10 Incredibly Dark Batman Moments To Haunt Your Dreams
3. The Death Of Jason Todd
From: "A Death In The Family" by Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo & Mike DeCarlo Batman's greatest failure has also left a lasting impression on readers of all ages, although the general consensus is that Jason Todd was not a good Robin. The sad truth was that he was barely even a likable character. Over time, the writers and editors over at DC realized that they had to phase out Robin II due to his unpopularity, and you can really feel something big on the horizon in the arcs leading up to "A Death In The Family" - check out "The Diplomat's Son" (Batman #424-5), in which Jason coolly lets a politician's son fall to his death, causing the diplomat to take drastic measures which result in even more deaths. DC famously set up a 900 hotline halfway through "A Death In The Family" - one number if you wanted Robin to live, another if you wanted him to die. After the Joker brutally beats him with a crowbar, votes were cast and the Boy Wonder was done for. Some call this a publicity stunt, others say the voting was rigged and Robin was always going to die* - I say neither of these pointless arguments changes the fact that he did meet his end, and even though he wasn't likable as Robin he hardly deserved to be beaten and blown up by the Clown Prince of Crime. How could the elected death of a widely-disliked character, you may ask, rank so much higher than the death of Bruce's parents? Simply enough, there aren't really any scenarios where the Waynes don't die. It's a part of the mythos - and so is a young spandexed sidekick at Batman's side. Seeing him removed so forcibly and mercilessly from the world makes for an eerily unforgettable moment, even if you do see it coming. *If you're in this camp (why are you in this camp?) check out the Batman #428 variant where Jason lives, drawn in the event that readers chose to save him. The ecstatic look on Batman's face is pretty ridiculous by itself, but compared with the actual reaction (above) it is especially hilarious.
