This is extremely overrated. I think most people like it because it was such a monumental moment (robin dying??? Wow!!!) but the story is weak. Additionally, this would be a perfect opportunity to explore the Joker’s cruel tendencies and his obsession with Batman, but he pretty much just brushes off Robin’s death and doesn’t exploit it at all. The Joker is also completed motivated by money here, which is extremely out of character. I don’t like the art style, but that’s just personal preference. The second story is bland.

This is a big moment in Batman history. But of course, there's a reason this book doesn't have that many good ratings as you can see. But I'll get to that soon. The stuff I like: 1.) As I just said, this is a monument in Batman history. There's that iconic panel of Batman holding Robin dead in his arms. Every time I read this story arc, I always take a good, long look at that panel because of how powerful it is. The stuff I don't like: 1.) Jim Aparo's art on the Joker looks a little odd; his chin is too big. 2.) At first, I thought the reason for the not so good ratings was because of the controversy surrounding it. But reading this printing made me realize why. It has the story arc "A Lonely Place of Dying", which introduced Tim Drake into the DC Universe. I think the reason they put that story arc in this printing was because it showed that the legacy of Robin lived on after that. But shouldn't this book focus on the death of Jason Todd? I would have put "Batman Annual 25" which tells the story of how Jason became the Red Hood (I'm sure a lot of you know about his return by now).