For those whose love of Batman extends beyond the silver screen and into the comics from which he came, it has been an interesting and terrifying couple of months. 

Death of the Family is an overlapping comic book event that covers the Joker’s latest and possibly most sinister “gag” on Batman. Death of the Family began in Batman 13 and was concluded in this month’s Batman 17. The event spanned every “Bat” related title.

 While only five issues of Batman were devoted to Death of the Family multiple issues of “Bat-Family” or villain comics were involved, including: Batgirl, Batman and Robin, Catwoman, Detective Comics, Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Suicide Squad and Teen Titans. 

DC Comics have run similar Batman storylines in the past. In 1986, the second Robin, Jason Todd, was killed by the Joker in the Death in the Family arc. In 2009’s Death of a Family, Batman was thought to have been killed at the hands of Darkside.

With such significant events in the Batman universe taking place under a similar title, it was clear from the outset that Death of the Family would be a major storyline for the character.  

The art featured during the event varies from title to title, depending on the artists. Each title showcases a different style of the Joker, and reading these issues side by side is truly amazing. Every detail, or lack of, highlights the rabid persona of the Joker and draws the reader into the threatening trap that awaits their heroes. 

Early on in The New 52Batman run, the Joker had his face removed to mark the loss of the last shred of his humanity. The Joker attached his face on the wall of his cell and left Gotham for a year.

In Batman 13, the Joker reappeared at Gotham City police headquarters to reclaim his face from the evidence room, during which he leaves behind a staggering body count. From there the Joker goes to Wayne Manor to kidnap Alfred for a “special celebration” he has planned for Batman.

Through the next few issues, the Joker revisits his old crimes with terrifying new twists. During one standoff, the Joker tells Batman and all of his former sidekicks the horrifying message that he’s known their secret identities for years. 

The Joker claims he followed Batman back to the cave years ago, and even left his calling card. While Batman denies the Joker’s claims, the Bat-Family is furious that Bruce never mentioned the possibility of the Joker knowing who they really are.

The tie-in issues of Death of the Family all followed a very similar format. During the Joker’s year away from Gotham he kept an eye on Batman and all of his allies. This allowed the Joker to prepare traps for each member of the Bat-Family that would be very specific to their psychological and emotional weaknesses. 

Each member of the Bat-Family suffers a horrendously emotional trap that pushes all of the right buttons. In fact, the Joker pushed each of the young heroes to the point of wanting to kill him, to cross that line that not even Batman will allow himself to cross.

With the Bat-Family incapacitated Batman tracks down a lead on the Joker and learns that Arkham Asylum has been secretly taken over by the crown prince of crime. Batman, despite knowing the trap that is waiting for him, heads into the asylum to put an end to the Joker’s game.  

The point the Joker is trying to prove is that he can use Batman’s family to hurt him. The Joker forces Batman to join him and the Bat-Family at the special dinner the Joker has prepared in a system of tunnels that leads to the Bat-Cave. Batman is seated at the head of the table on a pressurized switch that will ignite the fumes of the gasoline the Joker has dosed his allies with. 

Right when the Joker is about set his family on fire, Batman leaps igniting the fumes while throwing an explosive on cave ceiling to release the water from a reservoir to extinguish the flames. After checking on the family Batman chases the Joker to put an end to the latest string of madness. 

The Joker slips only to have Batman save him from falling into the abyss of the cave system. The Joker taunts Batman about loving him more than the family, claiming that Batman needs him. That’s why Batman never deduced the Joker’s true identity or killed him, or so the Joker says. 

Batman tells the Joker that he finally “broke the spell.”  While the Joker was away Batman learned who he was before becoming the Joker. The Joker lashes out at the news and administers an electric current to Batman, resulting in the Joker’s final exit into the darkness of the caves. 

In the end, Batman overcomes the Joker, but the damage to the family has been done. When Bruce invites the family over to discuss all that happened each member makes up an excuse or ignores him. Though Batman stopped the Joker from killing them, the impact of his actions and words has distanced the characters from their mentor. 

The Joker wanted to kill the Bat-Family to isolate Batman, and the end of Batman 17 suggests he may have succeeded.

The next few issues of each title will highlight the aftermath of Death of the Family. Fans can argue about the repercussions of the event, but it is obvious that the Batman universe has been altered drastically by what has happened. 

The highlight of Death of the Family is the dialogue between Batman and the Joker. While the Joker has standoffs with all of the former sidekicks, it sounds rehearsed and bland. Only when he’s speaking to Batman does the chemistry fill the page. 

Death of the Family portrays an aspect of the Joker that has never been highlighted so obviously, his love for Batman. While it is obvious that the Joker feeds off of Batman Death of the Family portrays Joker’s obsession as love. The Joker’s over use of the words such as “darling” and the overall romanticized speech highlight this love he has for Batman. In Batman 15 Bruce points out that different pupil movements show different emotions and that Joker’s pupils “expand with love.”

The conclusion of Death of the Family is brilliant. The Joker wins even though Batman saved his entire family. After seeing how easily Batman was able to rescue the family, I can’t help but wonder if Joker planned to let them live all along. In a way, Batman saving the family only to have them walk away from him is much more devastating than Joker killing them.

Still, I am disappointed with the family. Having seen these characters grow together in the past, I can’t help but think that they should be above this. Hopefully, this issue will be addressed in the coming months.