The Death and Rebirth of Jason Todd Gets a Disturbing New Twist in DC Canon

In the latest issue of DC Comics' Batman, Ghost-Maker was revealed as the second Robin's questionable response to Jason Todd's death.

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Batman Inc. #3

In the latest installment of DC's Batman Incorporated, the dark truth about Wraithmaker and Robin's death comes to light. When the Joker killed Jason Todd, it opened up a tragic and dark path, with a second Robin later resurrected as an even more brutal villain and the ultimate anti-hero, Red Hood. However, the sociopathic Ghost-Maker apparently sees Jason's death as a twisted opportunity.

In Ed Brisson and John Timms' new Batman Inc. #3, Ghost-Maker's current partner, Clownhunter, is kidnapped by a vigilante calling himself the Phantom-One. The Phantom-One is Ghost-Maker's answer to Batman's Robin, whose mission is to always be superior to the Dark Knight. After Jason's death, Ghost Maker wants to have his own assistant, he will be better. However, Ghost-Maker is an even worse mentor and father figure than Batman, only concerned with training Phantom-One into a perfect soldier (rather than having a son).

Ghost-Maker Created His Own Robin After Jason Todd's Death

In the end, Phantom-One tried so hard to prove himself to the Ghost Maker that he put himself in danger and got involved in a big explosion. However, this was a sign to Ghost-Maker that his Robin experiment had failed. Then he leaves Phantom-One to die, acting like he never existed (despite adopting him after killing his criminal parents).

While Batman may have put Wraithmaker in charge of Batman, Inc., this issue proves that there is far more to Minkhoa Khan's problems than the Dark Knight knows. The Wraithmaker lets a young boy live a life of love and relentless training, only to discard him like a useless tool...and all because he just wants to be better than Batman at every level . So it's no wonder that Phantom-One wishes to rescue the Clown Hunter from Ghost-Maker.

As Batman, Inc. continues, Ghost-Maker and Phantom-One will undoubtedly meet face-to-face, and the reunion will not be smooth anyway. Again, it's not only interesting how the clown hunter reacts to this new revelation, but what Batman does when he learns about the Phantom One. Obviously, if the Red Hood found out for himself, he and the Ghostmaker would likely become instant rivals. Batman Inc. #3 is out now from DC Comics.