6. A Death in the Family: The Death of Jason Todd
After Dick Grayson left, Batman found a new Robin in Jason Todd. A young orphan living in Crime Alley, Batman catches Jason trying to steal the Batmobiles hubcaps. Taking pity on the boy, Batman helps the boy and eventually trains him to be his new sidekick. Unfortunately, Jason was never a particularly popular character. He was full of rage due to his abusive father and was never able to match the physical skills of Dick Grayson. And so, while the Dynamic Duo were hunting down the Joker in the Middle East, the rash Jason disobeys Batman and tries to take on the Joker by himself. The Joker gets the jump on Jason and beats him with a crow bar before leaving him tied up in a warehouse set to explode. The next issue contained what is now one of the best known panels among Bat-fans: the image of a forlorn Batman carrying the battered and bloody body of his former partner. The death of Jason Todd left a huge stain on Batmans mantle. Batmans guilt over the death sent him into a deep, dark despair that, in some versions, he never gets over. Playing out the Jason Todd saga on screen would certainly give a whole new take on the characters of both Robin and Batman.