Warning: Spoilers for From the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives! #4 ahead!DC has concluded its 4-part miniseries covering what would have happened ifJason Toddhad survived his fatal and fateful encounter with theJoker, and the results are heartbreaking. In the end, it appears that surviving the Joker and being able to move past the trauma he has inflicted are two different beasts entirely, and living through the attack only sets up Jason for a fate arguably worse than death.
J.M. DeMatteis, Rick Leonardi, Rico Renzi, and Taylor Esposito’sFrom the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives!#4 concludes the series, with Jason Todd fatally shooting the Joker after enduring humiliation after humiliation at the clown’s hands. Things appear to end on a positive note, with Dick Grayson taking up the mantle ofBatmanandJason retiring from hero work to oversee Arkham Asylum.
However, things swiftly turn tragic: the final issue concludes withJason donning clown makeup and becoming a new version of the Joker, showing how, despite surviving, he cannot escapethe Joker’s influenceover his life.
The Joker Destroys Jason Todd Whether Robin Lives or Dies
Jason Cannot Win - And He Becomes the Joker in the Process
The death of Jason Todd inBatman#427 by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo is arguably one of the most impactful deaths in comics, having left Robin’s fate in the hands of an infamously close reader poll. While Jason is eventually revived, revealed to be the anti-hero Red Hood inBatman#638 by Judd Winick and Doug Mahnke, fans have wondered for decades what might have happened if a handful of votes had gone the other way and Jason had lived. DC eventually revealed the alternate version ofBatman#428 in which Robin lives, but theDeath in the Family - Robin Lives!miniseries attempts to explore the matter even further.
Every issue highlights how the Joker’s abuse continues to scar and torment Jason.
Death in the Family - Robin Lives!repeatedly emphasizes how Jason has not recovered from his treatment at the Joker’s hands. Jason walks out on therapy, relives the moment via Scarecrow’s fear gas, and even winds upback in the Joker’s hands, brainwashed for a short period into being “Jokey, the Boy Lackey.” Every issue highlights how the Joker’s abuse continues to scar and torment Jason, essentially suggesting that,despite living, Jason never “survived” the attack at all.The Joker’s treatment dominates Jason’s psyche, culminating in Jason continuing the cycle of abuse by becoming his tormentor.
Even When Jason Todd Lives Through the Joker’s Attack, “Robin” Dies
The Joker’s Triumph Over Robin Is a Multiversal Constant
The ultimate tragedy ofDeath in the Family - Robin Lives!#4 is how a story that is ostensibly about Jason Todd’s life only highlights how ingrained his death at the Joker’s hands has become in DC canon. Jason surviving is supposed to be part of the “good” timeline; instead, it brings out the worst in him. Ironically,being murdered by the Joker ultimately leads Jason to some form of redemption as the Red Hood.Meanwhile, in the timeline where Jason lives, he instead succumbs to corruption and becomes a full-on villain. Either way, “Robin” dies.
36 Years After His Death, Jason Todd’s Red Hood Finally Gets the Ending He’s Always Deserved in a Story Even Hardcore Fans Thought They Would Never See
One of the biggest tragedies in the DC Universe is the life of Jason Todd, but for just a fleeting moment, DC almost gave him the ending he deserved.
Death in the Family - Robin Livestells a bleak story, but it is a story worth reading, driving home the importance of mental health. It highlights in stark terms how survival is more than just living through trauma: it is also the ability to move past it. In life,Jason Toddproves unable to move past what theJokerdid to him, hammering home that, one way or another, theJokerwill always succeed in killing Robin.
From The DC Vault: Death In The Family - Robin Lives!#4is available now from DC Comics.
Red Hood
Jason Todd is a complex figure known for his tumultuous journey as Batman’s second Robin. Initially impulsive and rebellious, he’s resurrected after a tragic death, becoming the vigilante Red Hood. Armed with intense combat skills and a moral ambiguity, he challenges Batman’s methods, navigating a path between heroism and anti-heroism in Gotham’s unforgiving streets.
The Joker
The Joker is a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a warped sense of humor. Initially introduced as a remorseless serial killer, the character evolved over time, often oscillating between a prankster and a homicidal maniac. His relationship with Batman is one of the most complex in comic book history, defined by their mutual obsession. Over the decades, the Joker has become an enduring icon of chaos and madness, embodying the antithesis of Batman’s order and justice.
