There was a lot of talk about Jason Todds' upbringing once mention of a dark secret came to light in Battle of the Cowl 3. Some questioned how a kid growing up in such an environment wouldn't be abused in some fashion and how avoiding sexual assault would be very unlikely. This of course made me think of my favorite Gotham brat that grew up dirt poor.



Unlike Jason, Michael lived with a mother and a sister always close at hand. We don't know how much he saw his mother. In a flashback Michelle mentions that even holding two jobs herself they can't afford to get their mother treatment. How many jobs would Ellen need to support herself and two growing children? Could they always afford to have an apartment? Michelle was kicked out after their mother died (though she some how gets another one in another city.)

Both boys are realistic about the negatives in life when we meet them, pushing people away through their own means. Jason does this by being a brat and Michael acts full of himself. A key difference is that Jason usually dwells in the bad stuff, Michael grumbles but always moves on to try again.

While we have a pretty good idea how messed up Jasons' back round is Michaels' is a little blurry beyond his dad ditching the family. Was he picked on? Likely. But in Jurgens' first run there were hints that Michael had learned gymnastics with him even incorporating a little in fights. In my personal canon (since this is likely never to be brought up again) Ellen had the kids go to a YMCA type of place in Gotham where kids could learn, for free, how to defend themselves. Being naturally athletic he was a little better than his sister.

This kept him in tip top shape and gave him the confidence needed to be able to take on bad guys without getting too worried. Just look at 19 (?) in the first series when only equipped with his flight ring Booster fights a cop from his time and helps take out criminals mainly relying on his wits and body. That's the sort of resourcefulness that a kid needs to get out of trouble on the streets.

I'm guessing Batman saw this too. When he decides to go undercover as Bruce Wayne he has a choice of league members to take with him. He choses Bea, Ted and Booster. Bea is an obvious choice given her past as a spy, Beetle is skilled in electronics and fighting. But Booster, while he had impressed Batman early on, doesn't seem like such an obvious choice. This was meant to be a low key operation so it wouldn't get the league or the U.N. in trouble. Batman made it a point to avoid taking military man Captain Atom. Yes he's hard to ignore due to his silver shiny body but I'm sure they could have used him somehow. Guys' too unpredictable, Ice might be deemed as too sweet for such a operation, the only two choices that made sense were J'onn and Scott. Experts at disguise and escape. So why did Batman chose Booster, the man who made it a point to have the medias' attention? Was he watching him outside the league setting?

If this takes place after he saw the photos of Booster attempting to save Barbara then he would be foolish to gamble a mission solely based on evidence of what he knew Booster wouldn't do for a few years. They also prove nothing save his determination. Yet Batman points out to Fire that he knows they are good otherwise they wouldn't be in the league in the first place. He even goes to look for them as he claims that he needs their help, not that they need saving.

Was Michael sexually assaulted? If he was actually raped I'd say no but I wouldn't be surprised if he had some inappropriate offers. I am dreading that if Jurgens doesn't make certain details clear then the next writer will use the DC cliches of poor kids with horrible fathers. Fortunately most writers forget his past completely outside of his football and museum theft.