Hello everybody! We’ve noticed a really big influx of Jason content that includes the disclaimer “I’ve never read comics before so I’m sorry if this is ooc” and we know there are a lot of comics with contradictory information, but we thought it would be fun to make a masterpost with comics where you can find some basic Jason information that's vaguely cohesive.For the sake of cohesiveness, we've put together a list of comics with a similar characterization, using his time as Robin and post return moral ambiguity for reference. These lists were intended to be short and sweet to make things easier for newer readers, but we ended up going off the rails, our bad! However, you will notice that those issues are extremely easy and quick to read, so don't get scared if you see a lot of issues listed. Have fun!
The very barebones.
What the hell is a pre-crisis
Jason, as many other comic characters, have gone through a lot of "rewrites" through the years, as comics canon constantly change to modernize the characters, to make their stories more cohesive, etc. A mini crash course on that:
Pre-Crisis: Comics from 1983 until 1986-1987 belong to this era. Jason was a circus kid, his parents were killed by killer croc, and more. After the Crisis on Infinite Earths event he was rebooted, and was brought back as the Jason we know now (mostly).Post-Crisis: 1987-2011. Stole the tires of the batmobile Jason. Despite going through minor changes as time went by , this Jason mostly stuck to the same Origins seen in Batman #408 and onwards.New 52: 2011-2016. Well N52 was a bit of a mess for Jason, some elements from his origins Post crisis remained the same, but because the general DC timeline was shortened, they had to shorten Jason's timeline as well, resulting in things being left out, simplified or just changed, like the events of his death, his family, his origins, his personality..... Consider this a new Jason, just as Post-Crisis was a complete different guy from Pre-crisis. Or not! It's always your call :)Rebirth: 2016-2021 this wasn't a full reboot, but a bit of a continuation of New 52, where some old elements were added and things were expanded. Commonly regarded as better than the n52 but it was just n52 with a hat on.Infinite Frontier: 2021-?. According to DC this isn't a reboot, but it sorta is? Everything is canon now. Which means writers have technically the freedom to borrow from whatever previously mentioned canon, but so far it has only meant Jason is back to his Post-Crisis origins and general story, while also mantaining some of the core stories from New 52 and Rebirth, such as the outlaws, and part of his relationship with the batfam.TL;DR Pre-Crisis Jason, Post-Crisis Jason, and New 52 Jason can be seen as three completely different characters but fanom usually puts them all in a blender, hit that start button and enjoy the outcome. Imagine your name is Barbie and you can be anything -- and more importantly, do anything you want with canon.
Who the hell is Jason Todd
Jason Todd was the second Robin, first introduced as a circus boy (with a backstory and personality similar to Dick Grayson’s) and then rebooted to be introduced as the character we mostly know nowadays. There's no need to explain the rest, Things Happened, he was killed, and then returned as Red Hood.
Name: Jason Peter Todd
Date of introduction: 1983
Bio Parents
- Trina and Joe Todd (Pre Crisis)
- Sheila Haywood and Willis Todd (Post Crisis)
- Catherine Todd and Willis Todd (New 52, Arkham Knight Verse)
- Sheila Haywood and Willis Todd (Modern Canon)
Adoptive Parents
- Natalia Knight (Pre Crisis)
- Bruce Wayne (Always)
- Catherine Todd (Post Crisis)
- Kate Kane and Reneé Montoya (Bombshells)
Aliases he's used: Robin, Hush, Red Hood, Nightwing, Red Robin, Batman, Wingman, and more! He's the Barbie of the Batfam :)
| Time | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Pre Crisis Robin | 5'2 ft | 105 lbs |
| Post Crisis Robin | 4'6 ft | 87 lbs |
| At time of death | 5'0 ft | 87 lbs |
| As Red Hood | 6'0 ft | 180 lbs |
| Currently | 6'0 ft | 225 lbs |
ESSENTIAL READING
-Batman #408-#413
- Detective Comics #568-582
- Batman #414-425
- A Death in the Family (Batman #426–429)
- Batman Annual #25
- Red Hood: The Lost Days
- Batman: Under the Red HoodIf you read those, you have most of the basic details down, Jason's time as Robin, his death, and return as Red Hood, which is the basic but please take into consideration the most recent comic here took place 13 years ago so he's changed since then!
BONUS
These are some interesting essays/articles about Jason, which are fun to see people's perception of Jason through the years, as some are quite old and/or contain things from the 80's and more.- Living Dead Boy: Jason Todd vs. The Culture That Killed (And Resurrected) Him (2016)
- Who's to blame? How Jason Todd is blamed for his demise (2011)
- “A lot like Robin if you close your eyes.” (2010) Mostly about Steph. This website talked a lot about her and Jason and the classism surrounding their respective runs as Robin.
- The Lives and Death of Robin: An Oral History of A DEATH IN THE FAMILY (2018)
Why were these comics picked?
Of course everyone has their own preferences when it comes to Jason writing, as he's been written as an anti-hero, a villain, a hero, and things inbetween that contradict each other, but for this list we've mostly ignored comics that:
Reduce him to a beefcake
Characterize him as a villain just for the sake of being a villain, for example comics where writers wanted him to be Dick's joker. There's some comics we used from that era but mostly to add on friendships he made on that time or because it made sense. We support Jason's rights and wrongs idk.
Mischaracterize his time as Robin to demonize him and blame him for his own death.. okay this one can't be completely avoided but the ones that are crazily out of character weren't picked
| All comics, regardless of our own thoughts, can be found here. If you would be interested in us adding a section with alternative characterizations, let us know! And we will add them. |
Origin Stories
Pre-crisis
The Circus Kid
- Batman #357
- Detective #524
- Batman #358
- Detective #525
- Batman #359
- Detective #526
Post Crisis
- Batman #408
- Batman #409
New 52
- Batman #0 (2012)
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 (2012)
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #25 Year Zero
- Secret Origins #5 (2014)Rebirth
- Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth #1 (2016)
Current Origins:
- Batman Urban Legends #1-6 (2021)
Personality
Robin Personality
Some comics that highlight his personality in each continuity as Robin. Despite these technically being two different characters, they share some common traits so sometimes they're easy to see as the same Jason.
Pre-crisis:
By Doug Moench
Pre Robin
- Detective Comics #527
- Batman #361
- Detective Comics #528
- Detective Comics #529
- Batman #363
- Detective Comics #530
- Batman #364
- Detective Comics #531
Robin Arc
- Batman #365
(Detective Comics #532)
- Batman #366
- Batman #367
- Detective Comics #534
- Batman #368
- Detective Comics #535
Other Issues
- Batman #371
- Detective Comics #538
- Detective Comics #539
- Batman #384
- Detective Comics #551
- Batman #385
- Detective Comics #556Issue “Written” by Jason
- Detective Comics #555
Post Crisis
Robin: Year One, by Collins
- Batman #408–412
- Batman Annual #11
by Jo Duffy
- Batman #413
by Mike Barr
- Detective Comics #569-574
- Detective Comics #579-581
- DC Retroactive The '80s
by Robert Greenberger
- Batman Annual #12
by Christopher Priest
- Batman Annual #13
By "Wolfman"
- New Teen Titans #20-21
- New Teen Titans #26-31
By Starlin
- Batman: The Cult
- Batman #422
- Batman #424-425
Ambiguous:
These comics happened when Jason was still a circus kid, but as they were referenced after the crisis they can be considered part of both canon.- Superman annual #11
- Blue Devil #19
Red Hood Personality
Some comics that highlight his personality in each continuity as Red Hood.
Post Crisis
By Winnick
- Red Hood: Lost Days (2010)
- Batman: Under the Red Hood (2005-2006)
- Batman Annual #25 (2006)
- Green Arrow #69-72 (2007)
- Outsiders #44-46 (2007)Countdown to Final Crisis
- Countdown to Final Crisis #51 (2007)
- Teen Titans #47 (2007)
- Countdown to Final Crisis #50-33 (2007)
- All New Atom #13-15 (2007)
- Countdown to Final Crisis #32-1 (2007-2008)
- Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer (2008)By Winick again
- Batman and Robin #23-25 (2011)
New 52
- Action Comics Annual #3, Action Comics #34 (2014)
- Batman/Superman Annual #1 (2014)
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #29-30 (2014)
- Batman and Robin #10-12, #17
- Batman and Robin #20 (2013)
Rebirth
- New Talent Showcase (2017)
- Event Leviathan #2-3 (2019)
- Batman: Gotham Nights #11 (2020)
- Red hood: Outlaw #51-52 (2021)For more, click on Family.Current:
- Batman Urban Legends #1-6 (2021)
- Task Force Z (2021-2022)
- Robin #5 (2021)
- DC vs. Vampires (this is an Alternative Universe, but his personality is good)
- Batman: Legends of Gotham #1 (2023)
Family
Parents and siblings centric stories.
Robin Pre-crisis:
Bruce & Jason Focused
- Detective Comics #533
- Batman #368
- Batman #373
- Detective Comics #540
Adoption Battle
- Batman #374-375
- Detective Comics #542
- Batman #376
Enter Nocturna
- Detective Comics #543
- Batman #377
- Detective Comics #544
- Batman #378
- Detective Comics #545
- Batman #379
- Detective Comics #546
- Batman #380
- Detective Comics #547
- Batman #381Bruce & Alfred
- Detective Comics #548
- Batman #383, 384
- Detective Comics #551
- Batman #385
- Detective Comics #554
- Detective Comics #563
- Batman #400
- Batman Annual #10Dick
- Batman #368Nocturna’s Return and...
- Batman #389
- Detective Comics #556
- Batman #390
- Detective Comics #557
- Batman #391
- Detective Comics #558Robin Post Crisis
Bruce
- Batman #410
- Batman #411
- Batman #413
- Detective Comics #569
- Detective Comics #570
- Detective Comics #571
- Detective Comics #574- Batman #429 (1989)
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #100 (1997)
- Underworld Unleashed #2 (1995)
- Batman: Gotham County Line (2005)
- Batman #629
- Joker’s Last Laugh, and Joker: Last Laugh Secret Files and Origins (2001)
- Detective Comics #790 (2004)
- Batman and Superman World’s Finest #7 (1999)
- Superman/Batman #12 (2004)
- Justice League of America #0 (2006)Dick
- Batman #416
- New Teen Titans #31 (1987)
- Nightwing Year One #101–106 (2005)
- New Teen Titans #55 (1988) > but written by someone who hated Jason so like.. remember that bias lol.Alfred
- Batman: Gotham Knights #34 (2002)Alfred & Bruce
- Detective Comics #573(Some of these comics don't include Jason per se, but are good to know how his dynamic was with this character, such as how much Bruce cared for him)
Post Crisis
As Red Hood
Tim & Dick
- Teen Titans #29 (2005) family bonding with Tim :D
- Outsiders #44-45, Annual #1 (2007) okay this one is actually some bonding with Dick. I guess.
- Teen Titans #47 (2007)Talia
- Red Hood: The Lost Days #1-5*YES we will ignore the weird hooking up thing, especially because Winick has said Talia was written as a mother figure and Jason was a stand-in for Damian which is like.. yeah, let's leave it at that. Judd if you ever see this page you know you're going to comic writers hell for that one.New 52
Batfam
- Batman and Robin #10-12, #17 (2012-2013)
- Batman/Superman Annual #1 (2014)
- Batman and Robin #33–37 (2014 - 2015)
- Batman Eternal #10-12,#15 ,#18-20 ,#25 ,#26 ,#28 (2014 - 2015)
- Grayson #12 (2015)Robin War
- Robin War #1 (2015)
- Grayson #15 (2015)
- Detective Comics #47 (2015)
- We are Robin #7 (2015)
- Robin: Son of Batman #7 (2015)
- Robin War #6 (2016)Bruce
- Batman and Robin #20 (2013) :)Bruce & Damian
- Convergence: Batman and Robin (2015)Alfred
- Justice League #19 (2013)Talia al Ghul
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #25 Year ZeroRebirth
Batfam
- Batman #16, #33 (2017)
- Nightwing #15 (2017)
- Detective Comics #967-968 (2017)
- Detective Comics #975 (2017)
- Detective Comics #1000 (2019)Bruce
- Trinity Annual #1, Trinity #12-15 (2017)
- Robin 80th Anniversary (2020)
- Red Hood: Outlaw #51-52Duke
- New Talent Showcase (2017)
- Batman #33 (2017)
-Detective Comics #1000 (2019)Alfred
- Batman: Alfred R.I.P #1 (2020)
- Red Hood and The Outlaws #21 (2018)Kate
- Batwoman #6 (2017)
- Red Hood: Outlaw #28-29 (2018)Current:
Bruce
- Batman Urban Legends #1-6 (2021)
- Task Force Z #4
- Task Force Z #6Alfred
- Task Force Z #3 (2021)
- Batman: Legends of Gotham #1 (2023)Stephanie
- Task Force Z #9
- Task Force Z #12 (2022)
- Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #5 (2023)Batfam
- Task Force Z #8-9
- Batman #136 (2023)
Friends/Important Relationships
Buddies he's collected through the years :)
Pre-crisis:
Julia Remarque
- Batman #370
- Detective Comics #539
- Batman #375
- Detective Comics #542Rena ♥
- Detective Comics #561
- Detective Comics #563
- Detective Comics #564
- Batman #398
- Detective Comics #565Eddie
- Blue Devil #19Catwoman
- Batman #390
- Detective Comics #560
- Batman #395
- Detective Comics #562
-Batman #396
- Batman #397
- Batman #398
- Batman #400Bullock:
- Detective Comics #554
- Batman #388
- Batman #390
- Batman #395
- Detective Comics #562
-Batman #396Talia al Ghul
- Batman #400
Post Crisis
As Robin
Selina
- Detective Comics #569
- Detective Comics #570The Titans (esp. Donna)
- The New Teen Titans #20-21
- The New Teen Titans #24 (briefly!)
- The New Teen Titans #26-31Superman / Wonder Woman
-Action Comics #556 ɒ (1987)
- Superman annual #11 (1985)Elongated Man/Sherlock
- Detective Comics #572As Red HoodKyle/Donna
- Countdown Presents: the Search for Ray Palmer
- Countdown to Final Crisis (issues where they appear)Scarlet
- Batman & Robin (2009) #1-6, #24-25
- Convergence: Batman & Robin #1-2
| Debated about putting some characters here because the comics they're in are badly written and ooc for everyone involved, but those who are writers might be able to reinvent them/rewrite their relationships Idk have fun! |
New 52 / Rebirth/Etc
Roy & Kori
- Original Red Hood and the OutlawsDucra / All Caste
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #1-2, 5, 7, 18Essence
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #1, 7, 10-11 (2011 run)
- Red Hood: Outlaw #33-35, 43-49 (2018)League of Asassins
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #19-21, Annual #1, #22-26Artemis & Bizarro
- Rebirth Red Hood and the OutlawsIsabel ♥
- Red Hood and the Outlaws (2011 run) #2, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 28,
- Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016 run) #33, 35, 36, 43, 44, 45, 49Gaby
- Red Hood/Arsenal #4Duela Dent
- Red Hood/Arsenal #5, 7, 8-13
- Red Hood: Outlaw #48, 50Rose Wilson
- Robin #5 (2021)
-The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9-10Numbers
- Batman: Gotham Nights #11Max
- Truth & Justice #10Dana / Denise
- Red Hood: Outlaw #51-52Dana / Sophia / Carmen ♥ / Gary / Anna / Kish
- Red Hood: The Hill #1-2Elseworlds
Gan
- Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood #1-2
Ambiguous:
These comics happened when Jason was still a circus kid, but as they were referenced after the crisis they can be considered part of either canon – or both- Superman annual #11
- Blue Devil #19
- New Teen Titans #18–#31 (1986-1987)
Arcs
If you're interested in complete arcs/plots as well.
Pre-crisis:
His most important arcs are included in Personality & Family (such as Nocturna's arc) but here's some others who are funCatman arc
- Batman #371
- Detective Comics #558Scarecrow arc
- Batman #373
- Detective Comics #540Black Mask arc
- Batman #386
- Detective Comics #553
- Batman #387Team up with Bullock
- Batman #395
- Detective Comics #562
- Batman #396
Post Crisis
- Batman: the Cult
Stint with the Titans
- The New Teen Titans #20-21
- The New Teen Titans #24 (briefly!)
- The New Teen Titans #26-31
New 52
Damian's body recovery/resurrection
- Batman and Robin #20, #33–37 (2014 - 2015)Team up with Babs & Kate
-Batman Eternal #18-20**Adding this despite the.. jaybabs.. because it’s a good reference to know his position in the Batfam in current canon.Robin War
- Robin War #1 (2015)
- Grayson #15 (2015)
- Detective Comics #47 (2015)
- Red Hood/Arsenal #7 (2015)
- We are Robin #7 (2015)
- Robin: Son of Batman #7 (2015)
- Robin War #6 (2016)Rebirth
The Hill
-Red Hood #51-52
Newer Comics:
Cheers! arc
- Batman: Urban Legends #1-6The Hill continuation
- Red Hood: The Hill (on-going)
Frequent doubts/misconceptions
Some very specific info, feel free to ask for anything to be added!
Jason was cold as Robin
He could be forgiving and even understanding towards villains, even forgiving his dad's killer and believing Penguin could change his ways- Detective Comics #570 (Joker)
- Batman #410-411 / Detective Comics #580-581 (TwoFace)
- Batman Annual #11 (Penguin)Jason was the Mean Robin
He was humorous and sweet, and sure, had a rebellious streak and had attitude, but he was not defined by a single trait.- Batman #408-413
- Detective Comics #579
- Batman #422, #424-425Jason was careless and it got him killed
Extremely common misconception, there's various comics where it's pointed out that Jason lashing out and acting recklessly is odd and ooc of him.- Batman #411
- Batman #422
- Batman #426and there's multiple times where he's completely capable of waiting, thinking things through, and more:
- Batman Annual #11
- Batman #413
- Even during the Garzonas case he decided to wait and do things "the right way" Batman #424Jason was around for a year when he was Robin
As far as we know he was Robin at least three years, but Can I interest you in a Robin Jason possible timeline, which spawns around 5 years?Jason wasn't a Titan
He wasn't a full time Titan like Dick or Tim were, but he worked with them, showed up when they called, and was in the Titans data base. panelsRE: Jason's ethnicity
If you're confused about people headcanoning as anything but white, in Death in the Family, Lady Shiva is one of the characters that could be Jason's mother, so many people have speculated over the years that he's not white. You can read about it in Batman #426-427, and Batgirl #65. Another common hc is him being Latino, which simply comes from the fact he was very popular among latinx fans back in 2014-2017.
RE: Jason's age
Jason's age is around the early twenties right now, it changes from comic to comic. He was 21 in N52, and now seems to be 23 (even if he rarely looks that age..), and is usually believed to be around 19-20 years old during UTRH.When it comes to the age gap with his other siblings, pre N52:
- Around 7 years younger than Dick.
- Around 10 years younger than Babs
- 2-3 years older than Tim.
- Around a year older than Steph.
- Around the same age as Cass, Cass seems to be older (like 6-7 months older)
- Around 8-9 years older than Damian.After New 52.. good luck figuring out ages honestly, as Jason is in his twenties, alongside Dick and Babs, and the others are all teenagers, which makes no sense and everyone hates. However I can safely say he's around 5 years older than Duke.RE: Pit Rage/Madness
The Lazarus Pit influencing his actions vary from writer to writer, some of them use it to explain Jason's actions, and some don't. This tumblr post is a good guide. Something that isn't mentioned in the post is that the Lazarus Pit was not how Jason was brought back originally, and wasn't even in the plans until later, so it's safe to assume nothing in Under the Red Hood was influenced by it.Jason is dumb / incompetent
Well here comes a break down of that:- Under the Red Hood/The Lost Days: there's multiple instances where Jason outsmarted others, like the entire comic is based on him being as good as Bruce.- Green Arrow #70-72: showed he could keep up with Green Arrow, and had great fights with Brick and Mia.- Outsiders #44-45: keep up with Dick, was able to get intel the outsiders couldn't.- Batman, Incorporated #4: entire fight with the bad guys.- Event Leviathan #3: everything above terminates in this issue, excellent and realistic fight.Is Wayne Family/Red Hood webtoons good?
Personal preference first always, many people like it just as many people don't!
- Wayne Family Adventures is lighthearted and doesn't deal with heavy plots, it's something sweet and nice to spend a good time. Focused on the batfam and their different dynamics.
- Red Hood and the Outlaws is more plot heavy and has more complicated relationships.
Some Posts that debunk these issues:
- In response of a comic saying Jason lacked integrity and dedication as Robin- In response to the Titans show making him the "angry" Robin without any of the context in which he was violent/aggressive- The original 80′s Jason Todd vs how writers changed his perception after his death