You'll Have To Tell Batman There's Been A Death in the Family

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS!!

 This classic Batman story, which ran from December 88 to January 89 was a milestone for DC Comics. They understood that fans had enough of Jason Todd's Robin so by using a voting system via phone-in, Jason Todd's fate rested in the hands of DC fans. Fans had the choice to allow the second Robin to either live or die.

The story begins with our dynamic duo tracking down a gang ready to apprehend. During the conflict, the boy wonder doesn't follow Batman's rules and dangerously attempts to take down one of the gang members. After witnessing the young boy's lack of self control, Batman decides to take Robin off active duty.

Whilst clearing out his mother and father's home of belongings, Jason stumbles upon an old birth certificate after the death of his parents. However, the name on the birth certificate doesn't match the actual name of Jason's mother, Catherine. The only thing clear on the certificate was that the mother's name began with the letter "S". Jason uses his detective skills to try to track down his real mother. With Batman already concerned for his partner in crime, he continues his mission alone by attempting to track down the Joker, who recently escaped Arkham Asylum and stole a nuclear missile from the U.S navy. The Joker takes the nuke to Lebanon where he plans to sell to a group of terrorists.

Meanwhile Robin uses his father's address book and narrows down three women, one of which could be his mother: Sharmin Rosen an immigrant of Israel currently working for Israeli Secret Service. Shiva Woosan a suspected mercenary operating out of Lebanon and finally Dr. Sheila Haywood who's working on famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. During both heroes' missions they ultimately cross paths in Beirut and aim to help eachother in dynamic duo fashion.

The second book picks up immediately from the first with Batman and Robin leading a very personal mission in Lebanon. After already ruling out Shiva Woosan as Jason's mother they pursue their leads with the remaining two suspects. With the Joker having sold the nuke to terrorists and being ultimately thwarted, the clown prince turns his attention to Dr. Sheila Haywood. Having apparently blackmailed her from her time as a surgeon in Gotham performing illegal operations, the Joker forces Dr. Haywood to give up truck loads of medical supplies to sell on the black market.

The Joker takes Dr. Haywood with him when he claims the medical supplies but the madman doesn't stop there. In true Joker style, he replaces the cargo with boxes of his deadly laughing gas.

Word of Joker's antics reaches Batman and Robin and Batman makes the decision to warn the authorities of Joker's deadly convoy. This puts Robin in a difficult position leaving him torn between listening to Batman or going after the Joker and saving his potential mother. Although he tells Batman that he'll wait for his return he ultimately dons his cape and attempts to take down the Joker alone. Whilst revealing to Dr. Haywood his true identity, he is betrayed as she lures him into the warehouse toward the Joker. She briefly explains how taking down the Joker will reveal her shady past and watches as the Joker mercilessly beats the boy wonder with a crowbar. Skipping over to Batman, who has successfully prevented the death of countless people by warning of Joker's cargo, our hero makes his way back to Jason, hoping the boy wonder has listened to his instruction to wait for his arrival.

The Joker, in the meantime, has tied up Dr. Haywood and planted a bomb near her ready to detonate in ten minutes. Robin is badly beaten on the floor and left alone in the warehouse with his treacherous mother as the bomb counts down. He musters tbe strength to untie his mother and get her to the warehouse door. It's discovered in the last few seconds that the door is locked and the book closes with a devastating explosion.

In the third book, fans have voted and have determined that Jason Todd would die in the explosion and it would be the end of Robin and his mother. This book takes the time to reflect upon the relationship between Batman and Robin and how Jason differed from Dick Grayson as a character.  Based on what we see, Jason's approach to Robin was far different to that of the first boy wonder.

We also instantly begin to see the guilt Batman feels as he holds his now deceased partner and friend in his arms. Though this is a very dark time for the caped crusader, it only fuels his need to bring in the Joker even further than ever before. However, in a stunning turn of events the Joker, who has caused so much death and misery, is made Iranian ambassador for the U.N. Much to the shock of not only Batman, but Superman aswell, who has decided to keep a close eye on his fellow justice league member in light of recent events.

In the final book of the series we see the injustice of Joker's crimes and how that impacts Batman's feelings. Because of the Joker's newest political position, he is granted diplomatic immunity. Making it impossible for anybody to go after the Joker without causing an international incident. As Superman is commited to America's interests, he is prepared to face Batman if ever the dark knight tried to attack the Joker. With Batman's only proof of the Joker's crime coming from a dead witness, Batman's hands are tied.

The Joker decides that during his speech to the leaders of the U.N, he will kill everybody in the assembly chamber knowing Batman wont be able to stop him. In his arrogance, the Joker boasts to Batman the night before the speech how he killed the dark knight's "assistant" and how he'd "have loved to have seen your face when you found what was left of the brat!".

With Batman now having his confession he arrives at the assembly as Bruce Wayne and with the help of Superman, thwarts the clown prince of crime once more. As the Joker attempts to flee in a helicopter, the aircraft crashes and there is no sign of his body anywhere, appropriately bringing this story to a close with Batman realising "That's the way things always end with the Joker and me. Unresolved."

A very fitting ending to a very good story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was gripping and dark throughout. The fact that DC had the decision to leave Robin's fate in the hands of the fans is a testament to them understanding what the fans want and based off the votes, they didn't want Jason Todd. This is a classic story and a must-read for any Batman fan and will stand as one of DC's milestones in graphic novels.