BLOG: Batman: A Death in the Family (Issues 426-429)
If you were there, you remember. The buzz and hype had been swirling around for quite some time well before that fateful June 23rd of 1989 when Tim Burton’s Batman finally hit the big screen. Merchandise of every possible variety was popping up left and right, preview snippets of the film on evening entertainment shows became mini events to look forward to, and reruns of the camp classic television series from the 60’s were in heavy rotation.
Then of course you had the comics.
Oh man, there was some serious s%*t going down in the comics.
I was 8 years old and in the 3rd grade during the Winter of 1988 when I came across that first issue, attending Harrison elementary in Stockton, CA which was located across town. This gave me a pretty long commute that began with a several mile walk to Cleveland elementary where I’d catch the bus. A school that I was technically in the district for but it was already overflowing, forcing me to trek to the outskirts of the city every day. Cleveland of course gained national attention that January falling victim to a mass shooting resulting in the deaths of 5 children and the injuries of dozens more. There was something in the air, my homelife during this time was less than ideal with an abusive stepfather leading the charge. We were poor to say the least and in many ways the time covering all of that distance was probably for the best.
Cleveland is also where I’d be dropped off every day to hike back home, and on the way I’d typically stop into a small liquor store across the street from Oak park to buy cheap candy. And across the street from Oak Park was Stockton Rural Cemetery, a graveyard that felt out of place being so close to where families regularly had bbq’s, where the Stockton Ports played baseball and kids practiced hockey at the skating rink. It always gave me the creeps, that place and still occasionally makes a guest appearance in my nightmares. I wish I could remember the name of that liquor store but that’s where it was: A spinner rack filled with comics that I couldn’t afford, creating a small repetitious metallic squeak as my hands turned it around and around.
But even though I didn’t have the money to buy them, that didn’t mean I still couldn’t read them, right? My system would be to grab a book that looked good and sort of browse around the store, stopping at one aisle to read a page or two, then moving on to the next. Back and forth throughout the (probably tiny) shop until the story was all wrapped up. Thinking about it now, the guy who ran the place must have known what I was up to but didn’t mind because I was never asked to leave or kicked out.
It was Batman #426, the first of a four part series that stood out from anything else on the rack that day. Something about the stark color combination, the deep blacks and reds and the somber expression on Batman’s face, not to mention the gothic almost ceremonial font of that title: A Death in the Family. And the hook is right there on the cover:
“Robin begins a quest for his identity…sudden and violent death is also waiting for him…Will the Batman be in time?”
Now this wasn’t the Robin that most people were familiar with. The circus performer turned orphan introduced back in 1940 named Dick Grayson who fought alongside the caped crusader in full color reruns every day. This was Jason Todd, his successor who became Bruce’s partner once Dick had outgrown the role and gone on to become Nightwing, leader of the Teen Titans. And while Dick had become a fan favorite full of life, humor, empathy and charm…well, Jason had a lot of tough stuff going on.
Most characters in the Bat family come from some sort of tragic background and Jason was no different, his father murdered at the hands of Two-Face and his mother dying of a drug overdose. This was actually a post-crisis origin as initially his backstory was nearly identical to Grayson’s but was smartly revamped. In that update this Robin was found by Batman trying to lift the tires off of the Batmobile while parked in crime alley. This Robin was angry, emotional, moody, sad and impulsive. This Robin would snap back and often outright disobey orders leaving the dark knight with his hands in the air not sure how to best handle things. This Robin became my second favorite comic book character of all time.
I loved him.
The story of A Death in the Family revolves around Jason discovering his birth certifcate which reveals that the woman he thought was his Mother in fact wasn’t and the real one is out there somewhere. It’s a tale that finds him at his most impetuous and determined and for this 8 year old in particular, relatable. It all comes together when he finally meets her only to find that she’s in league with the Joker. Sadly, she sells the kid out and he is mercilessly beaten by the clown prince with a crowbar in shockingly comic code approved panels. He’s then locked inside a warehouse with his mother and a bundle of dynamite and the second chapter ends with Batman arriving just as the entire building explodes.
This famously led to DC Comics leaving it up to the fans to decide the boy’s fate with a call in number voting system, the results of which are clear. I remember feeling so nervous every day going back into that liquor store waiting to see the outcome. But something in me knew he wasn’t going to make it, I just wanted that to happen too much. So upon turning the page to reveal that now iconic splash illustration, it wasn’t completely shocking. More like confirmation of the inevitable.
The fallout for a while led to many emotionally charged stories, most notably Batman: Year Three. A story that mirrors A Death in the Family in many ways and one that I wish would have been included in the fairly recent Deluxe Hardcover either along with or instead of A Lonely Place of Dying, the introduction of Robin #3 Tim Drake.
A few years later when I was earning a small yet somewhat regular allowance, that money became devoted solely to collecting comic books and all kinds of Batman stuff. Discovering Al’s Comics on the Miracle Mile really changed everything and I no longer relied on what chance would bring to that liquor store spinner rack. I could go through long boxes of back issues and find countless stories that I’d missed and begin to fill in narrative gaps. I was desperate to be able to own those original single issues of A Death in the Family but this was during the early 90’s comic boom when prices were hiked up to astronomical figures. Instead I had to settle on a flimsy trade paperback that I read to tatters, until one day years later I found myself in a position to finally add those first printings to my collection.
A couple of weeks ago, DC released a facsimile edition of the “never before seen” alternative issue where Jason survives the explosion. This is a bit misleading as those pages have appeared in various forms over the years most notably in that said deluxe edition. But the draw here is that the book is cleverly presented in an “authentic” form as the legitimate third installment of the series, complete with 1:1 original advertisements. I was able to get my hands on a few copies (there are of course the expected variant covers including a lovely foil version) and honestly, there isn’t much to review.
Titled Robin Lives, it’s about 90% the exact same issue released back then only with a handful of panels illustrating the alternative outcome and one scene involving Grayson’s attempt to comfort Bruce. But that small adjustment did make a profound difference and hit me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Reading the first 2 issues before moving onto Robin Lives made me realize just how hard of an experience that must have been as a kid where he didn’t make it. It must have really got to me in a way that I didn’t realize at the time and instantly suppressed. Honestly, I became a bit emotional finally experiencing in some small way and after all of these years, the outcome I had wanted so much back then.
I wanted Robin to live and now, I guess he kinda does.
Recommended Reading: The classic Alan Moore penned Superman Annual #11 where Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman confront Mongul who’s managed to take Superman out of commission and it’s my boy Jason who saves the day.
