"Two of a Kind"
Cover Date: August 1987
Writer: Max Collins
Art: Dave Cockrum
Previously...
Crisis on Infinite Earths hit the DC universe, including Batman. For whatever reason, the revision to the Batman Canon were minimal, mainly pertaining to the writers taking efforts to try and distinguish Jason Todd, the 2nd Robin, from Dick Grayson. Also, Batman: Year One just happened, hence the 'New Adventures' part of the letterhead.
Plot
Batman has been training Jason Todd for six months to be the next Robin, as Batman figures that the only way he can prevent Jason from falling into a life of crime is by making him Robin. I don't know, he's fucking Batman, who are we to question his views of sociology.
Anyway, they take a break so Batman can give the official post-crisis version of Two-Face's origin. It's basically the same as the old one, Harvey Dent was a D.A. who pissed off some mobsters, one of who threw acid at his face during a trial. Which, come to think of it, must have led to an awkward closing statement by the defense, "Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I know you saw my client disfigure the D.A. and thereby turn him into a raving madman that has already managed to kill or maim dozens, but..."
Two-Face also still has his classic compulsion to organize his criminal life around a 'twin' motif. Which leads to my favorite panel of the comic:
 |
| "I will kill you, Apollo Creed!" |
Who robs a movie theater?
Robin then goes back to training as Batman explains to Alfred that Jason Todd is not yet ready to know that his dad was one of Two-Face's flunkies before he got iced. The Dynamic Duo then get called in by Commissioner Gordon.
Gordon, who seems unhappy by the fact that Batman is once more partners with a kid, gives Batman an envelope addressed to him that contains a poker hand with a two pair. Two-Face is apparently back, and felt compelled to make sure everyone knows. Two-Face doesn't need to keep a low profile!
Two-Face then manages to take a hostage, and is about to escape. Robin volunteers to swap places with the hostage, and despite Two-Face being smart enough to recognize the danger in trading the hostage for Batman, cannot see the potential problem with keeping Robin hostage. It take Robin precisely three seconds to get free, though Two-Face manages to escape. Batman is then oddly philosophical about a mass murderer still being loose, and Batman and Robin return to the Batcave, where Robin looks up Two-Face on the BatComputer to find out that his father was probably killed by Two-Face. To Be Continued!
Comments
I don't really see the appeal of Batman having a Robin, but I can understand why you'd have one due to tradition.
What I don't get, though, is why DC insists on continually replacing the guy in the Robin costume. Jason Todd was the first guy to come in as a replacement Robin, As most of you know, it didn't quite work out, as the writers later effectively dared America to kill Jason Todd via a call-in vote, and America called their bluff.
The only real amazing thing about Jason Todd is that he has somehow set a record for sucking for thirty uninterrupted years, no really, here's the character progression of Jason Todd:
1. Introduced as a clone of a Dick Grayson.
2. Retconned into being a hothead who managed to get himself killed.
3. Dead, and repeatedly brought up as a source of guilt for Batman, which got old fast.
4. Retconned back to life in heroically stupid fashion.
5. Decided to become sort of a half-assed quasi-villain.
6. Decided to become sort of a half-assed quasi-hero.
7. Starred in the worst of the DC Relaunch titles.
Thirty years, and he was a terrible character at every step, You'd think a writer would eventually blunder onto a good hook for the character, but no. Hell, he was probably at his most popular when he was a corpse.
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