Some of the best stories ever told get that way because they take risks and stretch boundaries; and then, some even cross the line. Batman: A Death In the Family is one of the most iconic graphic novels you could ever add to your collection. Not only does this book give us one of the most prolific and shocking deaths in comic history, but it dives into some pretty crazy stuff, including foreign politics. When I think of Batman: A Death In the Family, two things come to mind, "This would never fly by today's standards," and, "We brought this on ourselves." The first thing to keep in mind while reading this book is that it was written in the late 80's and so things were not quite as uptight as they are today regarding foreign policy; but in some scenes you have the Joker selling nuclear missiles to terrorists and then negotiating with the Ayatollah Khomeini. The Joker in this time period was just as twisted as he is in today's comics but with a bit more humor added in and a little less psychotic; but that didn't stop him from killing the second Robin, Jason Todd. This event in comic history made us believe that in the comic world it was possible to die and stay dead. It wouldn't be for another 10 years before we saw Jason Todd grace the pages of another comic. As the old saying goes, "Don't shoot the messenger," we can't pass Jason's death on the Joker entirely. The real weight of Jason Todd's death rested on the fans. After a brutal beating with a crowbar from the Joker, Jason lay unconscious in a warehouse about to explode with laughing gas and dynamite; and with Batman rushing to his rescue, fans were given a phone number to call in and seal Jason Todd's fate, and his coffin. Over 10 thousand fans called in, and with a vote of 5,343 votes for Jason to die over 5,271 for him to live, Jason Todd became the next casualty at the hands of the Joker.
Batman: A Death In the Family was a defining moment in the Batman cannon. The Death of Jason Todd continues to haunt Batman today, and still serves as a reminder that contributes to Batman's hesitancy to recruit someone into his crusade. Eventually Jason Todd does come back to life to become the Red Hood; reminiscent of the Joker's costume prior to falling into the vat of chemicals as told in The Killing Joke. Now a days Jason Todd is back on Batman's side but still holds a grudge, wondering why Batman never sought justice for his death and avenged him by killing the Joker; a burden that still makes Batman question whether or not his decision makes him responsible for the Joker's victims. A Death In the Family was a great story line that didn't just seek to emotionally scar Batman, but also had an educational lesson to go with it, and that is why it belongs here amongst my Genre Defining Comics.
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