bpol's review against another edition
2.0
Yikes! I get that this an "important" work in Batman lore, but wow. It is bad and has not aged well at all.
To say the depictions of Arabic and Persian peoples is dated would be an overly generous understatement. And I get that this was right after Iran-Contra, but there's some serious Iran demonization going on here. Of course, that's not quite as dated; we still see it today, but I'd still be pretty f***ing surprised to see.
And can we talk about how the way we're supposed to immediately recognize that Jason's mom is bad is that the Joker brings up?! Disgusting.
I guess this just serves as a reminder that just because something is labeled as "important" or a "classic" doesn't mean it's good. Unless you're really looking to catch all the "key" Bat-family story lines from the past just skip this one.
To say the depictions of Arabic and Persian peoples is dated would be an overly generous understatement. And I get that this was right after Iran-Contra, but there's some serious Iran demonization going on here. Of course, that's not quite as dated; we still see it today, but I'd still be pretty f***ing surprised to see
Spoiler
the Ayatollah in a Batman comicAnd can we talk about how the way we're supposed to immediately recognize that Jason's mom is bad is that the Joker brings up
Spoiler
that she's wanted for performing an illegal abortion that went bad? We're really supposed to believe it's only one small step from performing an abortion to embezzling aid money and smoking a cigarette while the Joker kills your sonI guess this just serves as a reminder that just because something is labeled as "important" or a "classic" doesn't mean it's good. Unless you're really looking to catch all the "key" Bat-family story lines from the past just skip this one.
hskey's review against another edition
2.0
This is far more bizarre than I thought it would be, although it was written in the late 80s so I should have expected some level of camp. I just didn't expect Batman and Robin going to the Middle East and getting caught up with Joker involving himself politically with Iran. How they determined Jason Todd's fate is insane, I had no idea. I think that dampers the story, however, though they dealt much better with the aftermath in terms of how it impacted Bruce Wayne/Batman.
emilyalthea's review against another edition
5.0
This was so well done, and I love the history behind it!
whatwentwrong1177's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, Child death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Racism and Kidnapping
ginameix's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
softstarrynights's review against another edition
3.0
There is no possible way to argue that Batman: A Death in the Family is not a crucial part of the Batman canon. The story itself if, if you aren't already familiar with these events, surprising and knowing that this is the result of a reader's poll just makes it all the more interesting. However, does this mean that it deserves a five-star rating? No, at least not in my opinion.
Before reading this book I had an image in my head, right or wrong, about how this story was going to go. I knew bits and pieces about the death, so I had formed my own expectations. Unfortunately, the story in my head was better than this one. Despite the monumental thing that happens there was a lot of other stuff going on, and to be perfectly honest, you didn't need it. This is probably one of the biggest deaths in comic book history, that should be the focus of your story. You should be setting it up, or at least setting up that potential from page one. I wanted to see panels that at the end of the book would make my heart bleed, but they just weren't hitting the mark. Now, the writers did try to get there, with the flashbacks and to a bit of family history but the just missed the mark. One of the reasons for this failure was a preoccupation with an alternative storyline. The book is called Death in the Family, so there's only one family that the writers should have been focusing on. The distraction of the other familial storyline was already pulling away from the Batfamily so that when the worse did happen, it just didn't feel like the worst.
Is it worth reading? Of course. Does it deserve its place in the canon? Without a doubt. Does it hold its own next to newer Batman stories? No, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have worth. One of my favourite books is Batman: Under the Red Hood, but that book wouldn't have been possible without this one. So, go read Death in the Family and form your own opinion.
Before reading this book I had an image in my head, right or wrong, about how this story was going to go. I knew bits and pieces about the death, so I had formed my own expectations. Unfortunately, the story in my head was better than this one. Despite the monumental thing that happens there was a lot of other stuff going on, and to be perfectly honest, you didn't need it. This is probably one of the biggest deaths in comic book history, that should be the focus of your story. You should be setting it up, or at least setting up that potential from page one. I wanted to see panels that at the end of the book would make my heart bleed, but they just weren't hitting the mark. Now, the writers did try to get there, with the flashbacks and to a bit of family history but the just missed the mark. One of the reasons for this failure was a preoccupation with an alternative storyline. The book is called Death in the Family, so there's only one family that the writers should have been focusing on. The distraction of the other familial storyline was already pulling away from the Batfamily so that when the worse did happen, it just didn't feel like the worst.
Is it worth reading? Of course. Does it deserve its place in the canon? Without a doubt. Does it hold its own next to newer Batman stories? No, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have worth. One of my favourite books is Batman: Under the Red Hood, but that book wouldn't have been possible without this one. So, go read Death in the Family and form your own opinion.
howattp's review against another edition
5.0
I would say that this is a solid, solid addition to the Batman mythology. It ushers in *Spoiler alert* a death in the family. It is terrible, though appropriate for maintaining the reality of what Batman does. He is not invincible, nor are those close to him--as we found out with Barbara Gordon in a previous graphic novel.
My only reservation, and it's an odd one, considering, but I feel like the presentation of the Joker is uneven. I know, he's supposed to be like that, but he's in it for the money apparently, except he's not, but maybe he is. I know that his motives are always supposed to remain ambiguous, but I feel that he wasn't ambiguous enough.
Other than that, I really enjoyed it.
See my full review here: http://ravereader.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/batman-a-death-in-the-family/
My only reservation, and it's an odd one, considering, but I feel like the presentation of the Joker is uneven. I know, he's supposed to be like that, but he's in it for the money apparently, except he's not, but maybe he is. I know that his motives are always supposed to remain ambiguous, but I feel that he wasn't ambiguous enough.
Other than that, I really enjoyed it.
See my full review here: http://ravereader.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/batman-a-death-in-the-family/
kiralovesreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
erin_a_ziraphale's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5