10 Comic Book Issues Guaranteed To Make You Cry
8. Identity Crisis #5
Identity Crisis, by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales, is certainly one of DC's more controversial event stories.
The story involves rape, abuse and more, so that was always going to be the case. In fact, there are a number of scenes in this series so deeply and emotionally powerful that they could make this list. However, what we're going with is the series' fifth issue, titled 'Father's Day'.
In the issue, Tim Drake a.k.a. Robin is put through a harrowing ride in the Batmobile, as they get the call that his father has reported he's in danger. With one hero's wife (and unborn child) already horrifically and brutally murdered, and another heroes ex-wife having just survived an attempt on their life, the threat is more than credible, if not outright likely.
Connected via Oracle, Drake's father tells his son how proud he is of him, and to not let whatever happens stop him from being who he is... and then tells him to tell Bruce to look after him.
For his part, Batman looks to his sidekick in horror, seeing that he is about to once again see an innocent orphaned in this world they live in. Flooring the gas pedal and racing home, the Batmobile turns into a cockpit of anxiety and fear that is as much palpable as it is powerful.
Meanwhile, the issue also focuses on Captain Boomerang and his relationship with his new-found adult son, as the pair get closer and Captain Boomerang longs to make his son proud of him. Towards the end, he thinks he sees a chance to do it with one big gig.
The issue ends before the heroes get back to the Drake apartment, but leaves the reader with the final image of Mr. Drake and Captain Boomerang both dead on the floor, blood pooling around them, as we realise the heroes are late.
And to be fair, it carries over into the opening of Identity Crisis #6 too, as Tim Drake discovers his father's body, and the reader is confronted with the haunted image of Tim staring right out at us, enveloped by Batman and his cape over the dead body of his father, horrified and alone. Orphaned.