In this narrative, Jason Todd, the second Robin, travels to the Middle East in search of his biological mother after being suspended from active duty by Batman. Simultaneously, the Joker escapes custody and attempts to sell a stolen nuclear weapon to terrorists. Their paths collide in Ethiopia, where the Joker brutally beats the teenager with a crowbar and leaves him in a warehouse rigged with explosives. Batman arrives only in time to recover the boy’s body, marking a permanent failure in his mission to protect his sidekick and altering the tone of the series toward a more isolated, grim protagonist.
Comic book enthusiasts and historians read this volume to document a pivotal shift in DC Comics continuity where readers famously voted via telephone to determine a character's fate. It appeals to those looking for a story where the hero suffers an irreversible loss with lasting consequences for the Batman mythos. Readers finish the book understanding how this specific tragedy redefined the Dark Knight’s psychological boundaries and established the high stakes associated with the Joker’s capacity for domestic terrorism and personal violence.
Clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1988
- Language
- EN
