readers were given a choice if they wanted to see Todd live or die. Fans voted for death and Todd was killed by the Joker. The death of Jason became a turning point for Batman, something the character regarded as his greatest failure, and also intensified his obsession with the Joker. It was also a crucial event in the life of Todds successor, Tim Drake, as Batmans guilt over Todds death meant he was far more protective of Tim. In Under The Hood, writer Judd Winick decided to undo all that by revealing that the new Red Hood was a resurrected Todd. The Infinite Crisis crossover revealed that Superboy-Prime had altered reality by punching the barriers of the universe, and one of those alterations was the resurrection of Todd. Breaking free from his coffin, Todd was later discovered by Talia al Ghul and restored to health with a Lazarus Pit. Todds resurrection and new existence as the Red Hood has been popular with some, even leading to his own title. But other fans have criticized the story.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
