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Batman (1940-2011) #426-429
Batman: A Death in the Family
Batman readers were allowed to vote on the outcome of the story and they decided that Robin should die! As the second person to assume the role of Batman's sidekick, Jason Todd had a completely different personality than the original Robin. Rash and prone to ignore Batman's instructions, Jason was always quick to act without regard to consequences. In this fatal instance, Robin ignores his mentor's warnings when he attempts to take on the Joker by himself and pays the ultimate price. Driven by anger with Superman by his side, Batman seeks his vengeance as he looks to end the Joker's threat forever.
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 1988
517 people are currently reading
14.7k people want to read
About the author
Jim Starlin
1,307books428followersJames P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters Thanos and Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Death and suicide are recurring themes in Starlin's work: Personifications of Death appeared in his Captain Marvel series and in a fill-in story for Ghost Rider; Warlock commits suicide by killing his future self; and suicide is a theme in a story he plotted and drew for The Rampaging Hulk magazine.
In the mid-1970s, Starlin contributed a cache of stories to the independently published science-fiction anthology Star Reach. Here he developed his ideas of God, death, and infinity, free of the restrictions of mainstream comics publishers' self-censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority. Starlin also drew "The Secret of Skull River", inked by frequent collaborator Al Milgrom, for Savage Tales #5 (July 1974).
When Marvel Comics wished to use the name of Captain Marvel for a new, different character,[citation needed] Starlin was given the rare opportunity to produce a one-shot story in which to kill off a main character. The Death of Captain Marvel became the first graphic novel published by the company itself. (
In the late 1980s, Starlin began working more for DC Comics, writing a number of Batman stories, including the four-issue miniseries Batman: The Cult (Aug.-Nov. 1988), and the storyline "Batman: A Death in the Family", in Batman #426-429 (Dec. 1988 � Jan. 1989), in which Jason Todd, the second of Batman's Robin sidekicks, was killed. The death was decided by fans, as DC Comics set up a hotline for readers to vote on as to whether or not Jason Todd should survive a potentially fatal situation. For DC he created Hardcore Station.
In the mid-1970s, Starlin contributed a cache of stories to the independently published science-fiction anthology Star Reach. Here he developed his ideas of God, death, and infinity, free of the restrictions of mainstream comics publishers' self-censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority. Starlin also drew "The Secret of Skull River", inked by frequent collaborator Al Milgrom, for Savage Tales #5 (July 1974).
When Marvel Comics wished to use the name of Captain Marvel for a new, different character,[citation needed] Starlin was given the rare opportunity to produce a one-shot story in which to kill off a main character. The Death of Captain Marvel became the first graphic novel published by the company itself. (
In the late 1980s, Starlin began working more for DC Comics, writing a number of Batman stories, including the four-issue miniseries Batman: The Cult (Aug.-Nov. 1988), and the storyline "Batman: A Death in the Family", in Batman #426-429 (Dec. 1988 � Jan. 1989), in which Jason Todd, the second of Batman's Robin sidekicks, was killed. The death was decided by fans, as DC Comics set up a hotline for readers to vote on as to whether or not Jason Todd should survive a potentially fatal situation. For DC he created Hardcore Station.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,325 reviews
June 2, 2024
Finally!
I've been wanting to read this one forever, but I've never been able to find it anywhere (free). But Amazon has kindly included it in their Prime reading section, so I snatched it up and here we are.
Ok, while I did know the basic gist of the story, there were several surprises in here that made it well worth reading, especially since I'm a big fan of Red Hood.
Readers actually paid (50 cents) to kill off Jason Todd!
Wow. The hatred was real.
I knew they voted him off, I just didn't realize they had to fork over money for the privilege. Ok, well more likely, they had to ask their parents if they would let them call a 900 number. But I remember landline phones, long-distance telephone numbers, and how parents felt about paying for calls they didn't make.
Kids today have no idea how brutal the Dark Ages were.
Plus, there was such a small window of time to make the call to save/kill The Toddster.
Dedication, thy name is Comic Fan.
However, after reading this, I can see why Jason lost his little cartoon life.
The kid was annoying.
Still...ouch.
I think most people will agree that the crowbar has become a pretty iconic part of Red Hood's origin story. But what's been forgotten was the last few panels of that page.
You know, the part where it was actually his fucking birth mother who turned him over to the Joker.
Holy Twat Tacos, Batman!
Ok, Batman notices that Jason is a bit out of control, so he attempts to bench him and get him some help. Jason simultaneously tells Bruce to piss off and begins an ill-fated search for this real mother. <--these things rarely end well
Meanwhile, Batman goes off in search of Joker, who is attempting to sell weapons to some bad guys in the Middle East.
At some point, the two meet, team up, and discover which one of Jason's Maybe Moms is the one who pushed him out of her womb.
Oh, Jason.
Another surprise (for me) was that Joker blackmailed his mother (Dr. Shelia Haywood) into turning Jason over to him with the threat of exposing her part in an illegal abortion that caused the death of a teenage girl. The fact that she was painted as evil for performing abortions seemed really weird and dated to me. I mean, she was also embezzling from the refugee camp she was working in, but even that doesn't seem like the level of villainy needed to have a smoke while your son is getting beaten to death by a psycho. Robin's Mom & her actions were off-putting and strange, and I actually agree with the subsequent writers who decided to gloss over that whole part of the story. Good riddance to Dr. Haywood.
The big questions of the day were, of course, whether or not Batman shows up in time to save Jason, or whether or not Jason survives the bomb going off.
Well, we all know how it turned out.
R.I.P., Jason Todd - world's douchiest Robin.
2006 - Enter Winnick's Under the Red Hood & one of DC's best anti-heroes.
Another thing I loved was the alternate ending panel. Batman is smiling?! That's worth the price of admission, right there.
But wait! There's more!
I'm sure you're all wondering why the hell Batman didn't just go after the Joker and kill the fuck out of him. Right?
Welcome to the second part of this wacko story:
The old diplomatic immunity trope.
Superman (ever the government stooge) stops Bruce from going after Iran's newest ambassador.
I can't even...
Anyhoo.
The truth is that I thought the story itself was kind of stupid, and it doesn't really hold up over the years - if it ever did. Just sort of felt slapped together and weird. But it's become a linchpin in not only Red Hood's origin story but Batman's, as well. Yeah, it's dumb, but you really need to see this shit for yourself.
Required Reading for Batfans.
PS- In the edition I had, it included a whole bunch of issues that had the introduction of Tim Drake and (maybe) some other stuff. I was struggling to finish the main story, so this was a definite no-go for me. I skimmed it and I skipped it. But for those of you who are interested..?
I've been wanting to read this one forever, but I've never been able to find it anywhere (free). But Amazon has kindly included it in their Prime reading section, so I snatched it up and here we are.
Ok, while I did know the basic gist of the story, there were several surprises in here that made it well worth reading, especially since I'm a big fan of Red Hood.
Readers actually paid (50 cents) to kill off Jason Todd!
Wow. The hatred was real.
I knew they voted him off, I just didn't realize they had to fork over money for the privilege. Ok, well more likely, they had to ask their parents if they would let them call a 900 number. But I remember landline phones, long-distance telephone numbers, and how parents felt about paying for calls they didn't make.
Kids today have no idea how brutal the Dark Ages were.
Plus, there was such a small window of time to make the call to save/kill The Toddster.
Dedication, thy name is Comic Fan.
However, after reading this, I can see why Jason lost his little cartoon life.
The kid was annoying.
Still...ouch.
I think most people will agree that the crowbar has become a pretty iconic part of Red Hood's origin story. But what's been forgotten was the last few panels of that page.
You know, the part where it was actually his fucking birth mother who turned him over to the Joker.
Holy Twat Tacos, Batman!
Ok, Batman notices that Jason is a bit out of control, so he attempts to bench him and get him some help. Jason simultaneously tells Bruce to piss off and begins an ill-fated search for this real mother. <--these things rarely end well
Meanwhile, Batman goes off in search of Joker, who is attempting to sell weapons to some bad guys in the Middle East.
At some point, the two meet, team up, and discover which one of Jason's Maybe Moms is the one who pushed him out of her womb.
Oh, Jason.
Another surprise (for me) was that Joker blackmailed his mother (Dr. Shelia Haywood) into turning Jason over to him with the threat of exposing her part in an illegal abortion that caused the death of a teenage girl. The fact that she was painted as evil for performing abortions seemed really weird and dated to me. I mean, she was also embezzling from the refugee camp she was working in, but even that doesn't seem like the level of villainy needed to have a smoke while your son is getting beaten to death by a psycho. Robin's Mom & her actions were off-putting and strange, and I actually agree with the subsequent writers who decided to gloss over that whole part of the story. Good riddance to Dr. Haywood.
The big questions of the day were, of course, whether or not Batman shows up in time to save Jason, or whether or not Jason survives the bomb going off.
Well, we all know how it turned out.
R.I.P., Jason Todd - world's douchiest Robin.
2006 - Enter Winnick's Under the Red Hood & one of DC's best anti-heroes.
Another thing I loved was the alternate ending panel. Batman is smiling?! That's worth the price of admission, right there.
But wait! There's more!
I'm sure you're all wondering why the hell Batman didn't just go after the Joker and kill the fuck out of him. Right?
Welcome to the second part of this wacko story:
The old diplomatic immunity trope.
Superman (ever the government stooge) stops Bruce from going after Iran's newest ambassador.
I can't even...
Anyhoo.
The truth is that I thought the story itself was kind of stupid, and it doesn't really hold up over the years - if it ever did. Just sort of felt slapped together and weird. But it's become a linchpin in not only Red Hood's origin story but Batman's, as well. Yeah, it's dumb, but you really need to see this shit for yourself.
Required Reading for Batfans.
PS- In the edition I had, it included a whole bunch of issues that had the introduction of Tim Drake and (maybe) some other stuff. I was struggling to finish the main story, so this was a definite no-go for me. I skimmed it and I skipped it. But for those of you who are interested..?
October 10, 2016
As someone who has written a serialized story that solicited input from the reading public to determine the course of the plot (see the greatest adventure tale ever told, ), I fully appreciate the gimmick of canvassing readers to help shape a story. On the other hand, there’s something so horrifically impersonal about the idea of comic readers calling a 900 number to weigh in on whether Robin/Jason Todd should live or die (as opposed to their usual reason for calling a 900 number, which would be to indulge in erotic audio fantasies, perhaps related to mommy delivering a firm spanking, whilst attached to a tube sock…not that there’s anything wrong with that, and does anyone know how to get stains out of tube socks?). (I’ll note that this story came out in the 1980s, incidentally, which may or may not go a long way toward explaining why this went down the way it did.)
Did the Romans have their own, far more terrible real-life version of this in the gladiator pits? Sure. So, let’s not lose sight of the fact that we’re talking about comic book characters here.
Still, putting aside that whole big-picture perspective issue (because no one likes a big-picture perspective killjoy), and ignoring the fact that death is essentially meaningless in comics (particularly now that the Bucky Barnes rule has been so egregiously violated), there’s something more than a little unsettling about having fans vote on whether a character suffers an untimely demise. There’s an unspoken pact between readers and writers and artists to at least try to pretend that comic characters aren’t corporate brands, and that there really is the possibility that anything can happen to them (when the reality is that nothing can happen to them—or be done by them—that will potentially harm a company’s ability to leverage that character across different platforms to maximize revenue—granted, this was less of an issue in the �80s when no one was monetizing any aspect of comics (notwithstanding the early �90s speculater/alternate cover boom, but that’s a whole different story), but it was still the case that writers and artists only had so much latitude, particularly within the confines of a book that’s based in a company’s primary continuity).
When a company advertises the potential death of a character, however, and solicits votes from readers as to whether that character should live or die, it destroys the illusion of that pact, and, as a reader, you’re reminded that, contrary to what we want to believe, all major comic book events are contrived as ways to spike sales rather than as natural evolutions of a character’s story. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be such evolutions, or even high-quality stories, mind you; simply that the impetus for them is more corporate than creative. And, that can make you feel, to use a highly technical term, a little icky when you’re reading.
I’m not going to preface with a spoiler alert the fact that the Joker bludgeons poor Robin to death in a scene that is chilling despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that we don’t actually see the blows strike Robin’s body (the reasons I’m not calling this out as a spoiler are 1) it happened almost 30 years ago (and Jason Todd has since resurfaced as the Red Hood); 2) the outcome is already spoiled by the title of the book; and 3) anyone who has ever read a Batman story couldn’t honestly think that the reading public could be given a vote as to whether or not Jason Todd would bite it and vote for him to remain amongst the living). The story is contrived to create maximum mawkish sentiment, as Robin bucks the kicket only hours after meeting his real mother, one he didn’t know was alive until the beginning of the story, and one can’t help but think that it was crafted with the presumption that his death would, indeed, be the outcome.
Were it not for the unsavory voting aspect, this would be a potentially affecting tale (especially given Tim Drake’s appearance in the aftermath in a story that drives at the heart of why Robin exists in the first place); as it stands, however, it goes down with chrome covers, multiple variant covers, polybagged black arm bands, and Rob Liefeld’s art as a questionable curiosity of the weird time that was the late 80s/early 90s in the world of mainstream superhero comics.
We’ll call it 2.5 stars.
Did the Romans have their own, far more terrible real-life version of this in the gladiator pits? Sure. So, let’s not lose sight of the fact that we’re talking about comic book characters here.
Still, putting aside that whole big-picture perspective issue (because no one likes a big-picture perspective killjoy), and ignoring the fact that death is essentially meaningless in comics (particularly now that the Bucky Barnes rule has been so egregiously violated), there’s something more than a little unsettling about having fans vote on whether a character suffers an untimely demise. There’s an unspoken pact between readers and writers and artists to at least try to pretend that comic characters aren’t corporate brands, and that there really is the possibility that anything can happen to them (when the reality is that nothing can happen to them—or be done by them—that will potentially harm a company’s ability to leverage that character across different platforms to maximize revenue—granted, this was less of an issue in the �80s when no one was monetizing any aspect of comics (notwithstanding the early �90s speculater/alternate cover boom, but that’s a whole different story), but it was still the case that writers and artists only had so much latitude, particularly within the confines of a book that’s based in a company’s primary continuity).
When a company advertises the potential death of a character, however, and solicits votes from readers as to whether that character should live or die, it destroys the illusion of that pact, and, as a reader, you’re reminded that, contrary to what we want to believe, all major comic book events are contrived as ways to spike sales rather than as natural evolutions of a character’s story. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be such evolutions, or even high-quality stories, mind you; simply that the impetus for them is more corporate than creative. And, that can make you feel, to use a highly technical term, a little icky when you’re reading.
I’m not going to preface with a spoiler alert the fact that the Joker bludgeons poor Robin to death in a scene that is chilling despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that we don’t actually see the blows strike Robin’s body (the reasons I’m not calling this out as a spoiler are 1) it happened almost 30 years ago (and Jason Todd has since resurfaced as the Red Hood); 2) the outcome is already spoiled by the title of the book; and 3) anyone who has ever read a Batman story couldn’t honestly think that the reading public could be given a vote as to whether or not Jason Todd would bite it and vote for him to remain amongst the living). The story is contrived to create maximum mawkish sentiment, as Robin bucks the kicket only hours after meeting his real mother, one he didn’t know was alive until the beginning of the story, and one can’t help but think that it was crafted with the presumption that his death would, indeed, be the outcome.
Were it not for the unsavory voting aspect, this would be a potentially affecting tale (especially given Tim Drake’s appearance in the aftermath in a story that drives at the heart of why Robin exists in the first place); as it stands, however, it goes down with chrome covers, multiple variant covers, polybagged black arm bands, and Rob Liefeld’s art as a questionable curiosity of the weird time that was the late 80s/early 90s in the world of mainstream superhero comics.
We’ll call it 2.5 stars.
April 10, 2011
Treasure of the Rubbermaids 8: Dial 1-900 For Murder
The on-going discoveries of priceless books and comics found in a stack of Rubbermaid containers previously stored and forgotten at my parent’s house and untouched for almost 20 years. Thanks to my father dumping them back on me, I now spend my spare time unearthing lost treasures from their plastic depths.
The Robin character is something that has been a problem for Batman stories since comics ‘matured�. As Batman was turned into an increasingly grim and psychologically haunted character by various writers also trying to make him more grounded and realistic, the idea that this dark vigilante would have a young sidekick dressed up in bright colors and cracking jokes was increasingly out of sync with the tone of the comics. Plus, what kind of grown man dresses up a young boy in green short-shorts and a yellow cape?
(And I’ve always had a hard time buying the notion that no one in Gotham City would figure out who Batman is just by the presence of a Robin. Billionaire Bruce Wayne with the murdered parents adopted a young kid whose parents are also murdered, and now Batman is running around with a young man? What a coincidence!)
Original Robin Dick Grayson had broken away from Batman and become a new hero, Nightwing. Batman found his replacement in Jason Todd, a young orphan and juvenile delinquent. However, in 1988 shortly after ultra-violent and dark comics The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke came out and with a big budget Tim Burton movie in the works that featured no Robin, the idea of having an increasingly edgy Batman work with a kid seemed just stupid. Plus, comic fans had never embraced the Jason Todd character even after one of DC’s many continuity reboots revamped his origin story.
So DC cooked up a scheme to put Jason Todd in a hairy predicament, and then let fans call a 1-900 number to vote on if he should live or die. It got a lot of attention from the media, and over 10,000 people spent 50 cents to have a say in Robin’s fate. It was close but the kid got the death penalty.
The story is pretty powerful for Batman fans, but there’s a lot of problems with it. There’s way too many coincidences with Jason searching for his long lost mother and just happening to end up the Middle East as Batman has trailed the Joker and a hijacked nuclear missile there. Then the Joker has an old connection to Jason’s mom and tries to blackmail her just as Jason finds her in Ethiopia. Apparently it’s a small freaking superhero world. Then there’s an international political storyline that introduces Superman, and it all seems too crazy and farfetched, even by the loose standards of comic stories.
(I did enjoy some of the dated �80s references like the Joker, desperate for cash, complaining that he’s another victim of Reaganomics.)
It’s still a disturbing scene to watch the Joker beat Robin relentlessly with a crowbar and then leaving him to be finished off by a bomb blast. The splash panel with Batman carrying Robin’s body out of the rubble is a classic. But if they wanted to kill off Robin, they should have done it in Gotham and not in Africa during a pretty standard crazy-Joker- is-selling-nukes-to-terrorists storyline.
Also, DC really screwed the pooch on the secret identity issue here. The Joker knows Jason Todd is Robin by the time he kills him. Later he gets into a stare-off with Bruce Wayne in public. So he‘s gotta know that Bruce is Batman, right? Uh, not sure, and it was never addressed later that I���m aware of. Plus, there’s an issue with no one in Gotham realizing that Bruce Wayne’s ward was killed in mysterious circumstances and suddenly Batman doesn’t have a Robin. No one could work that out?
So this is a groundbreaking comic in a lot of ways, but not a particularly great one other than the actual death of Robin. This also started the ugly trend of comic companies stunt killing characters for publicity. Usually, they bring them back shortly after that, but for a long time it seemed like Jason Todd would actually stay dead. Unfortunately, DC finally gave in and brought back Jason as an unhinged villain recently. Too bad because the death of Jason Todd was an event that had hung over the Batman stories and gave them a real sense of loss and consequences.
However, I did get a good laugh when I dug out this collection from 1989 and saw this blurb from legendary DC writer/editor Denny O’Neil on the back cover:
“It would be a really sleazy stunt to bring him back.�
Oops.
The on-going discoveries of priceless books and comics found in a stack of Rubbermaid containers previously stored and forgotten at my parent’s house and untouched for almost 20 years. Thanks to my father dumping them back on me, I now spend my spare time unearthing lost treasures from their plastic depths.
The Robin character is something that has been a problem for Batman stories since comics ‘matured�. As Batman was turned into an increasingly grim and psychologically haunted character by various writers also trying to make him more grounded and realistic, the idea that this dark vigilante would have a young sidekick dressed up in bright colors and cracking jokes was increasingly out of sync with the tone of the comics. Plus, what kind of grown man dresses up a young boy in green short-shorts and a yellow cape?
(And I’ve always had a hard time buying the notion that no one in Gotham City would figure out who Batman is just by the presence of a Robin. Billionaire Bruce Wayne with the murdered parents adopted a young kid whose parents are also murdered, and now Batman is running around with a young man? What a coincidence!)
Original Robin Dick Grayson had broken away from Batman and become a new hero, Nightwing. Batman found his replacement in Jason Todd, a young orphan and juvenile delinquent. However, in 1988 shortly after ultra-violent and dark comics The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke came out and with a big budget Tim Burton movie in the works that featured no Robin, the idea of having an increasingly edgy Batman work with a kid seemed just stupid. Plus, comic fans had never embraced the Jason Todd character even after one of DC’s many continuity reboots revamped his origin story.
So DC cooked up a scheme to put Jason Todd in a hairy predicament, and then let fans call a 1-900 number to vote on if he should live or die. It got a lot of attention from the media, and over 10,000 people spent 50 cents to have a say in Robin’s fate. It was close but the kid got the death penalty.
The story is pretty powerful for Batman fans, but there’s a lot of problems with it. There’s way too many coincidences with Jason searching for his long lost mother and just happening to end up the Middle East as Batman has trailed the Joker and a hijacked nuclear missile there. Then the Joker has an old connection to Jason’s mom and tries to blackmail her just as Jason finds her in Ethiopia. Apparently it’s a small freaking superhero world. Then there’s an international political storyline that introduces Superman, and it all seems too crazy and farfetched, even by the loose standards of comic stories.
(I did enjoy some of the dated �80s references like the Joker, desperate for cash, complaining that he’s another victim of Reaganomics.)
It’s still a disturbing scene to watch the Joker beat Robin relentlessly with a crowbar and then leaving him to be finished off by a bomb blast. The splash panel with Batman carrying Robin’s body out of the rubble is a classic. But if they wanted to kill off Robin, they should have done it in Gotham and not in Africa during a pretty standard crazy-Joker- is-selling-nukes-to-terrorists storyline.
Also, DC really screwed the pooch on the secret identity issue here. The Joker knows Jason Todd is Robin by the time he kills him. Later he gets into a stare-off with Bruce Wayne in public. So he‘s gotta know that Bruce is Batman, right? Uh, not sure, and it was never addressed later that I���m aware of. Plus, there’s an issue with no one in Gotham realizing that Bruce Wayne’s ward was killed in mysterious circumstances and suddenly Batman doesn’t have a Robin. No one could work that out?
So this is a groundbreaking comic in a lot of ways, but not a particularly great one other than the actual death of Robin. This also started the ugly trend of comic companies stunt killing characters for publicity. Usually, they bring them back shortly after that, but for a long time it seemed like Jason Todd would actually stay dead. Unfortunately, DC finally gave in and brought back Jason as an unhinged villain recently. Too bad because the death of Jason Todd was an event that had hung over the Batman stories and gave them a real sense of loss and consequences.
However, I did get a good laugh when I dug out this collection from 1989 and saw this blurb from legendary DC writer/editor Denny O’Neil on the back cover:
“It would be a really sleazy stunt to bring him back.�
Oops.
January 4, 2024
Jim Starlin and Marv Wolfman’s 1988 A Death in the Family is an important comic for two reasons: Jason Todd is killed by the Joker and literally by comic readers, and Tim Drake replaces him as Robin. Problems aside, the story is vital to DC comic history.
This comic is split into the two storylines.
In the first, Jason discovers he’s adopted and begins to search for his birth mother across the Middle East and Africa. This is a convenient segue for him to travel somewhere dangerous and run into Joker who is aiding Shiite terrorists, which was probably inspired by the Iran-Iraq War ending in �88.
In the second, Bruce is grieving for Jason back in Gotham and has become unstable and reckless. Enter Tim Drake, who realizes Batman needs Robin both as a partner and son.
So here are my thoughts...
This comic feels dated, both parts, written in the last breath of the Bronze Age style. Campy, hammy, hyperbolic, it’s hard to believe this was published a few years after Frank Miller’s grimdark The Dark Knight Returns. The dialog isn’t amazing either, like Batman’s use of the word “lad.� If you’re unaccustomed to Bronze Age writing, this is like stepping into a time machine, especially for �88 when it feels like it was written in �78.
The writing differs, however, between storylines, because Jim Starlin writes the first part and Marv Wolfman writes the second.
The premise of Jason Todd’s story is pretty farfetched: He travels to the Middle East to interrogate terrorists for his mother’s whereabouts, while intermittently fighting Joker who becomes an Iranian diplomat. It’s difficult to suspend one’s disbelief and empathize with Jason’s death in this ridiculous setup. That said, I don’t relish seeing superheroes die, let alone a young boy looking for his mother. I would give this story 3/5 due to the hyperbole and dated writing and dialog.
Tim Drake’s story is much more grounded: Set in Gotham, Bruce battles Two-Face and his own grief and recklessness. Starlin writes much more intelligently and emotionally, depicting the contradiction of how Bruce’s actions mirror Jason’s following his death, as well as the need for a replacement Robin to encourage Batman to restrain himself with more stealth and less bombast. This story also contrasts Tim’s measured approach and cool head to Jason, and I think tries to win over readers who just killed off the Second Robin. I would give this story 4/5 because of its honesty and realism.
Jim’s Aparo artwork is definitely Bronze Age. It’s dated and totally fine, if a bit scratchy and heavily inked. He’s described as “schlocky,� being cheap and straight forward. On the cheaper matte paper, it definitely feels like reading an older comic. Little did I know that Hellboy creator Mike Mignola drew the covers for the entire series and they’re fantastic. If Mike had illustrated the entire comic, wow, it would have been that much better.
The importance of the events of this comic supersedes its writing and artwork. We know this. But this isn’t a bad comic. In fact it’s kind of fun and ridiculous when not soaked in angst and semi-tragedy. We should remember this comic was put out in 1988 by a creative team stuck in the 70s. And this comic only exists, only is important, because readers dialed in to kill off Robin. In fact, Starlin says in the afterword that he had both versions of the comic sitting around for weeks, one where Robin is killed, one where he isn’t. If Jason hadn’t died, then this would be just another campy Batman tale from the late 80s.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2012
SPOILERS
Joker busts out of Arkham Asylum (the place is useless, really) and heads to the Middle East to sell a cruise missile he's had in storage, and Batman follows to stop him. Meanwhile Jason Todd aka Robin is working through some emotional issues and finds out that the woman he thought was his mother wasn't his biological mother so he sets off to track down his real mum.
I know this book is always on peoples' lists of "must-read" Batman stories but, besides Jason's death, there really isn't anything particularly good about this story. There are too many coincidences - Jason's search for his mother takes him to Israel, Lebanon, and Ethiopia, to find each of the three women who could potentially be his mum; these places also happen to be where the Joker goes to sell his missile/make money, and of course Batman and Robin cross paths in each instance!
Then there's the Joker. First off I hate how he's drawn in the `80s, his face is ridiculously long like an Easter Island sculpture. Second, I hate how his entire motivation in this book is money. I realise the Joker of the 21st century is far cooler, just think of that scene in "The Dark Knight" when Heath Ledger's Joker burns an enormous pile of money, but did Jim Starlin have to make his Joker so pathetically hung up on cash? In one scene when Joker's money is destroyed he slinks away in the shadows whining "My lovely money... whatever will I do now...?" - so pathetic.
And then there are the strange nuances with Batman and Robin. In the middle of a desert Batman and Robin take down Arab guards and don their gear, but they manage to pick the guards that suit their superhero outfits so Batman gets a blue robes and Robin red robes. Then Batman says something about covering a large amount of terrain using something that will make them "invisible" - hang-gliders! He reasons that anyone looking at them will think they're birds. Yeah, birds have jets don't they? Robin's outfit too is really stupid. Those bare legs and little green scaly shorts look so daft it's a wonder they got away with it for so long.
When Jason dies, Batman gives a summary of his life and gives a lame reason for wanting to have a child as a sidekick fighting criminals at night - "I guess I was just lonely". But he vows to "never again" allow a minor to help him fight villains as evil as Joker and Two-Face. Right, except right after this he meets Tim Drake and trains him to become the new Robin. Sigh... I don't know why Starlin tried to reason Robin into existence, just accept that it's weird but it is what it is. He's a colourful moving target to draw gunfire away from the guy dressed in black (or blue in this book). Move on.
I'll give credit to Starlin for making the death scene very stark and brutal, though the events afterwards that keep Batman from attacking Joker completely negate any of the impact because you're wondering how on earth such nonsense made it into print. The Joker becomes ambassador for Iran, that bugbear of Cold War 1980s America. Yes, ambassador. What absolute rubbish.
This is such a bad `80s comic book full of poor dialogue and plotting and that cheesy comic book style of drawing that instantly dates it, that it's amazing it's held in the high regard it is. It's reputation must be held up by aging fanboys who look back on this era with nostalgia and ignore the fact that the Batman books of this time (barring a few exceptions) were mostly terrible and can't hope to stand up to the generally high quality of the Batman books being written today. I suppose every Batman fan must read this if only for the mythology aspect of it, but it's not even the end of Jason Todd. He comes back in Judd Winick's "Under the Hood", so that the book's sombre and dark cover underlines the silliness of superhero comics in general - characters come back all the time, there are never any real endings.
Anybody looking for a fun Batman read will not find it here, nor is it a deserved classic; “A Death in the Family� is just a book that happens to have an event in it that some consider to be important but really isn't. Definitely missable, this is ultimately a disappointing read.
Joker busts out of Arkham Asylum (the place is useless, really) and heads to the Middle East to sell a cruise missile he's had in storage, and Batman follows to stop him. Meanwhile Jason Todd aka Robin is working through some emotional issues and finds out that the woman he thought was his mother wasn't his biological mother so he sets off to track down his real mum.
I know this book is always on peoples' lists of "must-read" Batman stories but, besides Jason's death, there really isn't anything particularly good about this story. There are too many coincidences - Jason's search for his mother takes him to Israel, Lebanon, and Ethiopia, to find each of the three women who could potentially be his mum; these places also happen to be where the Joker goes to sell his missile/make money, and of course Batman and Robin cross paths in each instance!
Then there's the Joker. First off I hate how he's drawn in the `80s, his face is ridiculously long like an Easter Island sculpture. Second, I hate how his entire motivation in this book is money. I realise the Joker of the 21st century is far cooler, just think of that scene in "The Dark Knight" when Heath Ledger's Joker burns an enormous pile of money, but did Jim Starlin have to make his Joker so pathetically hung up on cash? In one scene when Joker's money is destroyed he slinks away in the shadows whining "My lovely money... whatever will I do now...?" - so pathetic.
And then there are the strange nuances with Batman and Robin. In the middle of a desert Batman and Robin take down Arab guards and don their gear, but they manage to pick the guards that suit their superhero outfits so Batman gets a blue robes and Robin red robes. Then Batman says something about covering a large amount of terrain using something that will make them "invisible" - hang-gliders! He reasons that anyone looking at them will think they're birds. Yeah, birds have jets don't they? Robin's outfit too is really stupid. Those bare legs and little green scaly shorts look so daft it's a wonder they got away with it for so long.
When Jason dies, Batman gives a summary of his life and gives a lame reason for wanting to have a child as a sidekick fighting criminals at night - "I guess I was just lonely". But he vows to "never again" allow a minor to help him fight villains as evil as Joker and Two-Face. Right, except right after this he meets Tim Drake and trains him to become the new Robin. Sigh... I don't know why Starlin tried to reason Robin into existence, just accept that it's weird but it is what it is. He's a colourful moving target to draw gunfire away from the guy dressed in black (or blue in this book). Move on.
I'll give credit to Starlin for making the death scene very stark and brutal, though the events afterwards that keep Batman from attacking Joker completely negate any of the impact because you're wondering how on earth such nonsense made it into print. The Joker becomes ambassador for Iran, that bugbear of Cold War 1980s America. Yes, ambassador. What absolute rubbish.
This is such a bad `80s comic book full of poor dialogue and plotting and that cheesy comic book style of drawing that instantly dates it, that it's amazing it's held in the high regard it is. It's reputation must be held up by aging fanboys who look back on this era with nostalgia and ignore the fact that the Batman books of this time (barring a few exceptions) were mostly terrible and can't hope to stand up to the generally high quality of the Batman books being written today. I suppose every Batman fan must read this if only for the mythology aspect of it, but it's not even the end of Jason Todd. He comes back in Judd Winick's "Under the Hood", so that the book's sombre and dark cover underlines the silliness of superhero comics in general - characters come back all the time, there are never any real endings.
Anybody looking for a fun Batman read will not find it here, nor is it a deserved classic; “A Death in the Family� is just a book that happens to have an event in it that some consider to be important but really isn't. Definitely missable, this is ultimately a disappointing read.
May 30, 2019
"Gayness" he said, "is built into Batman. I'm not using gay in the pejorative sense, but Batman is very, very gay. There's just no denying it. Obviously as a fictional character he's intended to be heterosexual, but the basis of the whole concept is utterly gay. I think that's why people like it. All these women fancy him. He doesn't care—he's more interested in hanging out with the old guy and the kid."
-Grant Morrison on Batman
(quote took from The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture pg. 277)
Before we talk about how good this comic is, can we stop for a second to talk about Batman's gayness first?
If Bruce Wayne/Batman's relationship with Dick Garyson/the first Robin is enough to raise eyebrows, then I just can't get over how...gay Bruce Wayne's relationship with Jason Todd/the second Robin is!
Okay, okay. I'm not saying the two are in a secret relationship or Bruce wants to bed the younger man......but just looks at how these two interact in A Death in the Family! Can't you just see the homoeroticism oozing out from the pages!?
Aside from the gay issues, we just have to talk about how Batman is a horrible mentor. Not only he invited a troubled teenager to the dangerous life of crime-fighting---AND that alone is horrible enough a mistake! You don't get underage teens to fight crime! No sane person would do that! I mean, Dick has the explanation of wanting to avenge his parents, but Jason.......I just can't find any reason for him! Plus Bruce really, really didn't know much about how to help said troubled teenager to work out his issues! Okay, Batman later regrets his bad decisions with Jason, but hey! The damage is already done.
As to the setting, I am not a fan of sending Batman outside of Gotham city and let him wander off to the Middle East to fight crime/terrorism, I mean the Bat fighting crime under the broad daylight of the Middle East is...totally wrong for me. Still, the 'Jason searching for his mother' storyline works out okay for me......so I guess the likes and dislikes break even here?
Thirdly, the artwork is hopelessly outdated (the art of comic-drawing had came a long way since the 1980s!) and I'm also not a fan of the artist's style, yet the artwork works finely enough for me, I have no complaint.
What I really do appreciate, is the aftermath of Jason's death, how and guess what? The Joker's speech is just perfect!
PS: but how come the Joker still didn't realize Bruce Wayne is Batman after he found out Jason Todd, Bruce's ward, is Robin!? LOL
PSS: We definitely need an Under the Hood live-action movie!!!! Batman v.s. Jason Todd/Red Hood! YEAH!
Fun Facts:
(1) In this story, Commissioner Gordon knows Batman is Bruce.
(2) Batman and Superman look so alike that they can very well be long-lost brothers. LOL
Review: Red Hood: Outlaw vol. 1 /review/show...
Review: Batman: Battle For the Cowl: /review/show...
Batman: Life After Death /review/show...
December 29, 2020
's late 80s headline grabbing 'death in the Batman family' story, encompassing the search for his real mother; the Joker becoming a UN ambassador(!); and one of the Batman family daring to go it alone against The Joker! I read the comic books Batman #426-429. Lots of Jokerish audacities, lots of hyperbole and a not to bad read, it could have been worse! 6 out of 12
May 4, 2022
Although it was a seminal story for modern Batman history, A Death in the Family isn't really that good. Jim Starlin is much better at cosmic space opera than gritty mysteries. It's actually hard to believe this story was published after Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns and Batman Year One.
On its own merits, the story of Jason Todd trying to find his real mother has so many coincidences, as he ends up in the Middle East at the same time as Bruce. And the 80s politics are kind of bizarre, its fine for say one character to be an Israeli Mossad agent fighting terrorists but then the Joker freakin works for Ayatollah Khomeini. Yeah... it's an interesting storyline for him to become a diplomatically immune ambassador to a rogue state, but maybe it would've been better if it was fictional Qurac rather than a real country. Just ages badly.
So Jason dies, he never was a Robin that really fit, the end. However, this edition also reprints 'A Lonely Place of Dying' by Marv Wolfman and George Perez which crosses over with New Teen Titans and is a much better read. For Batman readers who aren't DC buffs, it may not seem fitting for aliens like Superman and Starfire to show up, but this is grounded in continuity. Wolfman did grow up the Grayson character into becoming Nightwing, and having him be there in the origin story for Tim Drake (my personal favorite Robin) works well.
Having both classic stories in one graphic novel makes for a good deal, with a broad overview of colorful 80s comics. Although the subject matter seems intense, these are actually fantastical superhero adventures from another era--again though, Wolfman's writing is honestly smarter than Starlin's. Read and enjoy for old time's sake if nothing else.
On its own merits, the story of Jason Todd trying to find his real mother has so many coincidences, as he ends up in the Middle East at the same time as Bruce. And the 80s politics are kind of bizarre, its fine for say one character to be an Israeli Mossad agent fighting terrorists but then the Joker freakin works for Ayatollah Khomeini. Yeah... it's an interesting storyline for him to become a diplomatically immune ambassador to a rogue state, but maybe it would've been better if it was fictional Qurac rather than a real country. Just ages badly.
So Jason dies, he never was a Robin that really fit, the end. However, this edition also reprints 'A Lonely Place of Dying' by Marv Wolfman and George Perez which crosses over with New Teen Titans and is a much better read. For Batman readers who aren't DC buffs, it may not seem fitting for aliens like Superman and Starfire to show up, but this is grounded in continuity. Wolfman did grow up the Grayson character into becoming Nightwing, and having him be there in the origin story for Tim Drake (my personal favorite Robin) works well.
Having both classic stories in one graphic novel makes for a good deal, with a broad overview of colorful 80s comics. Although the subject matter seems intense, these are actually fantastical superhero adventures from another era--again though, Wolfman's writing is honestly smarter than Starlin's. Read and enjoy for old time's sake if nothing else.
February 23, 2021
Batman: A Death in the Family is definitely the wildest, most convoluted Batman story I've read yet. My edition included two books. The first, A Death in the Family, covers the lead up to the fan-voted death of Robin, his death, and the immediate aftermath. The second and, in my opinion, the stronger book is A Lonely Place of Dying. That book covers Batman's life after Jason Todd's (Robin's) death.
I liked A Lonely Place of Dying more because it had a more well-rounded story, and it really explored the psychological effects that Jason Todd's death had on Batman. The rise of Tim Drake as the new Robin was also very well done, in my opinion. There was also an excellent short piece by Marv Wolfman between the two books, titled A Lonely Place of Dying: Reminiscences, where Wolfman reveals why Tim Drake was introduced as the new Robin. I loved that.
Overall the combined story was good, even if at times it was disjointed, nonsensical, and a little bit crazy. My actual rating is 3.5 stars: three stars for A Death in the Family and four stars for A Lonely Place of Dying, for an average of 3.5 for the whole.
I liked A Lonely Place of Dying more because it had a more well-rounded story, and it really explored the psychological effects that Jason Todd's death had on Batman. The rise of Tim Drake as the new Robin was also very well done, in my opinion. There was also an excellent short piece by Marv Wolfman between the two books, titled A Lonely Place of Dying: Reminiscences, where Wolfman reveals why Tim Drake was introduced as the new Robin. I loved that.
Overall the combined story was good, even if at times it was disjointed, nonsensical, and a little bit crazy. My actual rating is 3.5 stars: three stars for A Death in the Family and four stars for A Lonely Place of Dying, for an average of 3.5 for the whole.
January 31, 2021
In 1988 a truly interesting thing happened. For the 50th Anniversary of Batman comics, D.C. decided to do something shocking- allow the readers to vote on whether to save or kill Robin (Jason Todd). Jason, who wasn't terribly popular, was voted to be killed off. Bear in mind this is during a time when death was supposed to mean something, unlike nowadays when characters seem to die on a daily basis, only to return within an issue or two.
The story behind Robin's death is the now-famous "A Death in the Family". Jason Todd, basically, acts the fool and has a temper tantrum because his mother doesn't love him. So he's off to find the mother who tossed him away. His search leads him to three women that could be potential mommy figures. Along the way, he runs into the Joker and it doesn't end well. This story has aged well (even considering we know that Robin didn't really die) and so has the art. While not brilliant, this is a pretty good story.
My volume also has the 5-part follow up called "A Lonely Place of Dying". This is the story of how Tim Drake finds out the identity of Bruce and Dick and weasels his way into becoming the new Robin. This story, which has a subplot of Batman taking on Two-Face, was actually good. At least the parts with Batman and Two-Face trying to outhtink each other-the study in contrast and similarities was well done. Another story that has aged well along with the art.
A cool volume collecting two famous Batman stories, all packaged in a nice HC edition. A great addition to my collection.
The story behind Robin's death is the now-famous "A Death in the Family". Jason Todd, basically, acts the fool and has a temper tantrum because his mother doesn't love him. So he's off to find the mother who tossed him away. His search leads him to three women that could be potential mommy figures. Along the way, he runs into the Joker and it doesn't end well. This story has aged well (even considering we know that Robin didn't really die) and so has the art. While not brilliant, this is a pretty good story.
My volume also has the 5-part follow up called "A Lonely Place of Dying". This is the story of how Tim Drake finds out the identity of Bruce and Dick and weasels his way into becoming the new Robin. This story, which has a subplot of Batman taking on Two-Face, was actually good. At least the parts with Batman and Two-Face trying to outhtink each other-the study in contrast and similarities was well done. Another story that has aged well along with the art.
A cool volume collecting two famous Batman stories, all packaged in a nice HC edition. A great addition to my collection.
May 26, 2014
This best selling 1980s graphic novel let the readers decide if the second Robin, Jason Todd, would live or die after an explosion. In this late 80s graphic novel there's an actual copy of the advertisement and the 900 number to call to decide upon the fate of the Boy Wonder. The fans decided they didn't like Jason Todd much and voted to kill him and no that isn't a spoiler based on the title and cover. Apparently the vote was close. Over 10,000 votes were cast, with the final vote being 5,343 votes for Jason to die over 5,271 for him to live (Wiki). There is a copy of the cover which shows Jason Todd surviving (in case the fans voted for him to live).
The story in of itself ranges from very good to questionable. I don't want to give spoilers but some felt the Joker to Africa connection was too coincidental and others didn't like the Joker and Iran connection though back in those days I think there was a lot of hostility towards possible Middle Eastern terrorists and look what happened during 9-11 so maybe it's not so farfetched or maybe it still is? Additionally, the graphic novel covered issues that concerned the country/world at the time: the IRA, Reaganomics, the Lebanese War, nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, Iran, rogue states, the famine in Ethiopia, Iran-Contra affair and much more.
After the death of Robin II you get to see the Batman going down the wrong road even though his friends try to guide him back to the light (he even punches Superman surprisingly). It isn't really until Tim Drake (the future Robin III obviously) takes action on his own and brings Dick Grayson, the first Robin who is now Nightwing, to his senses that Batman begins to recover. For those not in the know Robin serves as a reminder of who Batman/Bruce Wayne used to be before his parents were horribly murdered before his eyes.
The artwork is traditionally classic with a distinctive almost bright blue coloring to Batman (which makes it really hard to believe he can surprise people in the desert by sneaking around) which I haven't seen in a while. Also, emoting obvious emotions is more prevalent than in later comics.
IGN comics ranked this as #15 on the top 25 Batman graphic novels.
At the time this was presented the killing of superhero characters was a new thing. These days they die and then come back with the old bait and switch or when writers want to look for some reason to bring them back. Denny O'Neil, editor of the Bat-comics at the time of Todd's death, stated on the back cover ofA Death in the Familytrade paperback: "It would be a really sleazy stunt to bring him back." However, O'Neil would later regret his decision. Uh huh.
This is a must read for Batman fans simply for its history. Get it.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B; BATMAN MYTHOLOGY/FRESHNESS: A minus (for its time); STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; WHEN READ: June to July 2012; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
The story in of itself ranges from very good to questionable. I don't want to give spoilers but some felt the Joker to Africa connection was too coincidental and others didn't like the Joker and Iran connection though back in those days I think there was a lot of hostility towards possible Middle Eastern terrorists and look what happened during 9-11 so maybe it's not so farfetched or maybe it still is? Additionally, the graphic novel covered issues that concerned the country/world at the time: the IRA, Reaganomics, the Lebanese War, nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, Iran, rogue states, the famine in Ethiopia, Iran-Contra affair and much more.
After the death of Robin II you get to see the Batman going down the wrong road even though his friends try to guide him back to the light (he even punches Superman surprisingly). It isn't really until Tim Drake (the future Robin III obviously) takes action on his own and brings Dick Grayson, the first Robin who is now Nightwing, to his senses that Batman begins to recover. For those not in the know Robin serves as a reminder of who Batman/Bruce Wayne used to be before his parents were horribly murdered before his eyes.
The artwork is traditionally classic with a distinctive almost bright blue coloring to Batman (which makes it really hard to believe he can surprise people in the desert by sneaking around) which I haven't seen in a while. Also, emoting obvious emotions is more prevalent than in later comics.
IGN comics ranked this as #15 on the top 25 Batman graphic novels.
At the time this was presented the killing of superhero characters was a new thing. These days they die and then come back with the old bait and switch or when writers want to look for some reason to bring them back. Denny O'Neil, editor of the Bat-comics at the time of Todd's death, stated on the back cover ofA Death in the Familytrade paperback: "It would be a really sleazy stunt to bring him back." However, O'Neil would later regret his decision. Uh huh.
This is a must read for Batman fans simply for its history. Get it.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B; BATMAN MYTHOLOGY/FRESHNESS: A minus (for its time); STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; WHEN READ: June to July 2012; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
July 17, 2018
You should read this if you like: retro Batman, Batman & Robin, classic comics, Joker, Dick Greyson, Tim Drake, Batman/Robin dynamic.
I know this is a classic but some elements of this story just feel so outdated. Jason Todd's death happens with some drama but since it was to be expected it didn't really pack much of a punch. As someone who would have totally voted yes to put an end to his annoying character I am glad we finally got him out of the picture. His death, though, is significant if only for the shift in Joker/ Batman dynamic, and for what his loss means for the Bat family and the events to follow. In case of the latter, I wish we had explored the physiological effects of Todd's loss on Batman and how that changes him in future comics.
I liked the introduction to Tim drake, my favorite Robin after Dick Grayson. Tim is a vast improvement over Todd. In addition to his intelligence, his maturity in understanding the symbolism of the Batman and Robin duo was particularly striking. It will be interesting to see if and how his ideology of Justice might change over time. I also enjoyed the glimpses of the Nightwing/Batman dynamic and their parallels into their father/son relationship. Theirs has always been one of my most favorite pairings and I'm glad we saw some of that in this comic.
For these reasons alone, this comic stands out as one of more significant turning points in Batman comic history. I wish I could have enjoyed the storytelling more.
I know this is a classic but some elements of this story just feel so outdated. Jason Todd's death happens with some drama but since it was to be expected it didn't really pack much of a punch. As someone who would have totally voted yes to put an end to his annoying character I am glad we finally got him out of the picture. His death, though, is significant if only for the shift in Joker/ Batman dynamic, and for what his loss means for the Bat family and the events to follow. In case of the latter, I wish we had explored the physiological effects of Todd's loss on Batman and how that changes him in future comics.
I liked the introduction to Tim drake, my favorite Robin after Dick Grayson. Tim is a vast improvement over Todd. In addition to his intelligence, his maturity in understanding the symbolism of the Batman and Robin duo was particularly striking. It will be interesting to see if and how his ideology of Justice might change over time. I also enjoyed the glimpses of the Nightwing/Batman dynamic and their parallels into their father/son relationship. Theirs has always been one of my most favorite pairings and I'm glad we saw some of that in this comic.
For these reasons alone, this comic stands out as one of more significant turning points in Batman comic history. I wish I could have enjoyed the storytelling more.
September 15, 2012
I didn't read the "A Death in the Family" storyline when it was first published, but I was certainly aware of it from the media coverage surrounding it. D.C. decided to allow the fans to determine whether the current Robin, Jason Todd, would live or die following a devastating attack at the hands of the Joker. Readers voted to let Jason shuffle off this mortal coil (though apparently it wasn't for long. I've heard he comes back down the line). There was an outcry in the media about the direction comic books were taken and how they weren't for kids anymore.
It's just too bad some of the outcry wasn't for the story itself leading up to and following the death of Jason Todd. Deciding that Jason is too emotionally unstable to continue being Robin, Bruce Wayne puts him on sabbatical. While wandering the streets and brooding about this, Jason wanders by his old apartment where conveniently enough the land lady has found a big box of stuff Jason left behind. Included in the box is his birth certificate and his dad's address book. Guess what? Turns out the woman Jason thought was his mother was only his adopted mother and that there are three other women in the world who could be his mom. Jason uses the Bat computer to find where they are and sets out on a world wide quest to figure out which one is his mom.
Meanwhile, the Joker has escaped yet again from Arkham Asylum and needs to replenish is dwindling bank account. He's got a nuclear missile that he's willing to sell to any terrorist group that will give him the funding. Batman is in hot pursuit across the globe and it turns out--lucky us!--that each of the locations the Joker goes is somewhere and somehow connected to Jason's quest to find his mother. (That sound you heard was your suspension of disbelief snapping!)
And so it is that Jason tracks down his mom, who has a connection to the Joker. One minute she's betraying him to the Joker, the next minute she's saying what a great son and how sorry she is. Of course, it helps that Jason is trying to rescue her betraying self from a building that is rigged to blow up in sixty seconds.
But wait, it gets better. After blowing up Jason and his mother, Joker is approached by the Iranian government to become their ambassador to the United Nations. He agrees so he can have diplomatic immunity, thus making sure Batman can't come after him for the death of Jason. Oh and Superman shows up to make sure Batman knows all this.
The more I read, the more my head kept shaking with complete and utter disbelief. Here's a pivotal event in the Batman mythology and it's let down by one of the most inane storylines I've ever read. Even worse is the fact that the death of Jason Todd barely registers on a emotional level. I found myself comparing it to the famous death of Gwen Stacy in the Spider-Man books and it comes up woefully short. That storyline had emotion to it...this one just feels like a huge marketing ploy and an excuse to see just how much insane bat-guano the readers will swallow and still buy the next issue or issues. Seriously--the Joker is a U.N. ambassador?!?
And I haven't even addressed how much re-hashing of the plot-so-far takes place in each installment. Clearly the writers expect one-off readers to drop by because of the hype surrounding Robin's death and so we are treated to a four to five page recap in each issue. I understand these comics were made to be read a month or so apart, but collected together and it stands out even more like a sore thumb.
This collection is rounded out by a five-part storyline in which Tim Drake takes over as Robin. It's moderately better than "A Death in the Family" but that's really damning with faint praise. The concept that Batman needs a Robin is an intriguing one and hopefully gets explored in future arcs and by other writers.
It's too bad a pivotal moment in the world of comic books is part of such a ham-handed and terrible storyline.
It's just too bad some of the outcry wasn't for the story itself leading up to and following the death of Jason Todd. Deciding that Jason is too emotionally unstable to continue being Robin, Bruce Wayne puts him on sabbatical. While wandering the streets and brooding about this, Jason wanders by his old apartment where conveniently enough the land lady has found a big box of stuff Jason left behind. Included in the box is his birth certificate and his dad's address book. Guess what? Turns out the woman Jason thought was his mother was only his adopted mother and that there are three other women in the world who could be his mom. Jason uses the Bat computer to find where they are and sets out on a world wide quest to figure out which one is his mom.
Meanwhile, the Joker has escaped yet again from Arkham Asylum and needs to replenish is dwindling bank account. He's got a nuclear missile that he's willing to sell to any terrorist group that will give him the funding. Batman is in hot pursuit across the globe and it turns out--lucky us!--that each of the locations the Joker goes is somewhere and somehow connected to Jason's quest to find his mother. (That sound you heard was your suspension of disbelief snapping!)
And so it is that Jason tracks down his mom, who has a connection to the Joker. One minute she's betraying him to the Joker, the next minute she's saying what a great son and how sorry she is. Of course, it helps that Jason is trying to rescue her betraying self from a building that is rigged to blow up in sixty seconds.
But wait, it gets better. After blowing up Jason and his mother, Joker is approached by the Iranian government to become their ambassador to the United Nations. He agrees so he can have diplomatic immunity, thus making sure Batman can't come after him for the death of Jason. Oh and Superman shows up to make sure Batman knows all this.
The more I read, the more my head kept shaking with complete and utter disbelief. Here's a pivotal event in the Batman mythology and it's let down by one of the most inane storylines I've ever read. Even worse is the fact that the death of Jason Todd barely registers on a emotional level. I found myself comparing it to the famous death of Gwen Stacy in the Spider-Man books and it comes up woefully short. That storyline had emotion to it...this one just feels like a huge marketing ploy and an excuse to see just how much insane bat-guano the readers will swallow and still buy the next issue or issues. Seriously--the Joker is a U.N. ambassador?!?
And I haven't even addressed how much re-hashing of the plot-so-far takes place in each installment. Clearly the writers expect one-off readers to drop by because of the hype surrounding Robin's death and so we are treated to a four to five page recap in each issue. I understand these comics were made to be read a month or so apart, but collected together and it stands out even more like a sore thumb.
This collection is rounded out by a five-part storyline in which Tim Drake takes over as Robin. It's moderately better than "A Death in the Family" but that's really damning with faint praise. The concept that Batman needs a Robin is an intriguing one and hopefully gets explored in future arcs and by other writers.
It's too bad a pivotal moment in the world of comic books is part of such a ham-handed and terrible storyline.
August 13, 2021
Jason is angry all the time and when he meets his old neighbor he discovers a box and that leads him to a secret that his real mom maybe alive and he has grown distant from Batman and is on the search for her. Meanwhile Bruce is investigating whatever Joker has got planned and he is involved with some weapons transport and illegal trading and when the two stories intersect, they go to African nations and fight Joker on multiple fronts and finding out who could be Jason's mother plus facing off against Shiva and in the end when they discover it, its a big battle and the end result will be painful for Bruce.
Will it push him over the edge and finally what will happen when Joker becomes an ambassador and has diplomatic immunity, how will the World's finest in Superman and Batman stop this madman? Will Bruce get his revenge?
This is a hard hitting story and has such great moments like Jason getting angry and Bruce prioritizing different things and that scene where Joker is bashing his head in just brutal to even read and Bruce holding Jason's body was painful. Its one of the most definitive stories considering the impact it left and I can see why now. The art is so good and a treat to read through and finally great to see Clark here. And the ultimate threat that the Joker represents is defined here. Awesome story and a must read. RIP Jason.
Will it push him over the edge and finally what will happen when Joker becomes an ambassador and has diplomatic immunity, how will the World's finest in Superman and Batman stop this madman? Will Bruce get his revenge?
This is a hard hitting story and has such great moments like Jason getting angry and Bruce prioritizing different things and that scene where Joker is bashing his head in just brutal to even read and Bruce holding Jason's body was painful. Its one of the most definitive stories considering the impact it left and I can see why now. The art is so good and a treat to read through and finally great to see Clark here. And the ultimate threat that the Joker represents is defined here. Awesome story and a must read. RIP Jason.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2015
I first knew about Jason Todd through the story written by Judd Winick which turned out to be his resurrection story. I watched the animation film with Supernatural's Jensen Ackles as Todd's voice actor and then I read the collected edition a few months after. To explain briefly, Jason Todd was the second Robin who succeeded Dick Grayson shortly after the latter quit and then joined the Teen Titans instead. Bruce Wayne first met Jason in the infamous Crime Alley when he was on patrol as Batman and he found the boy dismantling his batmobile to steal his gears which understandably annoyed Bruce but he nevertheless felt sorry for the boy when he realized that he was an orphan, living off the streets.
A part of him also connected strongly to the boy upon discovering that his father was brutally murdered. Determined to help the boy and because he needed a partner, Bruce then recruited Jason and started training him to become the new Robin. Jason was a fast learner but he was highly temperamental and definitely have anger and ego issues. He is impulsive when it comes to handling criminals, often driven by rage during fights. Still, Bruce thought it will pass. Later on, Bruce realized that it was the villain Two Face who murdered Jason's father. Upon confrontation, Jason opted not to kill Two Face which made Bruce proud but he would soon see that the boy is far damaged than he could ever anticipated.
In A Death in the Family, we explore the extent of Jason Todd's emotional issues and the strained relationship he has with Bruce. The idea of killing the second Robin sprang from the publication's marketing move where readers themselves were asked through survey as to whether or not they still want Jason around as Batman's partner. Surprisingly enough, the people voted for Jason's death so DC had writer Jim Starlin conceptualize and deliver the story. I suppose many readers are just not too fond of Jason and may also think he is not as likable as Dick Grayson whom Bruce had a better chemistry and rapport with.
The story itself was composed of issues Batman #426-429 and it was a compelling closer look at Jason Todd's final moments leading to his death in the hands of no other than the Joker. This was published in 1988 which was also around the time when the entire Batman line-up of stories for DC took on a grittier tone. The narrative for A Death in the Family was straightforward and serious enough as it explored the growing distance between Bruce and Jason as Bruce decided that Jason needs to take a sabbatical from crime-fighting as Robin. Bruce does not exactly have the parenting skills to make Jason understand his point of view and have the boy open up to him. Since Jason also refuses to talk about it, he became further withdrawn and completely shuts out Bruce from there on.
One day, as he was walking around his old neighborhood reminiscing about the happy past with his parents, a friend of his mother called to him and gave him his old stuff from his previous home. This is where Jason found out a shocking truth: that the woman who raised him was just his stepmother and his biological mother is alive and still out there.
Aided only by three names in his father's notebook of contacts, he researched the three possible women who could be his missing mother. Naturally, he didn't ask for Bruce's help as he boarded a plane to go to his destination. Meanwhile, the Joker is loose and is looking for a way to finance his criminal activities so he basically decided to get into international terrorism. Batman has to stop him and coincidentally, both the Joker and Jason are heading for the same place.
What follows is a series of more convenient coincidences where each of the three women have some thin connection to the Joker's schemes if not entirely related to it. It became unavoidable for Bruce and Jason to meet and Bruce had no other choice but to help Jason alongside trying to apprehend the Joker with his latest nefarious schemes. It has to be said that it's pretty grim and humorous at the same time that the candidates for Jason's biological mother are a spy, a mercenary and a volunteer doctor for a relief expedition (the last one is the only optimistic choice).
I liked this story. It was an important installment concerning a character who eventually becomes a fan-favorite once he grew out of his Robin costume and became his own brand of vigilante. I have an ongoing love-hate relationship with Jason Todd. I softened on him only quite recently. A Death in the Family was the first time we see a Robin die and where Bruce has to grieve over the loss his partner. I thought the story was enjoyable although everything felt like a set-up especially the coincidences where the Joker is tied with the search for Jason's missing mother so it easy for Bruce and Jason to still be Batman and Robin and fight him while having that personal side-mission on the side.
Jason's death, I think, was only upsetting because it was an abrupt dramatic irony. He wasn't well-liked by the readers that much and the circumstances leading to his death could have been avoided if only Bruce was perceptive enough to communicate and open himself up to Jason since the boy doesn't even know that Bruce himself had a similar childhood trauma. I think if he was honest from the very start then Jason would have trusted him and listened to him more. But alas, it's not meant to be and Bruce ended up carrying a badly wounded Jason in his arms which became an iconic image in itself.
A Death in the Family is a prelude to the more superior follow-up Under the Hood. I suggest you read these two stories back-to-back to really get the sense of the drama, action and conflict that encompasses the entire character arc of Jason Todd when he died as a Robin and was revived as the Red Hood.
RECOMMENDED: 8/10
DO READ MY BATMAN COMICS REVIEWS AT:
A part of him also connected strongly to the boy upon discovering that his father was brutally murdered. Determined to help the boy and because he needed a partner, Bruce then recruited Jason and started training him to become the new Robin. Jason was a fast learner but he was highly temperamental and definitely have anger and ego issues. He is impulsive when it comes to handling criminals, often driven by rage during fights. Still, Bruce thought it will pass. Later on, Bruce realized that it was the villain Two Face who murdered Jason's father. Upon confrontation, Jason opted not to kill Two Face which made Bruce proud but he would soon see that the boy is far damaged than he could ever anticipated.
In A Death in the Family, we explore the extent of Jason Todd's emotional issues and the strained relationship he has with Bruce. The idea of killing the second Robin sprang from the publication's marketing move where readers themselves were asked through survey as to whether or not they still want Jason around as Batman's partner. Surprisingly enough, the people voted for Jason's death so DC had writer Jim Starlin conceptualize and deliver the story. I suppose many readers are just not too fond of Jason and may also think he is not as likable as Dick Grayson whom Bruce had a better chemistry and rapport with.
The story itself was composed of issues Batman #426-429 and it was a compelling closer look at Jason Todd's final moments leading to his death in the hands of no other than the Joker. This was published in 1988 which was also around the time when the entire Batman line-up of stories for DC took on a grittier tone. The narrative for A Death in the Family was straightforward and serious enough as it explored the growing distance between Bruce and Jason as Bruce decided that Jason needs to take a sabbatical from crime-fighting as Robin. Bruce does not exactly have the parenting skills to make Jason understand his point of view and have the boy open up to him. Since Jason also refuses to talk about it, he became further withdrawn and completely shuts out Bruce from there on.
One day, as he was walking around his old neighborhood reminiscing about the happy past with his parents, a friend of his mother called to him and gave him his old stuff from his previous home. This is where Jason found out a shocking truth: that the woman who raised him was just his stepmother and his biological mother is alive and still out there.
Aided only by three names in his father's notebook of contacts, he researched the three possible women who could be his missing mother. Naturally, he didn't ask for Bruce's help as he boarded a plane to go to his destination. Meanwhile, the Joker is loose and is looking for a way to finance his criminal activities so he basically decided to get into international terrorism. Batman has to stop him and coincidentally, both the Joker and Jason are heading for the same place.
What follows is a series of more convenient coincidences where each of the three women have some thin connection to the Joker's schemes if not entirely related to it. It became unavoidable for Bruce and Jason to meet and Bruce had no other choice but to help Jason alongside trying to apprehend the Joker with his latest nefarious schemes. It has to be said that it's pretty grim and humorous at the same time that the candidates for Jason's biological mother are a spy, a mercenary and a volunteer doctor for a relief expedition (the last one is the only optimistic choice).
I liked this story. It was an important installment concerning a character who eventually becomes a fan-favorite once he grew out of his Robin costume and became his own brand of vigilante. I have an ongoing love-hate relationship with Jason Todd. I softened on him only quite recently. A Death in the Family was the first time we see a Robin die and where Bruce has to grieve over the loss his partner. I thought the story was enjoyable although everything felt like a set-up especially the coincidences where the Joker is tied with the search for Jason's missing mother so it easy for Bruce and Jason to still be Batman and Robin and fight him while having that personal side-mission on the side.
Jason's death, I think, was only upsetting because it was an abrupt dramatic irony. He wasn't well-liked by the readers that much and the circumstances leading to his death could have been avoided if only Bruce was perceptive enough to communicate and open himself up to Jason since the boy doesn't even know that Bruce himself had a similar childhood trauma. I think if he was honest from the very start then Jason would have trusted him and listened to him more. But alas, it's not meant to be and Bruce ended up carrying a badly wounded Jason in his arms which became an iconic image in itself.
A Death in the Family is a prelude to the more superior follow-up Under the Hood. I suggest you read these two stories back-to-back to really get the sense of the drama, action and conflict that encompasses the entire character arc of Jason Todd when he died as a Robin and was revived as the Red Hood.
RECOMMENDED: 8/10
DO READ MY BATMAN COMICS REVIEWS AT:
February 20, 2019
I was totally amazed when I read this story line when it first came out, I could not believe they would kill off Robin, especially in the way it was done. Very intense story plot and even more so for the late 1980's mainstream comics. Very recommended
July 22, 2018
SO
Batman: A Death in the family is a classic
I really get that fact, I really do.
It's a "must-read" Graphic novel, you love Batman!
Then you should probably read it.
So, I did it. I read the whole thing, unfortunately, it hasn't been a good time reading through it.
I really couldn't care less about Robin's death. I'm not a big fan of Jason as the wonder boy, His death was a bit of relief actually. They made him to be the most annoyingly in the history of the " Robins", he can't help it.
So the the first 120 pages was a hard time on me.
After that the clouds were gone.
I really like how tim was introduced.
I love tim as Robin, more than Dick sometimes, so it was a really good thing reading his first time being Robin.
I can give the second part of this novel a solid five, for me it was great.
the first part, 🤔
Not that much🤷♀
I have mixed feelings about it, confused as i am, i don't love it.
So
There stars will do.
Batman: A Death in the family is a classic
I really get that fact, I really do.
It's a "must-read" Graphic novel, you love Batman!
Then you should probably read it.
So, I did it. I read the whole thing, unfortunately, it hasn't been a good time reading through it.
I really couldn't care less about Robin's death. I'm not a big fan of Jason as the wonder boy, His death was a bit of relief actually. They made him to be the most annoyingly in the history of the " Robins", he can't help it.
So the the first 120 pages was a hard time on me.
After that the clouds were gone.
I really like how tim was introduced.
I love tim as Robin, more than Dick sometimes, so it was a really good thing reading his first time being Robin.
I can give the second part of this novel a solid five, for me it was great.
the first part, 🤔
Not that much🤷♀
I have mixed feelings about it, confused as i am, i don't love it.
So
There stars will do.
June 5, 2024
Reading this again, with the context of the stories that came before, just made everything feel more connected and in sync. It also allowed me to better understand Batman’s state of mind.
The pacing� was interesting. It was a slow start with an explosive middle then an end that only felt quick because they were shorter issues than what we’d just read.
The story is famous for what happens to Jason but honestly, I felt it was a lot more about the relationship between Batman and the Joker.
This also establishes that the events of The Killing Joke are canon.
While Jason drew the short straw, it also led to a character that I think is a lot more interesting (almost 20 years later).
The pacing� was interesting. It was a slow start with an explosive middle then an end that only felt quick because they were shorter issues than what we’d just read.
The story is famous for what happens to Jason but honestly, I felt it was a lot more about the relationship between Batman and the Joker.
This also establishes that the events of The Killing Joke are canon.
While Jason drew the short straw, it also led to a character that I think is a lot more interesting (almost 20 years later).
Want to read
May 20, 2020Its funny grant morrison says in his book a serious house on serious earth that by the time his book will come out DC blood thirsty fans will have vote to kill robin, and he was right lol
to read in the future since i am experimenting with the main batman series right now
to read in the future since i am experimenting with the main batman series right now
September 7, 2023
You can find my review on our blog by clicking .
Let’s cut to the chase. If the cover of this trade paperback doesn’t single-handedly give away one of the biggest events in Batman’s history, then something’s wrong. Aside from the fact that Batman : A Death in the Family is considered to be one of the most important reads for comic fans and that the death of a Robin is seldom tragic, this volume was a stunning disappointment. I’ll be frank, I jumped into the volume without prior knowledge of the story to expect or even the additional content introducing the new Robin—yes, my friends, there are more than one Robin’s out there. Oh, don’t give me that look. With all those different costumes and physical disparities compared to the original Robin, you’re going to tell me that the kid behind the mask was always the same? Batman : A Death in the Family jumps directly into an action scene with an emotional and aggressive Robin who later finds out a truth that will change his purpose in life. With the intention of uncovering the details behind this truth, he sets himself on a journey outside of Gotham while Batman tries to stop the Joker from launches a nuclear disaster. Filled with coincidences in a step-by-step adventure, Jim Starling and friends write up a story with one key moment. A death in the family.
The main storyline called A Death in the Family is separated in 4 books. Collecting them all into one, this trade paperback also adds a follow-up story to A Death in the Family in order to introduce a new character into the Batman family. Funny thing about this so-called masterpiece is how Robin’s fate was decided by the public. In fact, there was an advertisement that went around to get people to call and vote for Robin to live or die in this story arc. As tight as the votes were, the decision was made and history was changed. The main attraction to this trade paperback is the gruesome death delivered by Batman’s greatest foe. As much as the story was linear and filled with some of the biggest coincidences, the final scenes related to Robin’s death is nonetheless memorable. The sheer cruelty in the violence and the execution of the murder is simply iconic and will forever be remembered.
The narration in this volume was absolutely annoying. Personally, I couldn’t stand Batman’s inner voice. It’s crazy how robotic and systematic it was. To top it off, some of his thoughts were simply unrealistic and over-zealous. To put it out plainly, some things are better off left to be deduced. Readers don’t need a narration that spells out the obvious or one that tries to make Batman sound rational from the inside. Let the actions do the talking. Maybe this comes to down to personal taste, but I felt like the writers tried too hard in trying to explicitly indicate Batman’s thought process, desiring an awe-effect from readers. As if Batman’s calculated and split-second decisions should impress readers on the spot. In the end, the direction the narration went only resulted in a funny-talking Batman who’s desire to push away—while still keeping close—the highly emotional and mourning Robin.
For a volume that is proclaimed a ground-breaking classic, I was quite dissatisfied by the storyline. I honestly did not expect the story to take place outside of Gotham most of the time, especially not in Middle East and Africa. This made room for a less serious take on the events and a less appealing story where major characters are killed off. The worse part in all this is the last book in the 4 part story arc. With the arrival of another superhero and a ridiculous political twist to the storyline, I was left brain-dead and mouth open. Thankfully, I was able to reconcile myself by admiring the artwork and remembering myself that I’ve just witnessed one of the biggest events in Batman’s universe. Speaking of the artwork, Batman: A Death in the Family has the colorful and classic style of the old comic age. I’ll always be able to appreciate this art, no matter the story. I was actually quite amused by the looks for Robin (them legs, though).
To add more flesh to this skeleton, Batman: A Death in the Family also contains a couple of additional single issues that follow up to the events in the main story arc. Essentially, the additional stories added at the end revolves around the arrival of a new Robin and his rise to the mantle of Batman’s side-kick. What’s fun about this story is the panel-time that the New Teen Titans get. Seeing Cyborg, Starfire and even Raven was quite satisfying. Although readers aren’t given the chance to see them kick-ass or use much of their powers, being able to see their design back in the days is fascinating. The story pertains to finding out where Nightwing has disappeared to, while Batman faces Two-Face in a fight that seems to lead him to defeat. In the meantime, an unknown character tries to find and get Nightwing to help a morally destroyed Batman; after all, he lost Robin. The introduction to this Robin is weak, but interesting. It does make me want to learn more about the character, even if the way he got the “job� could be summed up to blackmail. But hey, to each their own way to success!
Although this volume was surprisingly disappointing, it still remains an essential to any Batman fan. It sets the foundation to other story arcs that are much more amazing; yep, I’m looking at you Batman : Under The Hood. This trade paperback is bound to put you on an adventure and discover more about Robin and Batman’s relationship. If the full-page panel showing Batman carrying a bleeding and lifeless Robin doesn’t send chills down your spine, we’re going to have to talk about therapy options. Batman: A Death in the Family is definitely worth reading, and you shouldn’t skip the occasion to see Joker’s plan to sell missiles to terrorists, Robin’s bitter fate, Batman’s misery due to the loss of a partner and plenty of other unpredictable surprises.
______________________________
If it wasn't for the grand event that makes this story arc a classic, I could definitely knock off a star or two for this trade paperback. The original 4 book story of Death in the Family was such a letdown. From the systematic and robotic narration depicting Batman's rational thoughts to the ridiculous Middle Eastern adventures for Batman and friends, Death in the Family was a overzealous attempt to associate Batman to the "real" world; filled with a bunch of forced coincidences, might I add.
The additional comics that tie-in to the original Death in the Family story arc reveals Tim Drake's story and, boy, is that a lame one. If I could sum his story, I'd pretty much call it blackmail. At least this volume had some entertainment value!
P.S. A full review to come.
Let’s cut to the chase. If the cover of this trade paperback doesn’t single-handedly give away one of the biggest events in Batman’s history, then something’s wrong. Aside from the fact that Batman : A Death in the Family is considered to be one of the most important reads for comic fans and that the death of a Robin is seldom tragic, this volume was a stunning disappointment. I’ll be frank, I jumped into the volume without prior knowledge of the story to expect or even the additional content introducing the new Robin—yes, my friends, there are more than one Robin’s out there. Oh, don’t give me that look. With all those different costumes and physical disparities compared to the original Robin, you’re going to tell me that the kid behind the mask was always the same? Batman : A Death in the Family jumps directly into an action scene with an emotional and aggressive Robin who later finds out a truth that will change his purpose in life. With the intention of uncovering the details behind this truth, he sets himself on a journey outside of Gotham while Batman tries to stop the Joker from launches a nuclear disaster. Filled with coincidences in a step-by-step adventure, Jim Starling and friends write up a story with one key moment. A death in the family.
The main storyline called A Death in the Family is separated in 4 books. Collecting them all into one, this trade paperback also adds a follow-up story to A Death in the Family in order to introduce a new character into the Batman family. Funny thing about this so-called masterpiece is how Robin’s fate was decided by the public. In fact, there was an advertisement that went around to get people to call and vote for Robin to live or die in this story arc. As tight as the votes were, the decision was made and history was changed. The main attraction to this trade paperback is the gruesome death delivered by Batman’s greatest foe. As much as the story was linear and filled with some of the biggest coincidences, the final scenes related to Robin’s death is nonetheless memorable. The sheer cruelty in the violence and the execution of the murder is simply iconic and will forever be remembered.
The narration in this volume was absolutely annoying. Personally, I couldn’t stand Batman’s inner voice. It’s crazy how robotic and systematic it was. To top it off, some of his thoughts were simply unrealistic and over-zealous. To put it out plainly, some things are better off left to be deduced. Readers don’t need a narration that spells out the obvious or one that tries to make Batman sound rational from the inside. Let the actions do the talking. Maybe this comes to down to personal taste, but I felt like the writers tried too hard in trying to explicitly indicate Batman’s thought process, desiring an awe-effect from readers. As if Batman’s calculated and split-second decisions should impress readers on the spot. In the end, the direction the narration went only resulted in a funny-talking Batman who’s desire to push away—while still keeping close—the highly emotional and mourning Robin.
For a volume that is proclaimed a ground-breaking classic, I was quite dissatisfied by the storyline. I honestly did not expect the story to take place outside of Gotham most of the time, especially not in Middle East and Africa. This made room for a less serious take on the events and a less appealing story where major characters are killed off. The worse part in all this is the last book in the 4 part story arc. With the arrival of another superhero and a ridiculous political twist to the storyline, I was left brain-dead and mouth open. Thankfully, I was able to reconcile myself by admiring the artwork and remembering myself that I’ve just witnessed one of the biggest events in Batman’s universe. Speaking of the artwork, Batman: A Death in the Family has the colorful and classic style of the old comic age. I’ll always be able to appreciate this art, no matter the story. I was actually quite amused by the looks for Robin (them legs, though).
To add more flesh to this skeleton, Batman: A Death in the Family also contains a couple of additional single issues that follow up to the events in the main story arc. Essentially, the additional stories added at the end revolves around the arrival of a new Robin and his rise to the mantle of Batman’s side-kick. What’s fun about this story is the panel-time that the New Teen Titans get. Seeing Cyborg, Starfire and even Raven was quite satisfying. Although readers aren’t given the chance to see them kick-ass or use much of their powers, being able to see their design back in the days is fascinating. The story pertains to finding out where Nightwing has disappeared to, while Batman faces Two-Face in a fight that seems to lead him to defeat. In the meantime, an unknown character tries to find and get Nightwing to help a morally destroyed Batman; after all, he lost Robin. The introduction to this Robin is weak, but interesting. It does make me want to learn more about the character, even if the way he got the “job� could be summed up to blackmail. But hey, to each their own way to success!
Although this volume was surprisingly disappointing, it still remains an essential to any Batman fan. It sets the foundation to other story arcs that are much more amazing; yep, I’m looking at you Batman : Under The Hood. This trade paperback is bound to put you on an adventure and discover more about Robin and Batman’s relationship. If the full-page panel showing Batman carrying a bleeding and lifeless Robin doesn’t send chills down your spine, we’re going to have to talk about therapy options. Batman: A Death in the Family is definitely worth reading, and you shouldn’t skip the occasion to see Joker’s plan to sell missiles to terrorists, Robin’s bitter fate, Batman’s misery due to the loss of a partner and plenty of other unpredictable surprises.
______________________________
If it wasn't for the grand event that makes this story arc a classic, I could definitely knock off a star or two for this trade paperback. The original 4 book story of Death in the Family was such a letdown. From the systematic and robotic narration depicting Batman's rational thoughts to the ridiculous Middle Eastern adventures for Batman and friends, Death in the Family was a overzealous attempt to associate Batman to the "real" world; filled with a bunch of forced coincidences, might I add.
The additional comics that tie-in to the original Death in the Family story arc reveals Tim Drake's story and, boy, is that a lame one. If I could sum his story, I'd pretty much call it blackmail. At least this volume had some entertainment value!
P.S. A full review to come.
March 21, 2019
Wow! I am very impressed at how high in quality A Death in the Family turned out to be. I'll be honest, the stigma of this graphic novel being a bit aged and far before my time initially turned me off to the idea that it could be as worthwhile as some of the contemporary graphic novels I've read and enjoyed. I figured, at most, I would get a decent story out of it and not much more. Boy, was I wrong. Batman: A Death in the Family is by and large one of the most enthralling Batman graphic novels I have read thus far, easily toppling The Dark Knight Returns and The Long Halloween by a lot, and those are two heavy-hitters themselves.
The writing by Jim Starlin is fantastic and truly allows the story to play out to its fullest potential. It could have been so easy to ruin a story like this by forcing drama or censoring itself to reach greater audiences, but everything seemed to work just right in the grand scheme of things. For an older story, I have to give it a lot of credit for not pulling its punches in order to be more reader-friendly. I mean, just look at how Jason Todd was treated all throughout the story; I never could have fathomed the writers being so utterly ruthless to as campy a character as one of the old-school Robins! Such unforgiving treatment of a character of this importance made Jason Todd's Robin all the more tragic a figure in the Batman mythos, and the story that much more dramatic and entertaining.
I equate A Death in the Family with Spider-Man's The Death of Gwen Stacy, for both stories entail the death of a significant character in each respective hero's life, causing a great shift in everything thereafter. However, unlike Spider-Man's story arc, Batman's has much more at play than what can be seen on the surface. For example, the psychology of Batman becomes very important to consider throughout the story, as it helps us to understand why he does what he does, as well as understand how he feels after this tragedy transpires. A Death in the Family inspires further inquiry into questions such as "Why does Batman put these kids' lives at risk just to have a crime fighting ward at his side?" and, "Did Batman ultimately kill Jason Todd, not the Joker, because of his negligence?" I frequently found myself questioning Batman's mental stability as it related to companionship and loneliness; Batman, for as brilliant as he may be, seems to make the worst decisions when it comes to being a guardian to those he takes in, all for the sake of avoiding loneliness. I'm glad A Death in the Family made me think so deeply about these topics, for it helped me to develop a more profound appreciation for the Batman universe and its characters.
Also, how can you not love the Joker's maniacal performance in this graphic novel? To be quite frank, the Joker was much more menacing and interesting in A Death in the Family than he was in the highly regarded and disgustingly overrated The Killing Joke. Whereas the Joker of Alan Moore's piece was whiny, flustered, and failed to prove his point to Batman and thus came away from the whole ordeal a huge loser, the Joker under Starlin's watch was fun, unpredictable, and remained in charge throughout the story, ending up with a victory over Batman in the most meaningful and horrific way possible. That isn't to say that crippling Barbara Gordon in The Killing Joke was a minor event in the DC universe, though I would have to contend that taking the life of your sidekick has to be significantly more demoralizing to Batman's psyche. In short, after looking for a true-to-character Joker performance between several graphic novels, I finally found one worth admiring in A Death in the Family.
The only odd point of the whole graphic novel was the latter part when the Joker became a diplomat for the terrorist nation of Iran in order to gain diplomatic immunity from Batman's wrath as well as easy access to a major target for crime. Okay, that's a bit out there, even for one of these old comics, but it didn't hamper the main drama of the storyline. Perhaps its omission would have benefitted the arc overall, but having it there doesn't detract much from the best parts of the story and character development.
A Death in the Family far exceeded my expectations and proved to be a must-read Batman tale worthy of its legacy. If there was ever a Joker story that deserved all the praise and acclaim it garners, this would be it, not that miserable The Killing Joke travesty everyone so eagerly trips over themselves to applaud despite being lackluster at best...but I digress. Definitely pick up A Death in the Family if you want to witness a major turning point in Batman's life, but just be sure to follow it up with A Lonely Place of Dying.
The writing by Jim Starlin is fantastic and truly allows the story to play out to its fullest potential. It could have been so easy to ruin a story like this by forcing drama or censoring itself to reach greater audiences, but everything seemed to work just right in the grand scheme of things. For an older story, I have to give it a lot of credit for not pulling its punches in order to be more reader-friendly. I mean, just look at how Jason Todd was treated all throughout the story; I never could have fathomed the writers being so utterly ruthless to as campy a character as one of the old-school Robins! Such unforgiving treatment of a character of this importance made Jason Todd's Robin all the more tragic a figure in the Batman mythos, and the story that much more dramatic and entertaining.
I equate A Death in the Family with Spider-Man's The Death of Gwen Stacy, for both stories entail the death of a significant character in each respective hero's life, causing a great shift in everything thereafter. However, unlike Spider-Man's story arc, Batman's has much more at play than what can be seen on the surface. For example, the psychology of Batman becomes very important to consider throughout the story, as it helps us to understand why he does what he does, as well as understand how he feels after this tragedy transpires. A Death in the Family inspires further inquiry into questions such as "Why does Batman put these kids' lives at risk just to have a crime fighting ward at his side?" and, "Did Batman ultimately kill Jason Todd, not the Joker, because of his negligence?" I frequently found myself questioning Batman's mental stability as it related to companionship and loneliness; Batman, for as brilliant as he may be, seems to make the worst decisions when it comes to being a guardian to those he takes in, all for the sake of avoiding loneliness. I'm glad A Death in the Family made me think so deeply about these topics, for it helped me to develop a more profound appreciation for the Batman universe and its characters.
Also, how can you not love the Joker's maniacal performance in this graphic novel? To be quite frank, the Joker was much more menacing and interesting in A Death in the Family than he was in the highly regarded and disgustingly overrated The Killing Joke. Whereas the Joker of Alan Moore's piece was whiny, flustered, and failed to prove his point to Batman and thus came away from the whole ordeal a huge loser, the Joker under Starlin's watch was fun, unpredictable, and remained in charge throughout the story, ending up with a victory over Batman in the most meaningful and horrific way possible. That isn't to say that crippling Barbara Gordon in The Killing Joke was a minor event in the DC universe, though I would have to contend that taking the life of your sidekick has to be significantly more demoralizing to Batman's psyche. In short, after looking for a true-to-character Joker performance between several graphic novels, I finally found one worth admiring in A Death in the Family.
The only odd point of the whole graphic novel was the latter part when the Joker became a diplomat for the terrorist nation of Iran in order to gain diplomatic immunity from Batman's wrath as well as easy access to a major target for crime. Okay, that's a bit out there, even for one of these old comics, but it didn't hamper the main drama of the storyline. Perhaps its omission would have benefitted the arc overall, but having it there doesn't detract much from the best parts of the story and character development.
A Death in the Family far exceeded my expectations and proved to be a must-read Batman tale worthy of its legacy. If there was ever a Joker story that deserved all the praise and acclaim it garners, this would be it, not that miserable The Killing Joke travesty everyone so eagerly trips over themselves to applaud despite being lackluster at best...but I digress. Definitely pick up A Death in the Family if you want to witness a major turning point in Batman's life, but just be sure to follow it up with A Lonely Place of Dying.
April 26, 2022
3.5/5
Me gustó la historia base de este comic, y podemos ver más a fondo la historia de Jason Todd y su relación con Bruce. Esa parte me pareció bien pero el cómo lo desarrollaron y lo que pasaba alrededor no tanto.
Me gustó la historia base de este comic, y podemos ver más a fondo la historia de Jason Todd y su relación con Bruce. Esa parte me pareció bien pero el cómo lo desarrollaron y lo que pasaba alrededor no tanto.
January 24, 2025
Everyone who voted for my bb jason 'robin gives me magic!' Todd TO DIE. SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN.
June 23, 2016
Continuing on in my quest to read the Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told according to my personal choices, I thought I had read this in the past, but I realized I either didn't finish it, or I forgot the story. Either way, I actually have the individual comic issues from my collection and read the story, from the comic books #426-429 (vs. the TPB) and in issue 2 of the story I noticed on the back cover the "phone experiment" to either call in to save Robin or have him killed. I thought about it, what my reaction would have been in 1988. And I realize I support the ending that ended up the final decision. Overall this is ranked highly among one of my most favorite Bat stories I've ever read and I completely understand why it is considered one of the most important, recognized and generally immortalized Bat stories of them all. My favorite part: The **spoiler alert** surprise appearance in Book 3 of the other DC superhero.
October 26, 2022
Maybe because the conclusion of the story is well known or maybe because the art that didn't really impress me. For more than one reason, I've been delaying reading "A Death In The Family". But a couple of days ago I got a copy of the 1988 paperback edition and from the very first moment (and that witty introduction) I knew I'd like it. The writing was indeed very good (and heartbreaking sometimes) and the story really deserves its place among the best Batman stories in history.
July 15, 2011
This was one those stories in the Batman series that I wish never existed! It is just too much stupid! It is very obvious that it wants to tell something political and that is ALL middle-easterns are terrorists and in a very stupid way. But there are some other things that the authors didn't know or didn't care about. In this book people in Lebanon speak Farsi instead of Arabic! Ayatollah's bodyguards wear ties! Joker dresses up like Arab politicians when he wants to give his speech in the U.N.! WHAT THE HELL?!
April 6, 2018
It felt strange having known that the readers voted for this ending. You also get an impression of the ending from the title and the front cover, so if you dont see it coming, Im not sure youve paid attention. Just was a little predictable with characters actions and too over the top in some dialogue scenes. Probably wont satisfy everyone, as shown by all the mixed reviews.
September 22, 2019
Well, that was painful. Good, but painful.
April 4, 2023
اقای استارلین
شما که خبر نداری تو لبنان فارسی حرف نمی زنند غلط می کنی درباره بتمن تو خاورمیانه داستان مینویس�
شما که خبر نداری تو لبنان فارسی حرف نمی زنند غلط می کنی درباره بتمن تو خاورمیانه داستان مینویس�
January 10, 2021
Okay, this book should be broken into 2 halves because I don't understand why they put it together like this.
You get two Robin stories for the price of one!
Aw, guys, you shouldn't have. You really shouldn't have.
First half: 5 stars
Second half: 3 stars
Overall: 4 stars
The first half is Jason Todd looking for his birth mother and it takes him overseas to Iran and Beirut. At first he thinks it's an intelligence agent, Sharmin Rosen and boy do I wish it was her. She was the nicest of the 3 options but this story is like 1/4 done so it's not her. The second option is Shiva Woosan and I got a kick out of seeing Cassie's mom. It was awesome seeing her take on Batsy and Batsy realizing he might actually lose against her. The third option wins the worst mom of the year award. Hands down.
Dr. Sheila Haywood gets blackmailed by the Joker like 5 minutes after we learn about her. I know this comic is old but you expect me to believe these women just happened to be conveniently close together just as Jason decides to start looking for them? You expect me to believe the Joker knew where Sheila just as Batman fouled his last plans? Yeah, not buying it.
Anyway, she's utter garbage and Jason tries to help her. She sells him out and he gets beaten nearly to death with a crowbar. What is it with DC and beating children with crowbars? He still tries to save his mother because he's an amazing person and he places so much emphasis on family. Much like Damian, despite being rough around the edges, they will do anything for their family. He welcomes Sheila immediately so it sucked watching her betray him. He did not deserve to die and I still teared up reading it.
The second half of this book is Tim Drake's introduction. My friend Clarissa likes to make fun of me because when I talk about the Batfam, I always say "I love Batfam... but Tim" or "This Batgirl book was awesome... but Tim". I love the Robins... but Tim. Just kidding, he's growing on me but his introduction seemed so out of place in this book. It feels like Jason was barely cold in his grave and the writers were like "Here's Tim! Dry your eyes with this new Robin comic." Like, Jason JUST died. Give it some time.
09 Jan 2021 - the second time around, I read the issues between Jason's death and Tim's introduction and it works a LOT better. I don't understand why they put this collection together and left those 9 issues out. Seeing Bruce grieve for Jason - going from being unable to even say Jason's name, throwing himself into a cold missing person's case because this woman lost a child, slowly working himself to exhaustion and giving little to no attention to his own safety. Seeing that makes this a lot more effective and feels less insensitive than reading Jason's death and then having Tim introduced immediately after.
The Two Face plot was forgettable. Two Face having another mental breakdown and there's a lot of panels where Batman and Harvey are just obsessing over each other. It felt so on the nose with the parallels literally spelled out for you and reminded me why Wolfman's not exactly my favorite writer.
Tim as a character is still pretty rough for me. I'm come around to understanding him a bit more and I feel sorry for him in that the thing that sticks out to me the most in reading this is that Tim's parents and guardians at the boarding school didn't fucking notice when he went missing. He's thirteen and there's no way someone wasn't supposed to be looking after him, especially if they were responsible for him during vacation week. Even Harry Potter couldn't stay over Christmas break without teachers watching over him.
Here, I have the same issues with him: he's bossy, presumptuous, the kind of precocious that's rather annoying. When he's lecturing Dick about how he needs to do a better job taking care of Bruce, I wanted to toss this kid in a box and ship him back to boarding school. He wasn't here for Bruce's unreasonable expectations, Bruce constantly pushing Dick away every time he tried to help and yelling at him for no reason. He tries to tell Batman what he needs and what to do and I get that he's a kid but he was shoving himself into a relationship he had no business talking about. It's annoying.
However, I do appreciate that he's the only Robin that came to the job not because he needed to channel grief and anger into something good - but because he thought Batman needed him. He's the only Robin taking on the mantle because it's a symbol that needs to continue on, which gives him a unique place in the Batfamily... as annoying as he was. I liked that he dreamed of being Robin because he looked up to Dick after meeting him at the circus as a child. (Though this exact backstory was later given to Rebirth Jason Todd). Also, this kid became Robin and Two Face hit him with a brick immediately, and he didn't quit, so kudos.
I still think the Tim Drake/Haly's Circus plot should've been a separate book.
Anyway, this is a recommend because of Jason Todd's importance to the Batfam.
You get two Robin stories for the price of one!
Aw, guys, you shouldn't have. You really shouldn't have.
First half: 5 stars
Second half: 3 stars
Overall: 4 stars
The first half is Jason Todd looking for his birth mother and it takes him overseas to Iran and Beirut. At first he thinks it's an intelligence agent, Sharmin Rosen and boy do I wish it was her. She was the nicest of the 3 options but this story is like 1/4 done so it's not her. The second option is Shiva Woosan and I got a kick out of seeing Cassie's mom. It was awesome seeing her take on Batsy and Batsy realizing he might actually lose against her. The third option wins the worst mom of the year award. Hands down.
Dr. Sheila Haywood gets blackmailed by the Joker like 5 minutes after we learn about her. I know this comic is old but you expect me to believe these women just happened to be conveniently close together just as Jason decides to start looking for them? You expect me to believe the Joker knew where Sheila just as Batman fouled his last plans? Yeah, not buying it.
Anyway, she's utter garbage and Jason tries to help her. She sells him out and he gets beaten nearly to death with a crowbar. What is it with DC and beating children with crowbars? He still tries to save his mother because he's an amazing person and he places so much emphasis on family. Much like Damian, despite being rough around the edges, they will do anything for their family. He welcomes Sheila immediately so it sucked watching her betray him. He did not deserve to die and I still teared up reading it.
The second half of this book is Tim Drake's introduction. My friend Clarissa likes to make fun of me because when I talk about the Batfam, I always say "I love Batfam... but Tim" or "This Batgirl book was awesome... but Tim". I love the Robins... but Tim. Just kidding, he's growing on me but his introduction seemed so out of place in this book. It feels like Jason was barely cold in his grave and the writers were like "Here's Tim! Dry your eyes with this new Robin comic." Like, Jason JUST died. Give it some time.
09 Jan 2021 - the second time around, I read the issues between Jason's death and Tim's introduction and it works a LOT better. I don't understand why they put this collection together and left those 9 issues out. Seeing Bruce grieve for Jason - going from being unable to even say Jason's name, throwing himself into a cold missing person's case because this woman lost a child, slowly working himself to exhaustion and giving little to no attention to his own safety. Seeing that makes this a lot more effective and feels less insensitive than reading Jason's death and then having Tim introduced immediately after.
The Two Face plot was forgettable. Two Face having another mental breakdown and there's a lot of panels where Batman and Harvey are just obsessing over each other. It felt so on the nose with the parallels literally spelled out for you and reminded me why Wolfman's not exactly my favorite writer.
Tim as a character is still pretty rough for me. I'm come around to understanding him a bit more and I feel sorry for him in that the thing that sticks out to me the most in reading this is that Tim's parents and guardians at the boarding school didn't fucking notice when he went missing. He's thirteen and there's no way someone wasn't supposed to be looking after him, especially if they were responsible for him during vacation week. Even Harry Potter couldn't stay over Christmas break without teachers watching over him.
Here, I have the same issues with him: he's bossy, presumptuous, the kind of precocious that's rather annoying. When he's lecturing Dick about how he needs to do a better job taking care of Bruce, I wanted to toss this kid in a box and ship him back to boarding school. He wasn't here for Bruce's unreasonable expectations, Bruce constantly pushing Dick away every time he tried to help and yelling at him for no reason. He tries to tell Batman what he needs and what to do and I get that he's a kid but he was shoving himself into a relationship he had no business talking about. It's annoying.
However, I do appreciate that he's the only Robin that came to the job not because he needed to channel grief and anger into something good - but because he thought Batman needed him. He's the only Robin taking on the mantle because it's a symbol that needs to continue on, which gives him a unique place in the Batfamily... as annoying as he was. I liked that he dreamed of being Robin because he looked up to Dick after meeting him at the circus as a child. (Though this exact backstory was later given to Rebirth Jason Todd). Also, this kid became Robin and Two Face hit him with a brick immediately, and he didn't quit, so kudos.
I still think the Tim Drake/Haly's Circus plot should've been a separate book.
Anyway, this is a recommend because of Jason Todd's importance to the Batfam.
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