Batman: Death in the Family

Rating:
Summary: The Joker finally gets his cake!
Review: The story was well written, with Bruce & Tim going all over the world to find Tim's mother. The Joker also knows Robin's mother, and he kills Robin and his mother. Very good, but kind of sad.

Rating:
Summary: This is why I read Batman
Review: There are so many Batman comics out there nowadays that sometimes it's hard to pick out the good ones in the overflow that is offered. Let me be of a little help here and say that THIS one is one of those books you WANT to pick up. Why is it that nice ? Well, it's a story in which everybody (by now) knows what is gonna happen, still it takes you by surprise WHEN it actually happens and it is never boring or predictable. You don't see it coming. But "the big event" is certainly not the only reason why this story is good. It's also a very well written story where you get to know more about Jason Todd and what follows after Jason himself gets to know things he didn't know before. The storytelling through the art is great here and definately adds to the already good writing. Certainly one of the better Batman TPB's to pick up.

Rating:
Summary: Overrated? Much.
Review: This book is a fair read at best. The whole thing was probably more exciting at the time it came out and people were able to vote to decide whether or not Robin died. However, upon reading it now, the whole story is rather medicore. The plot has gigantic holes in it even for an 80's superhero comic. Batman and Robin travel around the world and everything and everyone they are looking for falls into their lap repeatedly. The art in the story is average, but certain scenes are very poorly done. The only thing that saves this book from being banished from my mind altogther is the fact that despite the shortcomings, it is a pretty entertaining read and it has a strong finish.

Rating:
Summary: Overrated? Much.
Review: This book is a fair read at best. The whole thing was probably more exciting at the time it came out and people were able to vote to decide whether or not Robin died. However, upon reading it now, the whole story is rather medicore. The plot has gigantic holes in it even for an 80's superhero comic. Batman and Robin travel around the world and everything and everyone they are looking for falls into their lap repeatedly. The art in the story is average, but certain scenes are very poorly done. The only thing that saves this book from being banished from my mind altogther is the fact that despite the shortcomings, it is a pretty entertaining read and it has a strong finish.

Rating:
Summary: Don't blow your money on it.
Review: This book is an awful excuse for comic book writing. In it we find the second Robin, Jason Todd, in a search for his biological mother. He goes off to other countries to search for three possibilities. And both Batman and the Joker end up there for different reasons.
After going through the first two women, Robin and Batman find his real mother. Then Batman goes off for a little while and Joker shows up and kills Robin and his mother.
The lowest point in this is when Joker becomes the ambassedor of Iran. Which means Batman can't touch him. Superman tries to keep him in line.
Truly bad, though it gets a star for the emotion showed by Batman, this should be skipped by comic fans.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly-plotted, misguided, but important to Bat-mythos
Review: This book is one of the most unfortunate comics still in print. The premise -- comics readers being asked to give thumbs-up or thumbs-down to a difficult, unpopular, but still important character -- was awful, and put blood on the hands of a lot of readers. The plot is rather ludicrous, full of coincidences and lots of Jason Todd jetting from place to little purpose. The force of Jason Todd's death -- which had so much resonance in, for instance, "The Dark Knight Returns" -- has since been rather muted by the new, wonderful Robin guided by Chuck Dixon. (You wonder if Jason Todd could have matured into this Robin, given the chance.) Still, the Joker is used well in the story, Superman is effective, and there are several striking and memorable scenes. This is an important story in the ongoing saga of the Bat, but I suggest that it stands as a monument to a tragic and irreversible editorial decision rather than as a triumphant Batman story along the lines of "Dark Knight" or "The Killing Joke."

Rating:
Summary: A tragic tale of loss and murder.
Review: This chapter in the Batman Saga is one of the best yet also one of the saddest. Batman has to deal with the loss of his second partner and it takes him over the edge (as seen in A LONELY PLACE OF DYING). Starlin's portrayal was realistic in such a way that it could not be distinguished from what happens in real life

Rating:
Summary: It's The Best
Review: This is without a question the best Batman story I have ever read. Jim Aparo and Jim Starlin and Mike DeCarlo are the team for Batman. I would seriously reccomend buying some of the issues this great team did together. This creative team is also responsible for the '' The Ten Nights of The Beast'' storyline introducing the KGBeast. The aforementioned issues also have Mike Zeck covers so they are expensive. Back to the matter at hand this book is incredible and it puts The Joker in a class of one.

Rating:
Summary: Grrrrrrrreat!!
Review: This story not only traces back Batman's nemesis with the Joker, but also the death of Jason Todd and his relationship with Superman. Lots of characters, including Lady Shiva. Buy it!

Rating:
Summary: A well-done story... a collection that could be better
Review: To begin with, let's give massive kudos to DC Comics for having the guts to tell this story. It sent Batman down a path even more guilt-ridden than his previous one and eventually led to the creation of a real balancing force in Tim Drake, the current (and best) Robin. Although the gimmick of allowing readers to call in and vote for letting Jason Todd live or killing him off seems sort of callow, it did gain this story serious attention, attention that it deserved. However (and perhaps this is the DVD fan in me) I feel sort of a pang of guilt that we've never seen the alternate ending for this story, the one where Jason survived. DC had both endings ready to go to the printer, just waiting for the response to come in... is there any reason we couldn't have included that alternate chapter in this collection? Heck, even if they stuck an "Elseworlds" label on that chapter, it would be fine with me. Something to consider, DC, the next time this book goes to print.