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What it's all about...
Years after Dick Grayson (the original Robin) hung up his cape, he was replaced in Batman's affections by a young tyke named Jason Todd. An impulsive upstart with a penchant for backchat, it was decided that he should receive a harsh but fair lesson - namely death at the hands of The Joker. In a dated but still rather brilliant twist, the white-faced bad guy escapes prosecution by becoming a diplomatic envoy for the Ayatollah Khomeini.

Why you should read it...
A successful exercise in giving the readers what they want, Bat-fans were offered the opportunity to vote for whether or not Robin would live or die - they chose death. The very definition of crowd pleasing entertainment, A Death In The Family also showed that no-one in Batman's entourage was untouchable.