Batman's Final Robin Lives by One Rule He Should Always Have Enforced
Warning! Spoilers for Batman/Catwoman Special #1 ahead!
They say history is the best teacher, and for one future Robin, looking back on the past will help her prevent Batman's greatest mistake from happening again. Batman/Catwoman Special #1 shows a potential future where Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's daughter, Helena, takes on the role of Robin. But before she's ready to go, Catwoman makes sure her daughter learns her history and has it committed to memory.
One of the greatest tragedies in Batman's career, of course, is the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Todd infamously met his demise after being assaulted by the Joker in Batman #427, with fans sealing his fate after calling in to vote him dead. The "Death in the Family" storyline had a large impact on Batman, who was haunted by the failure of being unable to protect Jason. Though Batman has had several Robins since, he's taken steps to prevent such an event from ever occurring again.
Now Selina seeks to do the same in the pages of Batman/Catwoman Special #1 by Tom King, Jon Paul Leon, Bernard Chang, Shawn Crystal, Mitch Gerards, Dave Stewart and Clayton Cowles. In a story told across decades, readers see a potential life shared by Bruce and Selina as they grow old together and bring a daughter into the world. As the years go on, Bruce expresses an interest in getting their daughter to join the family business, while Selina remains reticent. The following Christmas shows Helena dressed up as Robin, ready to join her father for a night protecting Gotham. But before Selina lets her go, she demands to hear the one lesson she instilled in Helena, who repeats the phrase, "If I see the Joker, run the other way.".
This is not a bad thing to keep aware of, as Jason Todd was around the same age as Helena is here when he met the fate Selina wishes her daughter to avoid. Joker has already shown no qualms about killing children, as demonstrated by the brutal crowbar-beating of Jason. Even Batman's biological children get no special treatment; the Joker going so far as to poison Damian Wayne with his own blood in Batman and Robin #14. Giving Helena a mantra that brings to mind how dangerous the Joker is isn't a mother being overprotective, it's a smart decision for any young hero to keep in mind.
Other criminals may have limits when it comes to harming minors, but the Joker's only qualifiers are if a death makes for a good gag. And in the Joker's demented mind, doing something awful to the offspring of Catwoman and Batman is exactly the sort of thing he would try to pull for a laugh. So while it may be too late for some of Batman's other allies, this Robin's rule may keep her out of trouble when it comes to Gotham's most notorious criminal.