Title Batman: A Death in the Family Format TPB Binding TPB Date 1988 Writer(s) Jim Starlin Artist(s) Jim Aparo, Mike DeCarlo Collects Batman 426-429 Storyline Batman and Robin busted up a kiddie-porn ring. Batman chastised Robin for jumping the gun and being reckless. After talking to Alfred, Bruce put Jason on inactive duty. Jason was furious and ran out. Gordon contacted Batman about the Joker's escape from Arkham. The mad-man showed his "very own cruise missile" to his gang. He pondered stopping his life of crime to get into international politics. Wandering around where he used to live, Jason came upon some evidence that the mother he knew might not be his biological mother. He left Bruce and Alfred a note and went to find out the truth. Batman discovered that Joker had a nuclear weapon and planned to sell it to Middle-Eastern terrorists. Bruce and Jason bumped into each other in Beirut. They tracked down the Joker and foiled his bomb sale. It exploded, but the warhead was not damaged. Joker escaped and Jason ruled out the first candidate on his list of three. Lady Shiva Woosan was ruled out as number 2 on the list, leaving Dr. Sheila Haywood. They found her and Bruce left them to get to know each other. Jason soon learned that his mother was being used by the Joker. Disobeying direct orders from Batman, Jason suited up and went to save his mother. She betrayed him to the Joker and he was savagely beaten and left unconscious. Joker tied up Haywood and planted a bomb. Batman returned in time to see the building explode. In the wreckage, he found his worst fear - Jason was dead. Bruce returned to Gotham and had a funeral for the two victims. Superman came to him with the news that Joker was the new United Nations ambassador from Iran. With the post came immunity from prosecution on any crime he committed beforehand. Superman was asked by the state department to stop Batman from interfering in the proceedings. When Joker unleashed some of his toxic gas in the assembly, Superman inhaled it and flew off. Foiled again, Joker set off an explosion and tried to escape. Batman chased him to the roof where he stowed away on the get-away helicopter. After a gunfight, the pilot was killed and the aircraft crashed. Batman was saved by Superman, but the Joker's body was not recovered.