Batman: A Death in the Family
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A Death in the Family is a Batman comic book story arc first published in the late 1980s which gave fans the ability to influence the story through voting with a 900 number. "A Death in the Family" ran in Batman #426-429, published in 1988-1989. The story was credited to Jim Starlin (script), Jim Aparo (pencil), Mike DeCarlo (ink), Adrienne Roy (color), and John Costanza (lettering). Covers were illustrated by Mike Mignola. The story is also collected as a trade paperback under the title Batman: A Death in the Family.
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[edit] Storyline
The story follows Jason Todd, the second Robin. In search of his biological mother, he travels to the Middle East where he becomes embroiled in terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, and the machinations of the Joker. After a confrontation with the Joker, Todd is killed in a violent warehouse explosion, prompting Batman to swear to avenge his death. Superman makes an appearance as a messenger from the President, trying to dissuade Batman from killing the Joker, who claims diplomatic immunity after being appointed the ambassador from Iran by the Ayatollah Khomeini (later retconned to be the fictional nation of Qurac.) The appointment, however, was a cover for the Joker's attempt to assassinate the entire General Assembly of the United Nations, which may or may not have been sanctioned by his superiors in the Iranian government.
Batman meanwhile, embarks on his one man crusade to exact bloody revenge on the Joker.
[edit] Significance
DC Comics, aware of Jason Todd's unpopularity with fans and perhaps inspired by references to a dead Jason in Frank Miller's non-canonical futuristic comic series, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, set up a 1-900 number one-dollar hotline giving callers the ability to vote for or against Jason's death. Over 10,000 votes were cast, a narrow majority voted to kill Jason, and DC published "A Death in the Family" to massive media attention, though many people who didn't read the comics believed it to be Dick Grayson, the original Robin.
Batman was also considerably more violent and portrayed in a darker sense, with the entire story told in narrative through his point of view. Notable incidents include him punching Superman, and treating villains a lot more violently than his moral code in other comics permitted.
The story arc was panned by many as implausible, and some have accused Starlin's depiction of the Middle East as racist[citation needed] (including Iran making Joker their ambassador, and then Joker wearing a turban and saying they share insanity and a great love of fish). The Joker also attributes his financial state to "Reaganomics", seemingly blaming then-president Ronald Reagan. Blatant allusions to the Iran-Contra Affair are also made, inclusive of the Joker's sale of a cruise missile to Iranian extremists with Israel as their target.
However, the depiction of Batman in a rare emotional state, the murder of a very famous superhero, and the phone-voting element have allowed "A Death in the Family" to remain a significant milestone in American comics.
[edit] Jason Todd's Return
In recent years, Jason Todd's importance had become less and less apparent until the Hush storyline, where it was hinted that he was really alive. While shown to be false in the subsequent issue, Todd truly returned during the Batman: Under the Hood arc, where he returned as the murderous vigilante, the Red Hood, to much controversy.
Considering his recent return, Denny O'Neil (editor of the Bat-comics at the time) amusingly states on the back cover of A Death in the Family trade paperback: "It would be a really sleazy stunt to bring him back".
[edit] Trivia
- An uncolored alternate version of Batman #428 was created in the event that the readers voted to let Jason live. One famous panel is a variation on the iconic scene depicting Batman holding Jason's body in which a jubilant Batman exclaims "He's alive! Thank God!" (A variation of that panel would be used in The Batman Annual#25 story "The Return of Jason Todd").
| Batman | |
|---|---|
| Creators: | Bob Kane • Bill Finger • Other writers and artists |
| Supporting Characters: | Robin (Tim Drake) • Nightwing (Dick Grayson) • Batgirl • Batwoman • Alfred Pennyworth • Lucius Fox • Barbara Gordon • Commissioner Gordon • Harvey Bullock |
| Villains: | Bane • Catwoman • Clayface • Harley Quinn • Joker • Killer Croc • Mr. Freeze • Penguin • Poison Ivy • Ra's al Ghul • Red Hood (Jason Todd) • Riddler • Scarecrow • Two-Face • Other villains |
| Locations: | Arkham Asylum • Batcave • Gotham City • Wayne Enterprises • Wayne Manor |
| Miscellanea: | Batarang • Batmobile • Batsuit • Popular media • Publications • Storylines • Alternate versions of Batman |
