10 Controversial Batman Comics DC Wants You To Forget

6. Death In The Family

Death in the Family holds a unique spot in the realms of controversial comics, in that any and every purposefully controversial comic is almost definitely based on it.

Jason Todd's death shocked readers universally - and vaguely ironically, since they did vote via phone call for him to die. This was in an era where heroes tended to die for real, and so the concept of a little boy being genuinely murdered was completely shocking - especially for those who suddenly felt a little guilty for phoning in.

It didn't help matters that his death sequence - a series of panels showing only the Joker's smiling face as he beat him to death with a crowbar - is as brutal as it is genuinely terrifying.

Even now, with Jason's resurrection, Death in the Family still has a solid impact on his character that is unlikely to ever be changed. Jason will permanently be the black sheep of the Batclan due to his ordeal as a child, meaning even in DC's retcon of Jason's death, the impact of the comic is still felt.