Descent Into Darkness
Batman: A Death In The Family
This was a landmark move in which DC gave its fans a 900 number and a choice: To kill or save Robin? It is a perfect combination of PR stunt and amazing character development. The idea of a "dark" Batman was fresh and this was the perfect story that would wipe the slate clean of the smiling Silver Age. Jim Aparo's art is inspired by the chilling writing of comics "wet-work" expert, Jim Starlin. Starlin's Joker beating a teenage boy to death with a crowbar is something that will never leave you. True, the book has its problems but it is a great place to start with the Dark nature of Batman. And it showed that no-one in the Batman universe, even Bruce Wayne's family, was untouchable.