37 Years Ago Today DC Fans Sealed Jason Todd’s Fate & Set Up One of Batman’s Best Stories Years Later

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Jason Todd never quite won over DC Comics fans as Robin. He took over the role after Dick Grayson, the first Robin, became Nightwing and struck out on his own. But unlike Dick, Jason was a rebellious and cocky teenager who frequently disobeyed Batman and caused problems. Fans constantly compared him to Dick and many wanted him replaced. This led to an unprecedented decision by DC Comics: they let readers vote on whether Jason would live or die. Thirty-seven years ago today, on September 16, 1988, fans made their choice.

I still remember being absolutely stunned when DC actually followed through with that fan vote back in 1988, in the ‘A Death in the Family’ storyline. It was incredible – and devastating – to see Jason Todd, the newest Robin, actually *die* because of how the fans voted. Honestly, it made me feel for Jason so much more; learning about his possible birth mother was already compelling, but then to have the Joker kill him like that… it was heartbreaking. But even that wasn’t the final chapter for him, which is something I always found fascinating.

A Controversial DC Fan Vote Killed Jason Todd’s Robin

DC Comics knew fans weren’t happy with Jason Todd as Robin. They decided to either eliminate the character or give him a fresh start. Ultimately, they chose to kill him off, with plans to later revive him as a much better version. The decision to kill Jason was made after a risky fan vote. Before the internet was widely used, fans voted by calling expensive 1-900 numbers – one to save Jason, and one to let him die. DC made money from these calls, and hoped the cost would prevent people from unfairly influencing the outcome. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Fans voted for 35 hours, with a total of 10,614 submissions. When the voting ended at 8 pm EST on September 16, 1988, the results were incredibly close: 5,343 votes wanted Jason killed, while 5,271 wanted him to survive. The story that followed was initially heartwarming, showing Jason reuniting with his mother and finding happiness. However, the Joker intervened, bribing Jason’s mother to betray him. She allowed the Joker to severely injure Jason, but the Joker then betrayed *her*, blowing up the building and killing both of them. While it seemed fans got their desired outcome, the process wasn’t entirely legitimate.

DC Comics made a risky decision but didn’t intend to cause harm. Mark Waid later explained they believed most fans would choose to save the character’s life. However, the public reaction was mixed. While some fans hoped the character would return as Robin, others were upset by the storyline and blamed fellow fans for wanting the character to die. There were even accusations that the fan vote was rigged; Denny O’Neil reported hearing rumors that someone used a computer program to repeatedly call the number to vote for the character’s death.

Jason Todd’s Death Made Him an Even Greater Character (and Led to a Great Batman Story)

Although Jason Todd’s death was controversial with fans, it ultimately proved beneficial for Batman stories. The storyline, *A Death in the Family*, is still considered one of the best Batman tales ever, offering Jason a fitting farewell by creators Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo. It also paved the way for Tim Drake to become the new Robin a year later – a character fans embraced more readily than the often-arrogant Jason Todd. DC executives felt it was crucial to have a Robin for young readers to look up to, and bringing Dick Grayson back into the role wasn’t the right solution. Furthermore, Jason Todd’s death led to the acclaimed story “Batman: Under the Hood,” which began in the *Batman* comic in 2005 and brought about Jason’s surprising return. This story has become a significant part of DC lore and has been adapted multiple times, including as the 2010 animated movie *Batman: Under the Red Hood*.

Jason Todd’s death significantly changed the way stories were told at DC Comics. Along with *The Killing Joke* – which, while popular, some consider overhyped and featured the Joker paralyzing Batgirl – it ushered in a decade of grimmer storylines. Batman lost its lighthearted tone, and thanks to this shift and Frank Miller’s *The Dark Knight Returns*, the character evolved into the darker version fans recognize today, including how he’s portrayed in films. *A Death in the Family* was central to this transformation and paved the way for the *Death of Superman* storyline in the 1990s, as DC realized how much attention killing off a major hero could generate.

Jason Todd’s return to comics after sixteen years-following a fan vote that led to his death-significantly deepened his character. Brought back by Superboy-Prime, he reemerged as the Red Hood, driven by a desire for revenge against both the Joker and Batman, whom he held responsible for his fate. Surprisingly, Jason has become a more compelling and popular character as the Red Hood than he ever was as Robin. It’s remarkable that a character once disliked enough to be voted out of existence has become a fan favorite decades later.

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2025-09-16 18:58