Because someone has to be the Lex Luthor to @Hound55's Super Tiger. The Joker to his Lawyer-Man.
...er, Lawyer-Tiger?
...er, Lawyer-Tiger?
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L
B I R D M A N
H A R V E Y B I R D M A N ♦ A T T O R N E Y A T L A W ♦ N E W Y O R K ♦ L A W O F F I C E S O F S E B B E N & SE B B E N
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L
R O B I N
J A S O N P E T E R T O D D ♦ S T U D E N T ♦ G O T H A M C I T Y ♦ O U T L A W S
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
This is the story you know.
Jason Todd was born into poverty, growing up in Gotham’s crime alley. The son of mafioso-wannabe Willis “The Score” Todd and a prostitute named Shelia Haywood, Jason miraculously survived infancy, with Gotham’s underfunded Child Protective Services either too inept or too overwhelmed to take much notice of the boy growing up in crack houses and meth labs. His mother had custody until an arrest for prostitution and parole violation, later dying of a fentanyl overdose. In kindergarten, Jason bounced around several foster homes before the courts placed him with his father and Willis’ new wife, Catherine. Fewer drugs, more beatings.
Then one day his father left for a “big score” and never returned. As soon as his step-mom realized what had happened, she skipped town, leaving Jason alone and confused. Come to find out, the “big score” was ripping off Black Mask. Which, didn’t take long for Mask’s thugs to come around, looking for anyone at the Todd residence. They ransacked the place, beat Jason, and said they’d be back. Jason didn’t intend to be there when they returned, bailing out onto the streets.
He got picked up by the cops a few times. In and out of foster homes again. In and out of juvenile detention. In and out of school, slowly falling into an abyss of crime, poverty, and homelessness that seemed to define life as he knew it. One time he ran and managed to last a week on the streets. He saw a cop pull a car over for a traffic stop, with a box of doughnuts on the seat of the empty patrol unit. He figured that could be dinner and the cop wouldn’t notice. Instead, he wound up in the chase of his life for a couple of pastries that represented his first chance to eat in more than a day.
Which was when he ran into the Batman.
Seriously, he’s getting chased by the cops and the goddamn Batman for a couple of doughnuts.
You’d think he’d just jacked the tires off the Batmobile...
Jason Todd was born into poverty, growing up in Gotham’s crime alley. The son of mafioso-wannabe Willis “The Score” Todd and a prostitute named Shelia Haywood, Jason miraculously survived infancy, with Gotham’s underfunded Child Protective Services either too inept or too overwhelmed to take much notice of the boy growing up in crack houses and meth labs. His mother had custody until an arrest for prostitution and parole violation, later dying of a fentanyl overdose. In kindergarten, Jason bounced around several foster homes before the courts placed him with his father and Willis’ new wife, Catherine. Fewer drugs, more beatings.
Then one day his father left for a “big score” and never returned. As soon as his step-mom realized what had happened, she skipped town, leaving Jason alone and confused. Come to find out, the “big score” was ripping off Black Mask. Which, didn’t take long for Mask’s thugs to come around, looking for anyone at the Todd residence. They ransacked the place, beat Jason, and said they’d be back. Jason didn’t intend to be there when they returned, bailing out onto the streets.
He got picked up by the cops a few times. In and out of foster homes again. In and out of juvenile detention. In and out of school, slowly falling into an abyss of crime, poverty, and homelessness that seemed to define life as he knew it. One time he ran and managed to last a week on the streets. He saw a cop pull a car over for a traffic stop, with a box of doughnuts on the seat of the empty patrol unit. He figured that could be dinner and the cop wouldn’t notice. Instead, he wound up in the chase of his life for a couple of pastries that represented his first chance to eat in more than a day.
Which was when he ran into the Batman.
Seriously, he’s getting chased by the cops and the goddamn Batman for a couple of doughnuts.
You’d think he’d just jacked the tires off the Batmobile...
C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
Welcome to Robin Year One. Well, Robin: The Next Generation Year One, anyway. Only hopefully without all the awkwardness of pre-beard Riker. (Where you at, Star Trek fans? I know you feel me on this.)
As much as this is exactly what it says on the tin (a Post-Crisis Jason Todd), my goal is to vary up the storytelling by alternating between stories that focus on Jason and Gotham with stories that broaden the narrative by crafting a version of Outlaws/Young Justice to be another literary outlet. In doing so, I hope I’ve adapted a mix of characters that won’t step on anyone’s toes or be disruptive.
So, I've included the team roster for illustration, but this is a Jason Todd POV. The Outlaws/Young Justice piece just gives me a way to alternate so I'm not just focusing on Gotham stories with him and can change it up to keep things fresh.
As much as this is exactly what it says on the tin (a Post-Crisis Jason Todd), my goal is to vary up the storytelling by alternating between stories that focus on Jason and Gotham with stories that broaden the narrative by crafting a version of Outlaws/Young Justice to be another literary outlet. In doing so, I hope I’ve adapted a mix of characters that won’t step on anyone’s toes or be disruptive.
So, I've included the team roster for illustration, but this is a Jason Todd POV. The Outlaws/Young Justice piece just gives me a way to alternate so I'm not just focusing on Gotham stories with him and can change it up to keep things fresh.
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
The Bat-Family characters are obviously shared with @Roman. Inclusion of a Green Lantern coordinated with @Hound55.
Alfred Pennyworth - Jason’s nemesis. The man is a supervillain, Jason is certain of it.
Dick Grayson - Nightwing. Hero of Bludhaven and a big brother/mentor for Jason.
Renee Montoya - A Gotham police officer who works as a school liaison officer with the Gotham public schools.
Al-x - A Green Lantern cadet (and the self-appointed leader of the Outlaws).
Tandy Bowen - Dagger, a teenage vigilante who draws on the Lightforce.
Tyrone Johnson - Cloak, a teenage vigilante who draws on the Darkforce.
Mar (they/them) - A young Plodex recently hatched in the sewers of Gotham.
Dr. Bradford Thorne, MD - The brother of Rupert Thorne, running a free clinic in Crime Alley. He tries to do what he can to help those hurt by his brother's crime and drugs, but often winds up getting sucked into the criminal underworld by family.
Rupert Thorne - One of Gotham City's councilmen, who runs the Tobacconist's Club, which is a front for an organization known as Leviathan.
Waylon Jones (Killer Croc) - Rupert Thorne's enforcer.
William and Andrew Mallory (Wrath and Scorn) - An anti-Batman and Robin formed by the sons of criminals put away by the Batman.
Alfred Pennyworth - Jason’s nemesis. The man is a supervillain, Jason is certain of it.
Dick Grayson - Nightwing. Hero of Bludhaven and a big brother/mentor for Jason.
Renee Montoya - A Gotham police officer who works as a school liaison officer with the Gotham public schools.
Al-x - A Green Lantern cadet (and the self-appointed leader of the Outlaws).
Tandy Bowen - Dagger, a teenage vigilante who draws on the Lightforce.
Tyrone Johnson - Cloak, a teenage vigilante who draws on the Darkforce.
Mar (they/them) - A young Plodex recently hatched in the sewers of Gotham.
Dr. Bradford Thorne, MD - The brother of Rupert Thorne, running a free clinic in Crime Alley. He tries to do what he can to help those hurt by his brother's crime and drugs, but often winds up getting sucked into the criminal underworld by family.
Rupert Thorne - One of Gotham City's councilmen, who runs the Tobacconist's Club, which is a front for an organization known as Leviathan.
Waylon Jones (Killer Croc) - Rupert Thorne's enforcer.
William and Andrew Mallory (Wrath and Scorn) - An anti-Batman and Robin formed by the sons of criminals put away by the Batman.
S A M P L E P O S T:
I was eight the first time I stole something.
Jacked the money from out of my teacher’s purse at school. She had fifty dollars in there. I was able to afford school lunch. It was the only time I ate that day and when I brought home the change, my step-mom was so happy that I didn’t even get beat that night.
My parents kept the money, of course. Forty bucks? You can get crack, meth, or like two tabs of acid for that.
I think she got acid, and even split one of the tabs with me. It’s kinda fuzzy from there.
Yes, my step-mom gave me acid.
Yes, I was eight.
If I’m the piece of shit people tell me I am, this is probably why.
The Batman says it gives me perspective. Like, he actually said it that way. Perspective. What the fuck ever, man. What does that even mean?
I think it makes me different. Different from the Batman. Different from Nightwing. They see criminals and its all black and white. Right and wrong. Criminals did them wrong, but they’ve never been so low that wrong was the only choice left.
Case in point, there’s two reasons you’d be stealing baby formula. One, apparently the shit is like powdered gold. Shortage? Its expensive, I guess? I don’t really get it, but stealing baby formula is apparently a thing.
But, because its expensive, hard to get, and all that shit, you might steal it so you could feed your kid.
So which is it tonight? Holy teet-suckers, Batman. Let’s find out!
Jacked the money from out of my teacher’s purse at school. She had fifty dollars in there. I was able to afford school lunch. It was the only time I ate that day and when I brought home the change, my step-mom was so happy that I didn’t even get beat that night.
My parents kept the money, of course. Forty bucks? You can get crack, meth, or like two tabs of acid for that.
I think she got acid, and even split one of the tabs with me. It’s kinda fuzzy from there.
Yes, my step-mom gave me acid.
Yes, I was eight.
If I’m the piece of shit people tell me I am, this is probably why.
The Batman says it gives me perspective. Like, he actually said it that way. Perspective. What the fuck ever, man. What does that even mean?
I think it makes me different. Different from the Batman. Different from Nightwing. They see criminals and its all black and white. Right and wrong. Criminals did them wrong, but they’ve never been so low that wrong was the only choice left.
Case in point, there’s two reasons you’d be stealing baby formula. One, apparently the shit is like powdered gold. Shortage? Its expensive, I guess? I don’t really get it, but stealing baby formula is apparently a thing.
But, because its expensive, hard to get, and all that shit, you might steal it so you could feed your kid.
So which is it tonight? Holy teet-suckers, Batman. Let’s find out!
The man exploded from out of the pharmacy, a case of formula clutched to the chest, as the doors popped open. He was barreling down the sidewalk with the store manager shouting and a few feet behind.
A couple of good Samaritans made a lunge to try and stop the thief.
Overhead, a grapple line shot across the sky, as a shadowy caped figure swung around to the other side of the building.
Yeah, how bored was he that he was on baby formula theft patrol?
Letting go of the line, the boy tucked and rolled as he hit the fire escape running up the side of the next building. Popping back up to his feet, a second soft pop came as he fired another line to swing up to the roof.
Somersault and roll. It was a technique Dick had shown him. Reaching back to his utility belt, the boy pulled a pair of mini-binoculars free, bringing them up to his face to peer down at where the thief was loading his stolen goods into the getaway car that had been parked around the back.
There was an infant’s rear-facing car seat in the back.
Sirens were starting to come down the street. With his free hand, the boy reached back to his belt and pulled free a batarang.
The car was pulling away, tires screeching as the patrol unit was racing toward.
With a flick of his wrist, the boy sent the batarang spinning down toward the road. He’d been aiming for the windshield of the cop car.
He missed.
“Shit,” the boy cursed between gritted teeth.
The batarang skipped off the black top, connecting with the wheel hub of a passing Prius, which slung it sideways into a box truck parked on the street, where it ricocheted downward into one of the rear tires of the cop car.
Sirens blaring and lights flashing, the patrol unit was now burning rubber as it started to fishtail.
“The fu…” the boy uttered, in a mixture of confusion and disbelief, just before the cop car swerved off the road and crashed into a light pole.
Okay, that shit was hilarious.
Was this how it was when Dick was Robin?
Don’t know. Don’t care.
He was Robin now. He knew this city. Batman patrolled the streets, but Jason had slept on them. He knew all the sounds. Ambulances racing from horror to hope. Gunshots turning happy moments into tragedies. Cops who were just criminals with a badge. And maybe a criminal or two who was just trying to do the right thing in a city that didn’t even know what that was anymore.
A couple of good Samaritans made a lunge to try and stop the thief.
Overhead, a grapple line shot across the sky, as a shadowy caped figure swung around to the other side of the building.
Yeah, how bored was he that he was on baby formula theft patrol?
Letting go of the line, the boy tucked and rolled as he hit the fire escape running up the side of the next building. Popping back up to his feet, a second soft pop came as he fired another line to swing up to the roof.
Somersault and roll. It was a technique Dick had shown him. Reaching back to his utility belt, the boy pulled a pair of mini-binoculars free, bringing them up to his face to peer down at where the thief was loading his stolen goods into the getaway car that had been parked around the back.
There was an infant’s rear-facing car seat in the back.
Sirens were starting to come down the street. With his free hand, the boy reached back to his belt and pulled free a batarang.
The car was pulling away, tires screeching as the patrol unit was racing toward.
With a flick of his wrist, the boy sent the batarang spinning down toward the road. He’d been aiming for the windshield of the cop car.
He missed.
“Shit,” the boy cursed between gritted teeth.
The batarang skipped off the black top, connecting with the wheel hub of a passing Prius, which slung it sideways into a box truck parked on the street, where it ricocheted downward into one of the rear tires of the cop car.
Sirens blaring and lights flashing, the patrol unit was now burning rubber as it started to fishtail.
“The fu…” the boy uttered, in a mixture of confusion and disbelief, just before the cop car swerved off the road and crashed into a light pole.
Okay, that shit was hilarious.
Was this how it was when Dick was Robin?
Don’t know. Don’t care.
He was Robin now. He knew this city. Batman patrolled the streets, but Jason had slept on them. He knew all the sounds. Ambulances racing from horror to hope. Gunshots turning happy moments into tragedies. Cops who were just criminals with a badge. And maybe a criminal or two who was just trying to do the right thing in a city that didn’t even know what that was anymore.
P O S T C A T A L O G:
Act I: Streets of Gotham
- 1.01
- 1.02
Act II: Outlaws: Young Justice
- 2.01
Act III: The Dynamic Duo
- 3.01
Act IV: Outlaws: Leviathan
- 4.01
1x Thank
