Bonded By Trauma: An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Jason Todd And Barbara Gordon

Trauma is a feeling that every member of the Batman Family has experienced. It’s one of many reasons why each of them has chosen to fight crime, perhaps none more so than Jason Todd and Barbara Gordon. 

Jason and Barbara’s experiences are similar, despite them coming from different backgrounds. Their trauma was caused at the hands of The Joker, giving them unique perspectives on what it’s like to survive a harrowing event. 

Whether as colleagues, friends, adoptive siblings or romantic partners, there’s a whole range of roles that Jason and Barbara could fill for one another and it’s worth investigating the bond that’s unique among the Batman Family.

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Batman: Three Jokers Review: Trauma Comes In Threes

DC Black Label, known for publishing mature titles, has provided some refreshing new takes on the Batman mythos, with stories such as Batman: White Knight and Batman: Damned. Characters like The Joker have been reimagined in new ways and that trend has continued with Batman: Three Jokers, which presents three different versions of The Clown Prince of Crime for the Batman family to overcome.

Produced by the superstar trio of Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson, Three Jokers brings together the three members of the Batman family who’ve been most effected by Joker’s actions: Batman, Red Hood and Batgirl. 

Guest Blog: A ‘What If’ Moment: What If The Joker Went On A Road Trip?

It would be an unlikely plot contrivance, but still an interesting one to think about: What if one of our beloved characters was forced on the road for a lengthy period of time? What would their method of transportation be? What would it look like?

We don’t need to spend a whole lot of time thinking about the answers to these questions, because a concept artist from a motorcaravan company has already set out to answer them. There’s some really cool illustrations not just from the comic book world, but from TV and cinema. Let’s look at The Joker’s first:

Batman: White Knight Review: A Compelling New Take On The Joker

With there being so many classic Batman arcs, it can be tricky to tell original stories about the Dark Knight that don’t retread old ground. Sean Murphy had to overcome that challenge when he set out to write Batman: White Knight, and he succeeded in creating something that felt completely fresh.

Set in an alternative timeline, White Knight brings a new dimension to the relationship between The Joker and Batman. What would happen if the Clown Prince of Crime was cured of his madness and set out to atone for everything he’d done? The idea of a repentant Joker is an interesting take and is explored within a graphic novel that contains themes of police brutality, political infighting and corruption.

Why The Batman Who Laughs Is Scarier Than The Joker

The Joker is considered to be one of the most horrifying villains in pop culture. The amount of pain and misery he’s caused Batman over the years is indescribable. Despite Joker being a terrifying villain, I would argue there’s one character who is even scarier: The Batman Who Laughs. A twisted combination of Bruce Wayne and Joker, The Batman Who Laughs is Batman’s greatest nightmare come to life. The Comic Vault is looking into the history of the character to see what makes him an even bigger threat than Joker.

Why Jason Todd Was A Better Robin Than People Gave Him Credit For

For those of you who’ve been reading The Comic Vault regularly, you’ll have probably realised by now Jason Todd is my favourite comic character. His background, personality and lifestyle make him one of the most interesting characters in the Batman universe. As Red Hood, Jason has a dedicated following, but that wasn’t always the case. During his early years as Robin, Jason was so unpopular that fans decided to kill him off.

I disagree with the backlash Jason received, though the story of how he became Robin is worth knowing about. I’m looking into Jason’s tenure as Robin to show how he was a better Boy Wonder than people gave him credit for.

Does Killing Criminals Make Red Hood A More Interesting Character?

Comic characters are always changing, whether through personal choice or the experiences that shape them. No one can stay the same forever, otherwise it leads to repetitive stories. Red Hood is a character that’s gone through a lot of changes, developing from a murderous anti-hero into a trusted member of Batman’s inner circle. Jason Todd’s progression was built up over years, as he needed to earn back his mentor’s trust and overcome his personal demons.

At his core, Red Hood has always been motivated by his own sense of justice. His willingness to kill criminals set him apart from other members of the Batman family. But as he developed, Jason chose to honour Batman’s wishes by no longer killing. But did taking that aspect away make Red Hood less intriguing?

The 5 Most Twisted Versions Of The Joker In Comics

The Joker is one of the most evil characters in the history of comics, captivating fans with his nihilistic approach to life. His chaotic personality continually clashes with Batman’s desire for order, making him the perfect villain. The Joker’s characterisation has typically been split between a playful trickster and psychotic monster who revels in burning everything around him. Over the years, there have been many versions of the Clown Prince of Crime, some more disturbed than others. The Comic Vault is listing the five most twisted interpretations of The Joker.

The Batman Who Laughs #1 Review: All It Takes Is One Bad Day

DC’s latest event, Dark Nights: Metal, involves warped versions of Batman coming to the main DC reality to take over. There’s been a series of one-shots that have focused on the origin of each evil Caped Crusader, and with The Batman Who Laughs #1, we’re given a glimpse of the worst of them. Written by James Tynion IV, the comic is one of the most gruesome Batman stories of all time and not every reader may be able to handle the subject matter.

Batman #28 Review: The War Between Joker And Riddler Heats Up

Batman #28, written by Tom King and drawn by Mikel Janin and June Chung, sees the continuation of the epic War of Jokes & Riddles arc. The story takes place early on in Batman’s career and it features a brutal gang war between The Riddler and Joker. Here are my thoughts on what turns out to be another powerful issue.