Batman relieves Jason Todd of his duties as Robin due to his impulsive nature. Enraged, Jason storms off. On his own, he learns that Catherine Todd is not his biological mother and sets off to find his real mother, eventually tracking her to the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, and Batman learns that he has obtained a nuclear weapon and plans to sell it to terrorists in war-torn Lebanon.
Batman follows the Joker to Lebanon, where he and Jason are reunited and foil the attempts of the terrorists using the Joker’s weapon. After interrogating Lady Shiva, who Jason suspected of being his mother, the duo travel to Ethiopia. There, they meet aid worker Sheila Haywood, who proves herself to be Jason’s mother.
The Joker discovers that Haywood had previously performed illegal operations on teenagers in Gotham City and has been blacklisted as a medical practitioner. The Joker uses this information to blackmail her into giving him the medical supplies her agency has stockpiled in a nearby warehouse. He sells them on the black market and stocks the warehouse with Joker venom which, once set off, will kill thousands of people. Haywood herself had been embezzling from the aid agency and hands Jason over to the Joker.
The Joker proceeds to torture Jason using a crowbar, after which he restrains him and Haywood and blows up the warehouse using a time bomb. Batman arrives too late and both die of their injuries. Traumatized, he takes their remains back to Gotham and holds a burial for them with his friends. Blaming himself for Jason’s death, Batman resolves to continue alone.
Meanwhile, the Joker is given a position in the Iranian government by the Ayatollah Khomeini and leaves Batman a clue where to find him; the clue leads to the United Nations building in New York City. While waiting for him, Batman is confronted by Superman, who was sent by the State Department, and asked to leave. The Joker is to be Iran’s representative at the U.N. and will be giving a speech at the General Assembly, and any confrontation between the two could start a diplomatic incident.
Batman: Death in the Family is an upcoming American animated short film based on storyline of the same name. It is a prequel to Batman: Under The Red Hood and is set for release on Blu-ray and DVD on October 13, 2020.
Batman: Death in the Family (2020)
Directed by: Brandon Vietti
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Vincent Martella, John DiMaggio, Gary Cole, Zehra Fazal, Mihai Tuca
Screenplay by: Brandon Vietti
Production Design by: Crissy Kikkawa
Film Editing by: Robert Ehrenreich, Cris Mertens
Music by: Christopher Drake
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, and some drug material.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: October 13, 2020
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