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| Issue |
Batman
426 |
| Subtitle |
A
Death in the Family book one |
| Date |
December
1988 |
| Writer(s) |
Jim
Starlin |
| Artist(s) |
Jim
Aparo, Mike DeCarlo |
| storyline |
Batman
and Robin moved in on some kiddie-porn runners, when
the junior partner burst in before his mentor was ready.
After they'd taken down the pornographers, Batman scolded
the boy for his inability to follow orders.
Back at the manor, Bruce spoke with Alfred. They'd both
noticed Jason's erratic behavior. Bruce decided to take
him out of the costume for the time being. Jason didn't
take the decision well.
Batman met with Commissioner Gordon at Arkham Asylum
- the Joker had escaped again. Eight were already dead.
Joker took one of his men to the last of his hideouts.
They planned to sell a cruise missile he'd acquired
to terrorists since most of his wealth had been seized.
Jason wandered through the streets in a daze until he
happened upon his old neighborhood. A woman there recognized
him and called him into her apartment. She gave him
a box of belongings she was able to secure when the
landlord sold off his parents' belongings. Inside were
documents and photographs. He found his own birth certificate
and learned the woman he thought was his mother wasn't
his birth mother. As luck would have it, the document
had been damaged - he could only make out that his real
mother's first name started with the letter "S."
He also found an address book belonging to his father.
Inside were three women who's name began with S: Sharmin
Rosen, Shiva Woosan (Lady Shiva), and Sheila Haywood.
Jason went into the cave and began checking the women
out on the computers. He tracked the women - all were
now in the Middle East or Africa.
Batman tracked one of Joker's known associates - he
had a passport to Lebanon in his luggage. After some
more digging, he found the location where the Joker
had been. A Geiger counter and heavy loading equipment
were left behind. Batman realized Joker had a nuclear
device and believed he was heading out to sell it. Back
at home, Alfred told him Jason was gone - he'd left
a note.
Batman arrived in Lebanon and quickly found the plane
the Joker had arrived in with his bomb. He contacted
Alfred, who'd tracked credit card transactions to a
flight to Israel. There, Jason learned Rosen was a secret
agent and had been deployed to Beirut. Batman, also
in Beirut., picked up a trail on someone trying to sell
a bomb ... then ran into Jason. The boy told Bruce why
he was there, then they saw their prey together - Rosen
was with the man named Brando, who Batman was tracking.
They got into costume and followed them. Soon, they
found the Joker making a deal for the rocket.
Batman and Robin were spotted, and both the Joker's
men and the terrorists opened fire. Expected to be taken
down, the purchaser of the bomb aimed it at Tel Aviv
and launched it. It detonated in the launcher, but the
warhead did not. Joker escaped. Agent Rosen told the
men she'd never had a child in Gotham City. Batman told
Robin he'd stay with him - Shiva Woosan was his next
target. |
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| Issue |
Batman
427 |
| Subtitle |
A
Death in the Family book two |
| Date |
undated |
| Writer(s) |
Jim
Starlin |
| Artist(s) |
Jim
Aparo, Mike DeCarlo |
| storyline |
Bruce
and Jason learned that Shiva Woosan had been abducted.
Batman and Robin found a man who knew something about
it. As they moved in on the camp, Joker looked up an
old friend: Sheila Haywood. Haywood was in charge of
moving medical supplies, and Joker needed to hijack
some to get money. He dangled the knowledge of her performing
"illegal operations on teenage girls" over
her head.
Batman and Robin easily (too easily) took the camp.
Shiva knocked out Robin from behind, then confronted
Batman. As the two martial arts experts (who were well
acquainted with each other) battled, Robin woke up and
helped his partner. After taking Shiva down, they tied
her up and detonated her camp. Batman was forced to
use "truth serum" on her, and she told them
she'd had no children.
Bruce and Jason headed for Ethiopia to find Sheila Haywood.
They found her in no time, and at first sight, Bruce
knew she was Jason's mother. He left the two alone to
get acquainted. She told the boy she'd fled the US after
a botched surgery. Willis was supposed to join her,
but fell in love with the woman Jason thought to be
his mother. Jason gave her some time to conduct business
- and saw the Joker enter her tent. He eavesdropped
and learned the madman was blackmailing her.
Jason "borrowed" a motorcycle and followed
the Joker's convoy to a remote warehouse. He unloaded
his cargo (Joker gas) and substituted it for the medical
supplies. Jason found Bruce and told him; Bruce got
into costume and told Jason to stay put until he returned.
Jason disobeyed and went to his mother. She claimed
ignorance until he showed her the costume under his
clothes. Sheila pulled a gun and handed him over to
the Joker. Sheila had been embezzling from the medical
camp and knew that if Joker were captured, she'd be
on the run again. The clown pulled out a crow bar and
began beating his nemesis, then had his goons tie up
Sheila. Robin tried to save her, but didn't have the
strength.
Batman returned in time to see the building they were
in explode. |
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| Issue |
Batman
428 |
| Subtitle |
A
Death in the Family book three |
| Date |
undated |
| Writer(s) |
Jim
Starlin |
| Artist(s) |
Jim
Aparo, Mike DeCarlo |
| storyline |
Batman
began searching the rubble and found Sheila - she died
in his arms, telling him Jason had taken the brunt of
the blast by leaping in front of her. Robin was dead
when Batman finally found him.
Elsewhere, the Joker was rounded up and brought to the
Ayatollah. The man offered Joker a position within his
government.
Batman removed all evidence of Robin's costume and the
bomb before the authorities arrived - no one would know
Robin was dead. He agreed to take care of the bodies.
After the funeral, Alfred asked Bruce if he should contact
Dick, but Bruce said he'd handle it - he no longer wanted
any help.
Something the Joker left behind in Ethiopia led Batman
to believe he would do something at the UN building
in New York. When he arrived there, he was met by Superman.
He explained to Batman that Joker was now an official
delegate to Iran and had full diplomatic immunity -
anything he was wanted for or had done in the past was
cleared. Neither the police nor Batman could touch him. |
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| Issue |
Batman
429 |
| Subtitle |
A
Death in the Family book four |
| Date |
January
1989 |
| Writer(s) |
Jim
Starlin |
| Artist(s) |
Jim
Aparo, Mike DeCarlo |
| storyline |
CIA
Agent Ralph Bundy explained everything to Batman, and
also that Superman was there to keep him from attacking
the Joker. After Bundy left, Superman told Batman he'd
heard about Jason. He asked if he was Robin. Batman
told him he was, and that the Joker had killed him.
Bruce was able to pull some strings and get himself
into the proceedings as an unofficial observer. He planned
to either kill the Joker or be killed by him. Batman
showed up in his hotel room warning him away and giving
him the opportunity to turn himself in. Joker made a
crack about Robin, confirming he was the cause of the
boy's death. Batman, satisfied, disappeared.
The next day, when Joker entered the UN assembly room,
he stopped and stared at Bruce. Wayne wondered if he
knew who he was. As he disrobed and began spreading
his gas, Superman - disguised as a guard - inhaled it
all. As he flew off, he gave Batman the OK to go after
him. Joker pulled out a detonator and caused an explosion
in the room. Batman chased him outside the building
and was able to grab onto the helicopter he commandeered.
Gunfire erupted from the aircraft - Batman was hit in
the shoulder, and the pilot was killed. The Dark Knight
bid Joker farewell and leapt from the helicopter into
the water below. The helicopter crashed and exploded.
Batman was helped from the water by Superman, but the
Joker's body was not found. |
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| trade
paperback edition (first print) |
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| Notes,
references to time, and chronology: |
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Items
noted from introduction:
- "The
Batman became involved in the case and and apparently took
pity on the twelve-year-old Grayson [...]"
- "The
Batman and Robin duo flourished for approximately six years
before the pair - "the dynamic duo," as the press
of the time hailed them - had a falling out [...]
- "[...]
for approximately 18 months, the Batman operated alone."
- "[...]
the Batman met Jason (Todd) when the boy was 12 years old
in an area of Gotham City known as "Crime Alley."
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"Good.
Everyone's going to want a piece of the Joker after what he
did to Barbara." (Batman to Gordon, issue 426 - referencing
The Killing Joke) |
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"Your
still not back to total efficiency after that encounter you
had with Deacon Blackfire." (Bruce internal, issue 429
- referencing the events of The Cult).
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