We all thought Alfred was under those dishes, right…? SPOILERS AHEAD…

Considering a large percentage of the Bat-Family titles ended last month with the Joker presenting each lead character with a serving platter, the tension was ramped up for this issue’s concluding chapter of “Death of the Family.” Having kidnapped Alfred a few issues previously the natural assumption was that poor old Pennyworth wasn’t long for this world, and that at least part of him was about to be served up for dinner…

The horror is amplified in the first few pages when the Joker continues to lead us towards that conclusion, only to pull the carpet out from underneath with the appearance of Batman’s butler, alive if not well. The question then remains – what is under the platters? The actual reveal is initially pretty shocking, and for a few pages at least it feels like a huge, bold move; mirroring his own twisted surgery, the faces (and masks) of Batman’s extended family are apparently sliced off, presented to each of them as they look on behind bloody bandages.

The main disappointment is the failure to follow through on that reveal. The whole scenario turns out to be just another sick game, misdirection designed to wrong-foot Batman and the reader alike. Joker’s posturing pretense about knowing their identities is also a lie, and all the Joker really wants is to prove that Batman needs him more than his friends and family. Had their faces genuinely been removed, the Joker’s actions would have left some pretty serious scars (both physical and psychological) that might not ever have properly healed, perhaps leading to a genuine end to the “family.”

A final showdown is handled well though, dialogue driven and intense. Batman manages to wipe the smile off the reattached face by taunting the Joker that he knows his true identity. It’s too much for the Joker who doesn’t want to hear it, doesn’t want to ruin the game they play, plummeting to what obviously cannot be his death. The Joker’s intention to drive the Bat-family apart hasn’t really succeeded, despite the emphatic lack of reunion at the end of the issue.

For me this storyline peaked with the incredible Batman #15, but overall “Death of the Family” has been a worthy crossover, weaving every Bat-book in pretty seamlessly and effectively (Gail Simone’s Batgirl was especially well handled). Scott Snyder has been consistently producing great stories, and Greg Capullo draws probably the most terrifying and compelling Joker ever presented in a mainstream Batman comic.