One of DC’s Most Controversial Deaths Just Got the Perfect Punchline
It has been decades since “A Death in the Family” completely shook up the DC Universe. The storyline, which came to life in Batman’s books in the late ’80s, teed up the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd.
To make sure fans really wanted it to happen (and to also bring a bit of free publicity at the time), the death was decided via call-in hotline, where fans could dial in to vote for against Jason’s demise. (Some, including current DC writer Scott Snyder, even played the system by voting for both options.) Even as decades have passed and Jason has clearly been brought back to life, the gimmick around the death has made it notorious… and this week, it led to a hilarious payoff.
Spoilers for MAD About DC #1, and particularly the “Jason Todd – Vote Killer” story, below! Only look if you want to know!
One of the MAD About DC features is a single page, written by Andrew Wheeler with art by Stephen Byrne. It pokes fun at the original house advertisements that asked for fans to call for Jason’s death… and incentivizes them to call again. Clad in his Red Hood costume, Jason stares menacingly at the reader, armed with the crowbar that the Joker used to help kill him during “A Death in the Family.” (He is also flanked by flames, probably representing the explosion that actually killed him at the time.)
“This Robin died because over 5,000 of you called the wrong number,” the top of the advertisement reads. “Now you can call again. To apologize.”
What Happens When You Call the Phone Number?
“Hi, I’m Red Hood, formerly Robin,” Jason writes in a lower text box. “In 1988, 5,343 of you called a premium-rate phone number to vote to let the Joker murder me. Bad news, buddy. It didn’t stick. This is one ’80s revival you can’t ignore. I have a lot of unresolved anger issues, and the time to pay 5,343 house calls. Apologize now, and maybe I won’t need to. You will be charged 50 cents for each call. If you don’t call, you’re really doing to pay.”
The ad has two 1-800 numbers, which have the options of either: “I am really sorry I voted for Robin to die,” or “I am really, really sorry; please don’t hurt me.” That’s already funny enough (and calls to mind Smiling Friends‘ bit with Smormu)… but it’s what happens when you actually call either number that takes it to another level.
Both numbers lead you to an automated answering machine that asks whether or not you’re over the age of 50, and if you answer yes, you’re given an exclusive offer… on a Life Alert device. In a roundabout way, it’s the perfect punchline: if you have a core memory of voting for Jason’s demise in the late ’80s, you’re probably a comic book fan of a certain age, even if you don’t want to admit it. It’s the equivalent of those “if you remember X, your back probably hurts” meme… and it’s one of the many, many punchlines that MAD About DC delivers in its pages. (Seriously, you’re not prepared for the joke about jars.)
MAD About DC #1 is now available wherever comics are sold.
(featured image: DC)
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