The death of Jason Todd at the hands of the Joker — aided by a 1-900 number and 5,343 fans — is a story that has lived in infamy within the annals of comicdom since “Batman: Death in the Family” first hit comic shelves in 1988. But what if Robin hadn’t died? What if 73 more people had called the number that asked DC not to kill him?
Writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist Rick Leonardi will explore that alternate reality in From the DC Vault: Death in the Family: Robin Lives! (Which is quite the title; maybe they should have just called it “Life in the Family”) The four-issue miniseries follows last year’s “faux-simile” edition of Batman #428, which featured the alternative ending to the story that Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo created back in the 1980s in case fans showed Jason Todd mercy.
“Continuing this classic, and controversial, story and following in the footsteps of Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo, two creators I greatly admire, has been both a challenge and a joy,” said DeMatteis. “This is a great opportunity to tell a story that’s big on action, but also takes a very deep dive into the heads of our main characters as we ponder what would have happened if Jason Todd had survived The Joker’s brutal attack. And having a master like Rick Leonardi bringing it to life visually? I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Here’s how DC describes the project:
In 1988, DC raised the revolutionary idea to let fans decide the fate of then-Robin Jason Todd by calling a 1-800 number and casting a vote. Originally, fans decided that Jason would pay the ultimate price at the hands of The Joker, but a new facsimile of the original Batman #428 was released in December of 2023, featuring an alternate ending in which Jason lives. Now, for the first time, readers will witness his plans for revenge against the Clown Prince of Crime.
“I’m hoping this series will give readers a look down the path not chosen; a glimpse of the alternative to the original fallout from Batman #428,” Leonardi said. “After people read it, maybe this choice made back in the day will seem vindicated, or maybe we’ll see that it was a poor choice after all.”
Here’s a look at some of Leonardi’s interior art:
Mike Mignola provides a variant cover for the first issue:
Look for the first issue on July 10.