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Book Reviews of Batman: A Death in the Family

Batman: A Death in the Family
Batman A Death in the Family
Author: Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Mike DeCarlo
ISBN-13: 9780930289447
ISBN-10: 0930289447
Publication Date: 12/1/1995
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 8

3.6 stars, based on 8 ratings
Publisher: DC Comics
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

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Barbllm avatar reviewed Batman: A Death in the Family on + 241 more book reviews
Tragedy hits close to home for Batman once again. The death of his parents led him to becoming Batman, and with A Death in The Family the current Robin (Jason Todd, an orphan adopted by Bruce Wayne) is killed while searching for his birth mother.

The previous person to wear the red, green and yellow costume of Robin was Dick Grayson, who saw his parents killed before his eyes at the circus. He outgrew the sidekick role and became Nightwing, taking as his home Bludhaven, a town slightly less corrupt than Gotham. Jason, unlike Dick, didnt always follow instructions carefully or clearly and his recklessness got him into trouble more than once. The book is divided into four chapters. In the first chapter, the Joker fancies himself an arms dealer and attempts to sell a nuclear missile to Middle Eastern terrorists. This seems a bit out of character for him.

Jason tracks down his birth mother as a relief aid worker in the Middle East, however, the Joker finds her first. Theres a great dramatic twist involving Jasons mother that leads to his deathwhich was decided by polling the readers. Whether this is seen as a milestone (like the DC retcons or crises) or simply a cynically written story is up to the reader.