Red Hood: The Lost Days #1 is an issue of the series Red Hood: The Lost Days (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2010. It was published on June 3, 2010.
Synopsis for "The Lost Days, Part One: The First Step"
This story expands on Batman Annual Vol 1 25, filling in events and details from the perspective of the al Ghuls.
Ra's al Ghul berates Talia, telling her that she has unleashed a curse upon the world and that if she weren't his daughter he'd inflict a punishment much worse than death.
Years earlier, the two discuss League business and Jason Todd's recent death at the hands of the Joker. Talia is concerned for Bruce's emotional welfare, while Ra's insists that a warrior such as Batman would not be overly affected by such a loss and warns Talia not to contact Bruce or let this issue distract from her responsibilities. Over the following months, Talia's agents inform her of Bruce's activities and of the appearance of a John Doe exactly matching Jason's description.
Once the resurrected Jason is in League custody, he takes down four assassins at once while Ra's and Talia watch, demonstrating that his fighting skills are still intact, despite his significant mental impairments. On Ra's's orders, Talia and her subordinates interview a Joker henchman who was present at Jason's death, the police and doctors who dealt with him after his resurrection, and the workers at the cemetery where he was buried.
Jason's condition doesn't improve with time: he can meet his basic physical needs and fights back when attacked (though not, Talia notes, when she attacks him), but otherwise seems unaware of the world around him. Talia takes him to a cliff to watch the sunset and tells him how Bruce has changed since his death. Jason doesn't verbally respond, but a tear escapes his eye.
Ra's decides that the entire project has been a waste of time and resources, since Jason seems to be permanently mindless and his underlings haven't been able to determine how the boy came back to life. When Talia argues, he accuses her of trying to use Jason to make Batman love her. He tells her that Jason will be sent away to somewhere where he will be cared for but won't distract her any longer, then leaves to bathe in the Lazarus Pit. Talia takes Jason to the Pit as well and pushes him in.
Appearing in "The Lost Days, Part One: The First Step"
Featured Characters:
- Ra's al Ghul (Flashback and main story)
- Talia al Ghul (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Jason Todd (Flashback and main story)
Other Characters:
- League of Assassins
- Batman (Flashback only)
Locations:
Items:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in: