Batman # 428 "A Death in the Family" Book 3 of 4 Dollar Comics Reprint 2020 VF/NM

Batman # 428, published in December 1988, is one of the most famous and impactful single issues in comic book history because it features the iconic death of the second Robin, Jason Todd. The outcome was famously determined by a narrow, real-world fan vote. 

"A Death in the Family" (Part 3 of 4) 

The issue is the third part of the "A Death in the Family" storyline, written by Jim Starlin with art by Jim Aparo and a cover by Mike Mignola. 

• The Cliffhanger Resolution: The previous issue, Batman #427, ended with Robin (Jason Todd) and his biological mother, Sheila Haywood, trapped in a warehouse with a time bomb after being brutally beaten by the Joker. This issue opens with Batman arriving just moments too late to prevent the explosion.
• The Death of Robin: Batman discovers the lifeless bodies of both Jason Todd and Sheila Haywood in the rubble, a silent splash page of him holding the fallen sidekick becoming an iconic image.
• The Aftermath: The story then shifts to the somber funeral for Jason and Sheila, attended only by Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, and Barbara Gordon.
• The Joker's New Role: Batman tracks the Joker to the United Nations building in New York City, where the villain has been granted diplomatic immunity as the new Iranian Ambassador.
• Superman's Role: A guest appearance by Superman prevents an international incident and helps thwart the Joker's plan to poison the UN General Assembly. Batman fights the Joker, but the villain escapes when his helicopter crashes into the sea, leaving the issue unresolved and Batman consumed by grief and failure. 

The Fan Vote 

DC Comics had set up a controversial telephone poll for readers to decide Jason Todd's fate. 

• The Tally: Of the 10,614 total votes, Jason's death won by a mere 72 votes (5,343 for death, 5,271 for survival).
• Alternate Version: DC had prepared two versions of Batman #428. The version where Jason lived was stored in the DC vault for decades before being published in a "faux-simile" edition in 2023.