A Death in the Family

Ok so this is one of the comics that has a major impact on what people think of comics as a whole, was one of the first comic books to have user input on the actual outcome, and is still in continuity! A Death in the Family was written shortly after The Killing Joke in 1988, and to most modern audiences it will seem a bit dated, simply because of the events going on in the background. American was very concerned with Iran at the time, especially after the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran in 1979-1981, the Iran-Iraq war from 1980-1988, and increasingly concerned about extremist Islamic groups. This is important background information because much of the plot actually relies on knowing about this, but you can get through this with some pretty limited information. In case you need more click here.

The book was written in four parts, but the TPB I am reading out of has it split into six chapters, so I don't know where the chapters break compared to the books. I don't really like the first two covers, but the last two are alright, showcasing dramatic events rather than strange half brooding poses like the othe ones.

Kick some tail Robin!

Our story starts with Batman and Robin taking down a child pornography ring. Jason Todd, the current Robin, jumps in head first and immediately begins beating the bad guys up, with Batman frustrated at the lack of patience, but they quickly take down the "gunsels."Bruce is pissed with Jason for jumping the gun, and tells him he needs to be more careful, with Jason in a spiteful bout of teenage rebellion, telling him that "life is a game" and that "near misses don't count."

Why does Joker just have a missile lying around?

The next day Bruce speaks with Alfred and they both decide that they need to do something about his aggression. Bruce decides to take him off of active duty, with Jason hearing and deciding to storm out. Meanwhile the Joker has just escaped Arkham Asylum for the billionth time. Joker gained access to a supply closet and being a chemical expert whipped up a lethal batch of his Joker gas with common cleaning agents. This killed eight guards, and he was able to escape. Batman and Gordon both think he will be taken down, as after what happened in The Killing Joke the entire Teen Titans team and Justice League are going to go after the Joker. The Joker is out picking up some old toys, namely a freaking cruise missile. Joker decides that he needs to replenish his funds and to do that he will sell the missile to Middle East.

Secret Agent, Mercenary, Doctor. Why are these in a thugs address book?

Jason is back in Crime Alley, the neighborhood where both he and Batman got their start. The narration is the same as Bruce's so I guess we are learning about Jason's history, and we learn that his dad used to work for Two-Face before being killed by his boss, while his mother died of some sort of disease. As Jason wanders what used to be his home, an old friend of the family recognizes him and gives him some old photos and records from his father. Batman is leaning on known associates of the Joker but is unable to get any real information other than that some of the Joker's thugs were planning to head to Lebanon. Jason learns that his mother was actually his stepmother. He finds an address book with three names that match the first letter of the water damaged birth certificate. They are Sharmin Rosen, Shiva Woosan and Sheila Haywood. Jason uses the batcomputer to find out their current whereabouts and decides to use his credit cards to travel the middle east by himself. I would like to point out there is no indication he speaks any language that would allow him to communicate, he tells no one of his plans, and he runs to find his mom even though he has never met here and has no proof that whichever of the women his mother is that she would accept him back into her life. Batman has found out that the cruise missile the Joker has is actually a nuclear missile but the Joker apparently doesn't know that as he doesn't mention that it is nuclear ever. Batman returns to the cave and learns that Jason has already gone, and that he needs to go after the more pressing matter.

Batman beats up terrorists. What more do I need to say?

Batman is allowed by a friend in the C.I.A. to go after the Joker and is told of a plane that the Joker stole and that if he can deal with the Shiite militants who are in control of the plane he can look it over. Batman is able to tell the Joker is the one doing this from a gunshot wound to the head, which makes zero sense, but whatever. Batman changes and heads into town. Robin is infiltrating an Israeli military compound hoping to learn about Sharmin Rosen, who is part of the Israeli secret service. He learns that Rosen is undercover in Beirut. Bruce is in Beirut and speaks Farsi, so of course he is able to get around and changes into Batman and scares the pants of of numerous gunsels. He learns that a Perter Brando is planning on selling the missile. Rosen is supposed to be staying at the same place, so of course Bruce and Jason run into each other outside. They fill each other in on their respective missions, and learn that Rosen and Brando are working togethor. They follow them in rocket powered bat-gliders, and arrive at the missile as final bargaining is complete with the nuclear missile being sold for a paltry one million dollars. Of course the Joker is ecstatic.

Because Joker's word is trustworthy.

His fun is spoiled however by the appearance of Batman and Robin beating up several guards, taking them out in the space of three panels. He tells the terrorists to take them out, and they strafe the area, but Batman and Robin are able to dodge the fire, and they begin to take out the terrorists and thugs, whittling them down to nothing. Rosen shows her true colors shooting a terrorist, and Robin attempts to rescue her, but Rosen proves that she is an empowered woman and judo throws the thug to the ground. The missile is fired by the terrorist leader, but it misfires. The good guys are able to get to safety, and Batman reasons that the Joker failed at putting the rocket back together, and the warhead failed to detonate. The Joker staggers away, stunned. Robin asks Rosen if she ever had a child in Gotham, with Rosen saying that she had never had a child in Gotham. They decide to head after Sandra Woosan, with the Joker planning on going to Ethiopia, where Sheila Haywood has a refugee camp.

In chapter three, we find out that Sandra Woosan was taken by some terrorists. Meanwhile the Joker has found a way to get back on his feet. He goes to Sheila Heywood and blackmails her using a botched surgical operation in Gotham to get medical supplies for him to sell on the black market. Bruce and Jason have infiltrated the terrorists camp, and they quickly dispatch them, something that makes Batman nervous. Finally he gets that the terrorists are trainees, and that Sandra Woosan or Lady Shiva as she will be known is actually in charge of the camp. She knocks out Jason with a single blow and then fights Batman, proceeding to actually challenge him, proving his equal in martial arts, with Jason helping after regaining conciousness. Jason destroys the camp, and they interrogate Woosan using a truth serum, learning that she has never had a child. Sandra vows to come after Batman later, and they head to Ethiopia with Jason excited to meet his mother. They arrive at the refugee camp with Bruce telling himself that he needs to write another check, and that he will try to forget the horrors, as he can't help everyone even with his resources. Jason finds his mother, and they catch up. We learn that she was part

of some illicit surgery ring thing and that she planned to have Jason's father join her in England, but that he fell in love with another women. Joker arrives, and Jason learns that the Joker has been blackmailing his mother. The Joker even brought tons of his toxic gas to depopulate the camps. Batman learns of the trucks, and tells Jason to wait and not to take on the Joker alone. Jason agrees, but lied, and of course goes off to take on the Joker alone. He goes to his mother and she ignores his demand to help until he reveals his costume underneath his straight clothes. His mother freaks out and takes him to the warehouse. We then learn that Jason's mother is an absolutely terrible person. She lured him into the room for the Joker to take out so that she could keep her skimming of the funds for the medical supplies from being discovered. She pulls out a gun and then asks the Joker what they should do with him.

That's right, Jason's mother lets him get punched, pistol whipped, and beaten with a crowbar to save her own skin. The Joker just keeps beating him and beating him while Heywood watches on, until she decides to look away and smoke a cigarette instead. Meanwhile Batman's batcopter is shot down by the guards of the joker gas filled trucks. Batman knocks out the guards and saves the camp, telling the drives to unload the boxes and leave them for the army. Joker finishes beating him up, with Heywood asking what they will do about their beating up of Batman's little friend, with the Joker deciding to blame it all on Heywood, claiming that Batman "insists on solid evidence before going nova." They tie up heywood and leave a bomb and her tied to a pole. Heywood claims it was unfair and that the Joker should have played it straight which I have no idea why someone who was clearly at least a little acquainted with would even claim was a good idea. Jason unties his mother, but the door is locked, and as Batman drives back to the warehouse, the bomb goes off. We then get batman surveying the wreckage remembering how he took Jason in to prevent him from going down a bad path. Heywood tells batman what happened before dying, and then Batman finds Jason's body. 

The Joker takes his medical supplies and delivers them, but learns that Iranian secret service wants to see him. When the Joker protests they take him in and is impressed to learn that the Supreme Ayatollah, the man in charge of Iran, wants to see him. That's right Iran is such an evil place that they want a mass murderer to work for them. Bruce takes the bodies of Sheila and Jason home, giving them a funeral, and then works on the clue that the Joker left, learning that he plans to do something at the United Nations Plaza. Superman meets him there, telling him that he can't do anything to the Joker as he has been appointed an ambassador by Iran. Batman punches Superman in anger, almost breaking his hand before the Joker arrives. Joker plans his speech, and Batman arrives and learns that he killed Jason. With proof he plans on being an observer during the Joker's speech. Of course at the speech the Joker attempts to kill everyone. Superman saves everyone by sucking up all the gas as he was posted as security. Batman goes after the Joker as he detonates bombs and the Joker runs for the roof. He gets to the roof with Batman catching him as they get to the helicopter on the roof. Batman fights some goons who shoot in the helicopter causing it to crash. Superman tries to find his body, but Batman remarks that it is unresolved as usual. 

So Jason Todd died, something that lasted over 20 years. He was one of the few comic book characters to stay dead for a long period of time. They based his death on a call in number and has 10,614 calls with 5,271 for keeping him alive, and 5,343 for killing him. This is an early social media campaign, which is interesting historically, and it is one of the most lasting comics, with a super recent storyline called The Death of a Family involving all the current Batman titles. This comic is also important as it serves at Batman's greatest failure. He is unable to save his partner, but is also unwilling to kill Joker, or even go after him without concrete evidence. This shows how Batman doesn't kill even in the most dire circumstances, but also how he is still a human being, capable of failure. Modern Batman and his interaction with his partner's can all be traced back to Jason Todd. He even didn't want to take another partner ever. 

This comic is an ok read, a bit confusing due to dated references and the artwork and some of the plot holes. That makes reading this problematic. I recommend that Batman fan's actually read this comic just to get to know the charcters. Would I read this as a standalone comic? Probably not. I got mine in the trade paperback A Death in the Family, but they are doing a hardcover deluxe edition soon. Next week I will look at Captain America, looking at the very first Captain America stories, and talking about the beginning of Marvel.