Jason's biological mother sells him out to the Joker, who then betrays her - being the Joker and all - leaving her to die along with Robin next to a classic red time bomb. But like I say, Jason survives, freeing his mother, who then tries to save him in turn.
Arriving on the scene far too late, Batman finds her, just barely still alive. She doesn't make it, but she lives long enough to tell him Jason's last act was to throw himself between her and the blast in a last ditch effort to save her. That's what killed him.
When it was time for Batman to lose his supposed career-ending fight with Bane, there's a reason Jim Aparo got the call
And all credit to writer Doug Moench, because an exhausted Batman flashing back to all the times he got hammered by villains while Bane's kicking his ass all up and down his own house? PRETTY GOOD, MAN
