 "Important Outcome from a Mediocre Story" | 2008-08-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2566SORBWPMC3 |
This is a decent story which is mainly well known for the out come rather than a great story. This is something I would recommend to fans of Batman to read for the sake of the importance to the Batman story line, but I probably wouldn't recommend to many others. In fact even if you're a Batman fan and you don't have a lot of money to through around there a lot of other Batman stories I'd point to before this one. Now I don't want to say that this is that bad of a story I was entertained and never thought about not finishing reading it.
I think the biggest problem for me was the fact that most of the time it didn't feel like the Batman universe. It just seems odd having Batman run around in the Middle East. Now having been a fan of comics for a number of years now, I have come to know that often I will be asked to suspend my disbelief. But a few times it took it a little too far form me in this one. For example it seems a little too coincidental that Batman follows the Joker to the same city in the Middle East that Jason Todd ran off to looking for his mom. Two other examples are Batman bringing gliders and a mini helicopter with him to the Middle East/Africa. And the Joker being recruited as Iran's ambassador by Ayatollah Khomeini. I don't know it could just be me but I thought that was a bit much.
There were a few good things about it to though. While I wouldn't say the art work was amazing or anything, I thought it was pretty good and reminded me of the artwork in some of the older Batman comics (I mean that in a good way). I also liked the fact that the story addressed that when the Joker got out of Arkham he was without most of his assets and need to make some money to get started up again. In short I recommend this for the historical aspects rather than a great story. |
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 "Another Batman Classic!" | 2008-03-13 |
| - Reviewed By bravotango3 |
| Okay,when DC was planning this storyline they knew they were treading into new territory.It would be a controversial time in the comics industry where the companies wanted to get more mature with their readers.DC lead a campaign in whicn the fans would vote to either kill Robin(Jason Todd,Dick Grayson's predecessor)or to let him live at the end of the story.Long story short,the Joker ends up beating Jason within an inch of his life with a crowbar.Batman was elsewhere at this time.Jason discovered that his mother was alive but under the Joker's fearful leadership.They met briefly before they were locked in a shipping crate.Jason was laying on the floor bleeding to death when the Joker placed a bomb with a timer in the crate.The Joker preceded to beat Jason's mom up pretty bad too.Just before the bomb went off,Jason shielded her from the blast.Jason died in her arms.Batman found the two,then Jason's mom dies and the last image you see is Batman carrying Robin's lifeless body away from the scene.It was a very gritty story for it's time but it was necessary for DC to evolve into the '90's.A new or old Batman reader or fan should own this story.Not only is it gripping, but it's comic book history just like the Death Of Superman and Knightfall.Excellent DC Comics read! |
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 "Excellent story line" | 2007-09-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3C8LLI12YM4AX |
| anyone looking into this book should buy it. It's an excellent read very easy to follow, and is one of the most defining moments in the batman universe |
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| "Graphic SF Reader" | 2007-09-03 |
| - Reviewed By bluetyson |
Here we are again lucky enough to have the fantastic talents of Jim Aparo drawing Batman. Yet another DC comics publicity stunt in part, though, as the latest incarnation of the Robin character was not too popular with readers. So, they decided to do a storyline where the Joker captures him, and the readers could vote on whether he died or not.
Pretty clearly from the title, it is thumbs down for the Bird Boy.
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| "A pivotal moment in the Batman mythos" | 2007-08-31 |
| - Reviewed By lechuck96 |
I'm sure everyone who is even remotely familiar with Batman's background knows this story. Even if you haven't read it, the cover says it all. Robin dies. Although he was not the first or last Robin, it still sent ripples through the Batman canon that are still creating waves today (i.e. Under the Hood, Countdown).
I have to admit, this is the first story I ever read with Jason Todd as Robin. I knew a little bit about him but it's a little pathetic that before I even got to know the guy, he's gone. However, Starlin does take the time to fill in a little back story for those like me that may not have a clue as to who this Robin is or where he came from. It made me want to start backtracking and read a little bit more about him while he was alive so I could appreciate his departure more.
The basic story is after Bruce grounds Jason from active duty as Robin, Jason comes across his birth certificate indicating that his mother who he thought to be dead was in fact not his real mother and that she may still be out there. After some detective work he narrows it down to three women and goes off in search of her. Meanwhile The Joker is up to no good selling a nuke to terrorists in the middle east and Batman is on his trail. By a huge coincidence Bruce and Jason run into each other and end up helping each other with their missions.
Other than the unlikeliness of their journeys intersecting, the rest of the rest of the story plays out rather well with a few surprises as in addition to some good action and dialog. Starlin manages to make Jason's last moments meaningful and character defining. Jim Aparo's artwork is also pitch perfect and works really well in telling the story.
Although the story is not quite as epic as I had expected, it must have been mind blowing when it was first printed. The fact that leading up to his death you never see it coming would have been the best reading experience. It seems like just a simple story of Jason trying to dig deeper into his past and Joker up to his old tricks and then they hit you with a ton of bricks out of nowhere. I'd say that is a pretty hard thing to pull off well and that is why this story sets the stage for the rest of Batman's career. |
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 "Important to Batman Timeline, but that is the only reason to read" | 2007-07-30 |
| - Reviewed By lonnierenda |
First, I want to state no graphic novel is going to get five stars from me. As much as I enjoy Batman, to give any of them five stars would be a stretch. After all, how many are on par with Twain, Fitzgerald, Hemmingway, ect.
So, with that said, I have to state this is even poor for a graphic novel. The plot line is weak. The story itself is weak. If not for the killing of a key member in the Batman family, this would be unreadable.
In other words, read it for the time line within the Batman realm, but do not think that you are getting a great story. |
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| "Average Batman Tale" | 2006-10-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: AJJMUIG0JNMSE |
| Main redeeming factor was the death of Jason Todd. But, the Joker as ambassador of Iran, yeah right. I just found many aspects of the story to be unrealistic in terms of most batman stories that I have read. I do think it is worth a read though, you know this is story is important, I just wish there was more to than what made it famous. |
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| "A Good Comic" | 2006-07-31 |
| - Reviewed By pilgrimspride |
| I still remember this was big news when it first came out and I still remembered the title it was called A Death in the Family. As a long time mostly cloested comic fan- out of fear of being labeled a geek, etc, I thought it was in poor taste not only to kill Robin who had been so much a part of the Batman mythos over the years as much as Batman himself, but to make The Joker from here on look like the biggest legitimate psychopath to ever grace the pages of any comic. I still remember the Batman TV show, the movies, the cartoon, and The Joker was a wise cracking villain, who- though he may give the impression he wants to kill batman, was not some super big psychopath. Anyhow, another similar story followed this years later- The Knightfall saga, telling the story of how Batman finally meets his match in a new super villain named Bane, who doesn't kill Batman, but breaks his back. The Death in the Family and Knightfall saga are some of the only interesting aspects to an otherwise mediocre Batman mythos in pop culture and urban legends. If DC comics was looking to draw in more readers and make a little extra money by killing some its most famous characters, here's one guy who got suckered out of some money. It is too gimmicky of a marketing approach, too much a silly and geeky guilty pleasure that you can't help but be aware of Batman in pop culture that it was too tempting to resist. Comics are my guilty pleasure I guess. |
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| "A Tragedy and a Legend Not to be Missed" | 2006-06-14 |
| - Reviewed By efr613 |
It has been said that there are three milestones in the modern age of Batman:
1.The death of Thomas and Martha Wayne.
2.The alliance of Batman with the newly christened Robin, Dick Grayson.
3.The death of Robin II, Jason Todd.
Chip Kidd mentions in his book "Batman Collected" that the name Todd echoes in the German word "Tod" which means death. It is no irony that Jason Todd represents loss and tragedy in the DC universe and he is remembered as a boy who fought in a man's war against crime.
While many of the tragedies of Bat-lore are based on villains' origins, the impact of this story is heavily weighed upon a not-so-righteous Robin. Fan never bonded much with Jason, a hotheaded youth who grew up fending for himself on the streets of Gotham. His nature vs. nurture instinct left him with little sympathy for criminals. (He once pushed a rapist off a roof to his death.) This is not to say that all streetwise parentless children are juvenile delinquents but in the case of Jason Todd, Batman was unable to successfully channel his inner rage into the more positive goal of Robin.
"Death in the Family" unfolds as Jason goes off to Ethiopia in search of his long-lost mother. Bruce follows him and the two are caught up in a deadly battle of terrorists, betrayal, and the Joker. Despite Bruce's warnings, Jason's desire for truth blinds him from practical self-defense and he is lured into a trap before being beaten half to death by the Joker. Batman rushes to save him but it's too late and the Boy Wonder is finally annihilated in an exploding warehouse. The scene of a defeated Batman clutching Jason's bloodied body covered in tattered red and green rags is one of the most powerful iconic moments in all of DC's stories.
The Joker's influence in Iran is a bit far fetched and has annoyed fans for its almost ridiculous stereotypes, but it only serves to channel the story along. After Batman returns to Gotham and buries Jason's body he discovers that his archenemy is rising up in the ranks of foreign alliance. Superman has to intervene to prevent Batman from bringing the wrong vengeance down for Jason's death.
What made "Death in the Family" so powerful and a controversial best seller?
Answer: The fans.
DC allowed readers to call in by phone for two days to vote on Jason's outcome of the story: live or die. By a narrow margin in the ratings of fellow fans around the country, he was given thumbs down. I have heard in the world of the media, "There is no such thing as bad publicity". Hate mail did rain down on DC comics for doing this but the scenario just a small taste of how much of an influence the readers truly have on the outcome of a story.
The story telling is adequate but what makes "Death in the Family" so influential is its titanic tragedy. Robin has been a part of the Bat-mythos since 1940 and his relationship with Batman has always not only been that of a mentor and a student, but as a father and a son.
This book IS controversial but I believe DC knew they were taking a risk from the start. Those that read this story should be getting more out of it than a thrill or being disappointed if they don't like it. "Death in the Family" is a powerful reminder of the larger plan that works in the graphic novel market of a modern age audience. This story is one of the darkest of all dark stories, which says much for a serious hero like Batman whose origins are rooted in the death of his parents. The death of a surrogate son remains a stirring memorial in the Bat Cave where Jason's uniform hangs in a crystal case. The inscription reads, "In memory of Jason Todd. A good soldier."
If the story leaves you feeling downtrodden and depressed, I recommend reading "A Hero Reborn" next as an uplifting tale of how the mantle of Robin found worthy hands in Tim Drake, the third Boy Wonder and the current one to date. For another brooding but even more bewildering and thrilling story, "Under the Hood" is a recent work of fiction by Jud Winick. It brings about a question that has haunted Batman for over 16 years now: "What if Jason was never meant to die?"
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| "GOOD COMIC" | 2006-03-22 |
| - Reviewed By jars16 |
| I have been a Batman fan since kid, almost 30yrs. I was looking for this compilation awhile ago and definitely found it here. This is one of the most emotionally comics ever seen. You can feel the soft human side of the Bat. I will treasure this one as one of my fav. |
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