Batman: Death of the Family

{{DC Database:Event Template
 * Title                  = Death of the Family
 * Image                  = Batman Death of the Family.jpg
 * OfficialName           = Death of the Family
 * Aliases                =


 * Universe               = Prime Earth
 * Locations              = Gotham City


 * Heroes                 = Batman Family
 * Villains               = Harley Quinn, The Joker
 * Others                 =


 * Titles                 = Batgirl, Batman, Batman and Robin, Catwoman, Detective Comics, Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Suicide Squad, Teen Titans
 * Collected              = Batman: Death of the Family, The Joker: Death of the Family
 * Creators               = Scott Snyder; Greg Capullo
 * First                  = Batman Vol 2 #13
 * Last                   = Batman Vol 2 #17


 * HistoryText            = Death of the Family is a Batman Family crossover storyline written by Scott Snyder with illustrations by Greg Capullo. It was published in the Batman series with crossovers through Batgirl, Batman and Robin, Catwoman, Detective Comics, Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Suicide Squad, and Teen Titans.

Preludes
The Joker has been absent from Gotham City for over a year. The last time he was seen, the Joker was captured and sent to Arkham Asylum. But, getting captured was part of his plan. The Joker had a scheduled meeting with the villain known as Dollmaker, who was given permission to cut off the Joker's face by clown, himself. Escaping the asylum without a face, Joker practically dropped off the face of the planet.

Synopsis
The Joker returns to Gotham City after a year, appearing at GCPD Headquarters. He slaughters several cops and taunts Jim Gordon, then steals his own severed face out of the evidence room and leaves. Batman alerts the extended Batman Family that Joker has returned. The Joker kills John Claridge on live television, and swears that he will murder Mayor Hady by midnight. Batman and Gordon set up a protective GCPD cordon around Hady. Ironically, the Joker uses his venom to kill every single guard and leave Hady unharmed. The poison has been altered to leave victims frowning, and a clue leads Batman to Ace Chemicals where he first encountered the Joker. Harley Quinn is disguised as Red Hood, and traps Batman in a vat filling with chemicals. Harley warns Batman that Joker is not the same, and a prerecorded message by Joker announces that he will liberate Batman by killing Batman's family. The Joker visits Wayne Manor now wearing a loosely reattached face, and attacks Alfred Pennyworth with a hammer. Batman escapes the vat and returns home to learn that Alfred has been kidnapped. Joker needs a servant for an upcoming celebration, and has chosen Alfred for his connection to Batman Incorporated. Batman visits Jim Gordon to protect him, but Gordon is hospitalized by a poison in his old photos. They determine that Joker is revisiting his most famous crimes and reinventing them with new twists. Batman and Nightwing try to stop Joker poisoning the reservoir. Joker has instead rigged it to explode where Batman would have, injuring Nightwing in the blast, and filled the reservoir with corpses of those who would have been poisoned by it anyway. Joker ties up Batman in a trap and explains that he views himself as the "court jester" to Batman as "king." He believes his job is to deliver unpleasant truths to Batman that he wouldn't hear from anyone else. Joker announces on the radio that he has learned the secret identities of Batman's allies, and within 72 hours they will all be killed by Batman. The Penguin is enlisted to Joker's schemes through blackmail.

Catwoman
Catwoman is tormented by the Joker, who begins sending her possessions belonging to her dead friend Lola MacIntire. Trip Winter hires her to pull a heist that puts her right into the Joker's hands. The Joker puts Catwoman through a series of tests, revolving around the theme of different ways to skin a cat. He explains that her love makes Batman weak, and Batman would be stronger if she became his greatest adversary. Catwoman rejects this, and accuses Joker of being the one in love with Batman. Joker grows bored of Catwoman and decides to leave.

Detective Comics
While the Joker wreaks havoc around Gotham, he is not fighting alone. Many maniacs and thugs in the city take advantage of Joker's presence by attacking buisinesses themselves. One gang, the League of Smiles, is exceptionally dangerous. Their leader, the Merrymaker, is a maniacal mastermind who claims to have direct roots to the Joker, himself. The League's crime spree causes Batman to spread himself thin as he tries to find the Joker and the Merrymaker.

Teen Titans

 * Issues                 =

Core Issues

 * -- Knock Knock
 * -- Funny Bones
 * -- But Here's the Kicker
 * -- Castle of Cards
 * -- The Punchline

Tie-ins

 * -- A Blade of Memory
 * -- A Courtship of Razors
 * -- Engagement
 * -- Ceremony
 * -- Little Big Man
 * -- Cast a Giant Shadow
 * -- Burnt Offerings
 * -- To Skin a Cat
 * -- The Dirt Nap
 * -- Nothin' But Smiles
 * -- Cleaning House
 * -- Curtain Call
 * -- It Only Hurts When You Laugh
 * -- Family Matters
 * -- Running With the Devil, Part 1
 * -- Running With the Devil, Part 2
 * -- Teen Scream
 * -- Gotham Runs Red!


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 * Notes                  =
 * The title is a clear reference to Jim Starlin's classic Joker story A Death in the Family.
 * Trivia                 =
 * The Joker murders John Claridge on TV to announce his return. This is a reference to the first appearance of the Joker, where he killed John's father Henry Claridge in a similar manner to how Mayor Hady is targeted.
 * The Joker leads Batman to Ace Chemicals, which is a reference to his origin as Red Hood.
 * The Joker's attempt to poison the reservoir is an homage to his first true confrontation with Batman.
 * RecommendedReading     =
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