Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 4, 2022
"A Death in the Family" is a 1988 storyline in Batman, an American comic book published by DC Comics. Written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Jim Aparo, it is considered one of the most important Batman stories as it features the death of his sidekick Robin at the hands of his archenemy, the Joker. Jason Todd, the second character to assume the Robin persona, was introduced in 1983 to replace Dick Grayson, but became unpopular among fans. Editor Dennis O'Neil recalled a 1982 Saturday Night Live sketch in which viewers phoned in, voting to boil or spare Larry the Lobster. Similarly, DC set up a 900 number to allow fans to decide Todd's fate, and fans voted to kill him off. Todd's demise had a lasting effect on Batman stories, pushing the comic-book mythos in a darker direction. It remains a popular story among readers and has been reprinted in trade paperback. An animated interactive-film adaptation, Batman: Death in the Family, was released in 2020. (Full article...)