Jason Todd’s death in Titans has come and gone, and this is how it compares to the classic comic book story. Titans has returned for season 3 on August 12th after nearly two years since the release of season 2. The first three episodes of Titans dropped on HBO Max which will be the series’ new home following the collapse of DC Universe. Titans continues to tell the story of Dick Grayson as Nightwing and the adventures of his young team as they face off against new villains such as Red Hood, Blackfire, and possibly Scarecrow, himself.
A lot happens in the first three episodes, which includes rejoining the Titans in San Francisco where the team has become local celebrities. Audiences also catch a glimpse into Hank and Dawn’s new life apart in Washington D.C. where Hank has become a bicycle cop and Dawn continues to operate as Dove. Additionally, audiences are officially introduced to Tim Drake, a young take-out delivery boy working for his family’s restaurant. It’s a near perfect introduction to the Titans future Robin who is shown to be a Batman and Robin superfan and who will likely become a critical player by the end of the season.
The first episode of the season, “Barbara Gordon,” also features the highly anticipated adaptation of the 1988 story, “A Death in the Family.” The entire event takes place within the first quarter of the episode. The adaptation picks up with Jason Todd triangulating Joker’s location after his recent escape from Arkham employing a system like the one used The Dark Knight. Once Jason locks onto Joker’s location, he calls Bruce and is ordered to stand down until Bruce returns to Gotham the following morning. Jason doesn’t listen and is killed by Joker. Though Jason Todd’s death is similar to the comics, it is also incredibly different.
Location and Context
In the comics, Jason’s death takes place in Ethiopia during his search to locate his biological mother who he discovers is a doctor there. This is after Jason and Batman prevented Joker from selling a dirty bomb to terrorists. Unfortunately, Jason’s reunion with his mother does not go as planned. She delivers Jason to Joker to protect herself. This is vastly different to how Jason’s death unfolds in Titans. In Titans, Jason’s death takes place in Gotham and has nothing to do with his mother. Instead, he alone is to blame for his death after refusing to wait for Batman and attempting to apprehend Joker by himself.
Death by Crowbar
Fortunately, Titans season 3 keeps the most iconic element of Jason’s death, Joker’s savage crowbar attack. Just as he does in the comics, Joker viciously and repeatedly beats Jason with an iron crowbar. The bloody and shocking scene does not disappoint. The composition and editing of the sequence brilliantly evoke the now famous panels of Jason’s comic book death in Batman #427. The only thing missing from the iconic moment in Titans is Joker’s maniacal smile as his face is never revealed. Unlike the comic, this savage beating is what ultimately kills Jason in place of the violent explosion which brings a building down on the boy wonder in the comics.
Batman’s Failure
Batman’s failure is felt in the Titans adaptation and the original comic, but the Dark Knight’s failure is more visceral in the comics. In this Titans episode, Bruce is on a jet returning unaware that Jason’s death is imminent. Iain Glen’s Bruce seems to take on a laissez-faire attitude toward Joker’s breakout and Jason’s desire to pursue him. In Batman #427, Batman is desperately racing toward Jason and is only moments too late to rescue his young ward. He’s forced to face his failure head on and pull Robin’s broken body from the fire. The changes made to Jason Todd’s Titans death ultimately weakens its effectiveness.