Batman and Robin 3: Death of the Family

Comic Info

Batman and Robin (2) Annual #1

Reprints Batman (2) #17 and Batman and Robin (2) #15-17 and Annual #1 (February 2013-April 2013).  The Joker has plans for the whole Bat Family.  When he kidnaps Alfred and appears to know the identity of Batman and his allies, the Bat Family must come together as one.  While Batman hunts the Joker, Robin sets out to locate Pennyworth and finds himself in a desperate fight against his own father.  Plus, Damian sends Bruce on a search mission that could give Bruce keys to his past that he never knew.

Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Scott Snyder, Batman and Robin Volume 3:  Death of the Family is a DC Comics New 52 superhero series.  Following Batman and Robin Volume 2:  Pearl, the collection features art by Patrick Gleason, Ardian Syaf, and Greg Capullo and ties in to the Death of the Family crossover storyline.  Issues in the collection were also included in The Joker:  The Death of the Family.

Death of the Family is where I fell off collecting a lot of the Bat titles of the New 52.  While I liked (for the most part) Night of the Owls, I felt Death of the Family was a confusing hodgepodge of Joker stories that kind of defeated the original intent of the New 52.

The New 52 was meant to streamline DC and bring some cohesion (when possible) to DC stories.  The Bat Family, the Superman Family, and other groups were meant to have somewhat chronological storylines that fit in the titles.  Death of the Family felt like it had some of the right ideas for a good Joker story in each title, but the grand plan of Death of the Family never really seemed to come together.

Batman and Robin (2) #15

The supporting stories in the collection are probably the better aspect of the story.  While it was kind of cheesy, I liked the Batman and Robin Annual which had Robin leads Batman around Europe and discovering things about his parents that he didn’t know while Robin secretly tried out being “Batman” in Gotham City.  It was fun and showed a different side to the standoffish Robin.  Likewise, the follow-up story to Death of the Family was also short and sweet and was a nice coda to the grossness of Death of the Family.

Death of the Family’s “Batman vs. Robin” issues were ok and if they had been the core of the crossover, it would have maybe be interested (or if it had simply been a Joker story in Batman and Robin).  Instead, the story feels shoehorned into Batman #17 and the stories don’t seem to match up right (and they really don’t seem to match up with other Batman titles).  It is a lot of work to get to Batman #17 and it leaves you saying “really”?

Batman and Robin 3:  Death of the Family isn’t a very interesting entry in this collection because it is rather short and relies heavily on Death in the Family to boost the title.  The weird thing is that no one dies in Death of the Family…but the next volume of Batman and Robin has Batman mourning Robin after he died in Batman, Inc. (2) #8.  Batman and Robin takes on a rotating guest starting in Batman and Robin (2) #19.  Batman and Robin 3:  Death of the Family is followed by Batman and Robin 4:  Requiem for Damian.

Related Links:

Batman and Robin 1:  Born to Kill

Batman and Robin 2:  Pearl

Batman and Robin 4:  Requiem for Damian

Batman 3:  Death of the Family

Nightwing 3:  Death of the Family

Batgirl 3:  Death of the Family

Catwoman 3:  Death of the Family