Batman: Death in the Family | |
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Directed by | Brandon Vietti |
Written by | Brandon Vietti |
Based on | Characters from DC |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Edited by |
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Music by | Christopher Drake |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Home Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 18-30 minutes [lower-alpha 1] |
Language | English |
Batman: Death in the Family (or DC Showcase: Batman: Death in the Family) is a 2020 American adult animated interactive superhero film that explores alternate outcomes of the 1988 comics storyline "A Death in the Family", in which Jason Todd, the second character to bear the mantle of Batman's sidekick Robin, was murdered by the Joker. Produced, written, and directed by Brandon Vietti, the voice cast includes Bruce Greenwood, Vincent Martella, and John DiMaggio. It is a spiritual successor to Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), and was released on Blu-ray on October 13, 2020.
Batman: Death in the Family is an interactive film in the physical media version, serving as a tie-in to Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010). When presented with a choice point, the user has ten seconds to make a choice, or a default decision is made for them. [1] The film has at least nine alternate story paths (two paths lead to the same or similar conclusion), with seven alternate endings, with each path an estimated 10 to 20 minutes each. [2] [3] However, in the digital version, the interactive element is absent, and instead presents four distinct story paths; "Under the Red Hood: Reloaded" (the canon prequel to Under the Red Hood), "Jason Todd’s Rebellion," "Robin’s Revenge" and "Red Hood’s Reckoning". [1]
Believing that Jason Todd is becoming too aggressive in his crime-fighting, Batman decides to suspend him from his active duties as Robin; angered, Jason forsakes Batman and leaves Gotham City. The two reunite in Bosnia to fight the Joker and Ra's al Ghul, who are working together to steal uranium to create radioactive dirty bombs. As Batman stops Ra's al Ghul's men, the Joker captures Robin and brutally beats him with a crowbar, leaving him to die in a warehouse that is rigged to explode.
If Robin dies, the events of Batman: Under the Red Hood play out naturally. A guilt-ridden Ra's al Ghul uses the Lazarus Pit to resurrect Jason, who becomes the Red Hood and wages a war against Batman and Black Mask, eventually leading to Black Mask releasing Joker from Arkham Asylum. Red Hood captures the Joker and forces Batman to decide between killing the Joker or him. Batman manages to avoid killing either of them, but Red Hood disappears. Bruce provides a recap of the events to Clark Kent, who commends Bruce for his bravery in facing his inner demons and offers his help in finding Jason.
Jason survives the explosion but is severely injured, requiring his face to be swathed in bandages. He is also severely traumatized, and he blames Batman for his plight. He dons a new Robin suit while keeping the bandages on his head and becomes a violent vigilante who brutally murders several Gotham criminals, such as Cheetah, the Riddler, and Black Mask. He is eventually found by Talia al Ghul, who offers to help him find and kill the Joker in exchange for Jason agreeing to raise her and Bruce's infant son Damian. Jason agrees, secretly planning to eventually turn Damian against both of his biological parents.
Unlike the other two options, this version offers multiple branching paths. Batman manages to get Robin out of the warehouse, but he is killed in the explosion. With his dying words, Bruce attempts to convince Jason not to take revenge on the Joker and to be strong for his family. Jason, Alfred, and Barbara Gordon put Bruce to rest next to his parents, and Dick Grayson succeeded him as Batman. The viewer then has to decide whether Jason chooses to kill the Joker.
Jason goes to a local diner and sees a news report about Batman. A man sitting next to him figures out that it's not the same Batman and is likely Nightwing pretending to be him. When prompted by Jason, the man claims to have known Batman and fought alongside him, but is now a new man and is attempting to start his life over. Reminiscing, he tells Jason a joke he once told Batman, leading Jason to realize it's the same joke from when Barbara Gordon was shot in the spine and that the man is a reforming Joker. Jason reveals his identity by repeating the parting words the Joker said to him back in the warehouse, making the Joker excitedly grin in realization before Jason stabs and kills him. Shortly afterwards, two GCPD police officers arrive to arrest Jason. The viewer then has the option to determine if he turns himself in or escapes.
Jason attempts to fulfill his promise to Bruce not to kill the criminals he fights. To attract the Joker's attention, Jason adopts his previous persona of the Red Hood and waged a bloody war on Gotham's criminal underworld. He eventually manages to bring Joker out of hiding and defeats him in a fight. The Joker is overjoyed by what Jason has become and says that Jason is now more his successor than Batman's. Jason, who has been repressing his memories of killing criminals, suddenly realizes what he has done. The viewer can then decide once again whether Jason chooses to spare or kill the Joker.
Regardless of which option is chosen, Red Hood becomes a wanted fugitive and is pursued by the police and Dick. On top of a Wayne Industries tower one night, Jason is confronted by Talia and a revived Bruce Wayne. Talia reveals that she resurrected Bruce with the Lazarus Pit, but he was driven insane in the process and can only say "Zur-En-Arrh." She offers Jason the chance to join them in the League of Assassins, but he refuses and fights Batman. The viewer can decide whether Jason battles Batman to the death or tries to save him.
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, Harley Quinn (as Harleen Quinzel), Black Mask, Riddler, Cheetah, and Lex Luthor make non-speaking cameo appearances. Wonder Woman and Flash also appear in non-speaking cameos but are only partially visible.
Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, veteran actors who played Batman and the Joker, respectively, teased producing an animated adaptation of "A Death in the Family" during a panel at Canada's Fan Expo in 2016. [4] The interactive film based on the comic was released on October 13, 2020, and also serves as a follow-up to the 2010 film Batman: Under the Red Hood , with the cast from the latter film reprising their roles (with the exception of Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, leaving Vincent Martella to portray him all throughout). [5]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 78% of 9 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. [6]
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30, 1939. In the DC Universe, Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and industrialist who resides in Gotham City. His origin story features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents, Thomas and Martha, as a child, a vendetta tempered by the ideal of justice. He trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a bat-inspired persona, and monitors the Gotham streets at night. Kane, Finger, and other creators accompanied Batman with supporting characters, including his sidekicks Robin and Batgirl; allies Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon; love interest Catwoman; and foes such as the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and his archenemy, the Joker.
Robin is the alias of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson to serve as a junior counterpart and the sidekick to the superhero Batman. As a team, Batman and Robin have commonly been referred to as the Caped Crusaders and the Dynamic Duo. The character's first incarnation, Dick Grayson, debuted in Detective Comics #38. Conceived as a way to attract young readership, Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception, doubling the sales of the Batman titles. Robin's early adventures included Star Spangled Comics #65–130 (1947–1952), the character's first solo feature. He made regular appearances in Batman-related comic books and other DC Comics publications from 1940 through the early 1980s, until the character set aside the Robin identity and became the independent superhero Nightwing.
Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared in Batman #232's "Daughter of the Demon".
"Batman: Hush" is an American comic book story arc published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman. It was published in monthly installments within the comic book series Batman, running from issue #608–619 in October 2002 until September 2003. The story arc was written by Jeph Loeb, penciled by Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams, and colored by Alex Sinclair, under the editorship of Bob Schreck.
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The character was created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Bob Brown, and first appeared in Detective Comics #411.
Jason Peter Todd is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in Batman #357 in March 1983, he was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, Batman's partner and sidekick. He initially shared a similar origin to Grayson, being the son of circus acrobats who are killed by criminals in Gotham and adopted by Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, as his son and protege. Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths event and the rebooting of DC's main comics universe, Jason's origin was changed to being a pre-teen street urchin and petty thief who Bruce adopted and mentored after finding the boy attempting to steal the tires off of the Batmobile. This origin has since become the standard for subsequent iterations of the character.
The League of Assassins is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The group is depicted as a collective of assassins who work for Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of the superhero Batman. The group appeared in Strange Adventures #215, but did not become officially known as the League of Assassins until Detective Comics #405.
Hush is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, the character first appeared in Batman #609 in January 2003 as part of the twelve-issue storyline Batman: Hush. Hush serves as a criminal foil to the superhero Batman, as an example of what Batman could have been had he used his intellect and wealth for malice, and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.
The Red Hood is an alias used by multiple characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The identity was first used in the 1951 story line "The Man Behind the Red Hood!", which provides the earliest origin story for the Joker. The storyline depicts an unnamed criminal wearing a red dome-shaped hood who, after a chance encounter with Batman, is disfigured by chemicals and becomes insane, giving birth to his future Joker persona.
Red Robin is a name that has been used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The identity was first used in the future timeline of the 1996 miniseries Kingdom Come, where a middle-aged Dick Grayson reclaims the Robin mantle and becomes Red Robin. His uniform is closer to Batman's in design than any previous Robin uniform. Red Robin then reappeared in promotional material for the DC Countdown miniseries; eventually, it was revealed that this Red Robin was not Dick Grayson, but rather Jason Todd, who appeared under the cape and cowl. This was the first time the identity had been used in the main DC Universe reality. During the "Scattered Pieces" tie-in to the "Batman R.I.P." storyline, Ulysses Armstrong briefly appears as Red Robin. In 2009, a new ongoing series was introduced titled Red Robin starring Tim Drake in the role. Drake was the third Robin before assuming the Red Robin persona.
"Batman and Son" is a 2006 comic book story arc featuring the DC Comics character Batman. Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Andy Kubert, the story was published in four parts in the comic book Batman starting in #655 and ending in #658. The story was the beginning of Morrison's run in the Batman comic as well as their long-term take on the character of Batman through multiple titles over the next seven years. The arc introduced Batman's son, Damian Wayne, bringing him into the mainstream continuity of the DC Universe.
Damian Wayne is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. Damian Wayne is the biological son of Bruce Wayne/Batman. His mother is Batman's love interest Talia, and his grandfather is the Batman villain Ra's al Ghul. With the al Ghuls citing Bruce Wayne as the optimal successor to their empire, after faking a miscarriage to his father and calling off their marriage, Talia has kept his existence hidden from Batman until Batman #656 (2006). In turn, the character is revealed to have originally been intended to "kill and replace his famous father," as well as serving as a host body for Ra's al Ghul, thus, in theory, unifying the Wayne and Demon factions as intended by the al Ghuls. Damian is Bruce's youngest and only biological child in mainline DC continuity, with him having four older adopted siblings: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Cassandra Cain.
In addition to DC Comics books, the superhero Robin also appears in other media, such as films, television and radio. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne are examples of the characters who use the name Robin.
"Batman: Battle for the Cowl" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, three-issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in Gotham City following the "Batman R.I.P." and "Final Crisis" story arcs, due to Batman's absence. His disappearance is caused by the character's apparent death at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis, which causes dissension in the ranks of his allies and enemies who fight for the right to become the new Batman.
Batman and Robin is an American comic book ongoing series, created by Grant Morrison and featuring Batman and Robin. The debut of the series followed the events of "Batman R.I.P.", Final Crisis, and "Battle for the Cowl" in which the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, apparently died at the hands of DC Comics villain Darkseid and features the winner of the "Battle for the Cowl" as the new Batman. The conclusion of Battle for the Cowl shows Dick Grayson ascending to the role of Batman, while Damian Wayne becomes the new Robin.
This article is about the publication history of the DC Comics fictional character Dick Grayson, who has been portrayed in comic books alternatively as Robin, Nightwing, and Batman.
Batman: Under the Red Hood is a 2010 American animated superhero direct-to-video film produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Animation, and released by Warner Home Video. Directed by Brandon Vietti and written by Judd Winick, it is the eighth film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film, directly derived from the Batman storyline "Under the Hood", sees Batman as he confronts and searches for the identity of a vigilante called Red Hood. The voice cast includes Bruce Greenwood and Jensen Ackles as Batman and Red Hood, respectively, alongside John DiMaggio, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Isaacs, and Wade Williams.
"Batman: Under the Hood" is a comic book story arc published by DC Comics, written by Judd Winick and primarily illustrated by Doug Mahnke. Featuring Batman in the monthly title of the same name, it ran from February to August 2005, before going on a short hiatus and returning from November 2005 to April 2006. The story arc is also a part of the crossover Infinite Crisis.
Batman: Bad Blood is a 2016 American animated superhero film which is the 25th film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies and the sixth film in the DC Animated Movie Universe. It serves as a sequel to the 2015 film Batman vs. Robin. The film was released on January 20, 2016 for iTunes and the Google Play Store, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 2. While not a direct adaptation of a particular storyline, it derived from Grant Morrison's run on Batman, primarily the Leviathan story arcs.