History YMMV / DeathOfTheFamily

** Fans are split between whether this a story that intelligently analyzes Batman, the Joker, and the relationships the two have with each other as well as their cohorts under a very dark and amazing lens, or a retreading of the same storylines and themes that almost all encounters between the two deal with nowadays while turning Joker into a Villain Sue.

* HarsherInHindsight: There are multiple imagery of Batman jokerfied, years before the introduction of The Batman Who Laughs in ''ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal'', also created by Creator/ScottSnyder.

* {{Squick}}: Joker got his face back, and he's used a belt to wear it like a grotesque mask. He wears it upside at one point, with his eyes visible from its mouth and vice versa. Towards the end of the story it even begins to rot.

** A criticism of the time was that the reason the event couldn't work in the first place is because, as of the New 52, there was no real family to 'kill' and Batman had turned from being an InformedLoner into an actual loner.

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: This and the following arc "The Pearl" ([[spoiler:which had Damian Wayne dying and the rest of the Bat-Family grieving in one way or another-like Batman becoming a workaholic KnightTemplar [[HistoryRepeats again]]]]) pretty much triggered this on Franchise/{{Batman}}-related titles. The BrokenBase reactions about The Joker are either the tinder, the fuel, or the whole damn fire-needless to say, people found this arc depressive.

* FoeYay: Taken UpToEleven here. The Joker's plot against the Bat-Family could even be seen as a male (and even more twisted) version of WomanScorned.
** This is essentially confirmed by some of the interviews with Snyder detailing his ideas for a follow-up when the Joker inevitably comes back; Plus, when Batman [[spoiler: declares that he's through with the dances and games and the like in the finale, the Joker appears to be ''slicking back his hair and adjusting his tie'' in a manner that suggests he ''expects Batman to confess his love for him'' at last]].

** Lots of the Joker's lines come across as this.

** In Batman #16 Joker at one point dramatically in a one page spread yells for Batman to [[PunctuatedForEmphasis "Sit. [His] Ass. Down!"]] Only for the word "ass" to be censored, in a series that involves the Joker wearing his decomposing face as a mask, as well as beating a child on-panel. The scene itself has a closeup of The Joker's face on his head, fluids oozing from him and exposed flesh on display. If one were trying to intentionally parody illogical censorship of things while allowing untold amounts of violence through without complaint, they'd just draw that.

** In Batman #16 Joker at one point dramatically in a one page spread yells for Batman to [[PunctuatedForEmphasis "Sit. [His] Ass. Down!"]] Only for the word "ass" to be censored, in a series that involves the Joker wearing his decomposing face as a mask, as well as beating a child on-panel.

* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler: Harley Quinn.]] It's no secret that she is a villain. However, when you see the DomesticAbuse Joker puts her through and the fact that she's not really enjoying it this time around, you will feel sorry for her. She goes so far as to ''tell Batman'' how whacked out the Joker is this time. Now ''that's'' jarring for her character.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: This and the following arc "The Pearl" ([[spoiler:which had Damian Wayne dying and the rest of the Bat-Family grieving in one way or another-like Batman becoming a workaholic KnightTemplar [[HistoryRepeats again]]]]) pretty much triggered this on Franchise/{{Batman}}-related titles. The BrokenBase reactions about The Joker are either the tinder, the fuel, or the whole damn fire-needless to say, people found this arc depressive.

** In Batman #15 and #16, Damian has to fight a Batman who fell victim to the Joker toxin, [[spoiler:only that unlike [[FanNickname Giggles]], this one is a fake]]. The cover of issue #16 even as Damian jokerfied, like it happened with Earth 22.

* Batman #14 has the Joker, in his insanity proclaim the sidekicks are the ones responsible for Batman turning soft, and his scheme is for Batman to kill them himself. More or less, Joker succeeds in ''The Batman Who Laughs'', with his last toxin infecting Batman and turning him into a Jokerized freak with his first act is killing the same sidekicks.

* MagnificentBastard: The Joker using incredibly meticulous planning and master manipulation in order to break up the Bat-Family. [[spoiler:And it works.]]

* CompleteMonster: ComicBook/TheJoker is as monstrous as ever. Starting by attacking the Gotham City Police Department to retrieve the face he had cut off, he murders nineteen police officers and threatens to kill Mayor Hady, but instead kills Hady's police guards. Reenacting old crimes, the Joker attempts to poison Commissioner Gordon and blows up the Gotham reservoir. The Joker hunts down the whole Bat-Family, trapping them in the Batcave and leaving them soaked in gasoline while he forces Batman to watch. He attempts to set them ablaze before Batman stops him, but leaves a contingency: his special Joker gas to force them to kill one another if not for their HeroicWillpower. The Joker here shows how terrifying he can be when he decides to cut loose and is defined by his twisted obsession with and desire to hurt Batman.

* {{Squick}}: Joker got his face back, and he's used a belt to wear it like a grotesque mask. He wears it upside at one point, with his eyes visible from it's mouth and vice versa. Towards the end of the story it even begins to rot.

* CompleteMonster: SelfDemonatrating/TheJoker is as monstrous as ever. Starting by attacking the Gotham City Police Department to retrieve the face he had cut off, he murders nineteen police officers and threatens to kill Mayor Hady, but instead kills Hady's police guards. Reenacting old crimes, the Joker attempts to poison Commissioner Gordon and blows up the Gotham reservoir. The Joker hunts down the whole Bat-Family, trapping them in the Batcave and leaving them soaked in gasoline while he forces Batman to watch. He attempts to set them ablaze before Batman stops him, but leaves a contingency: his special Joker gas to force them to kill one another if not for their HeroicWillpower. The Joker here shows how terrifying he can be when he decides to cut loose and is defined by his twisted obsession with and desire to hurt Batman.

** Fans are split between whether this a story that intelligently analyzes Batman, the Joker, and the relationships the two have with each other as well as their cohorts under a very dark and amazing lens, or a retreading of the same storylines and themes that almost all encounters between the two deal with nowadays while turning Joker into a VillainSue.

* CompleteMonster: ComicBook/TheJoker is as monstrous as ever. Starting by attacking the Gotham City Police Department to retrieve the face he had cut off, he murders nineteen police officers and threatens to kill Mayor Hady, but instead kills Hady's police guards. Reenacting old crimes, the Joker attempts to poison Commissioner Gordon and blows up the Gotham reservoir. The Joker hunts down the whole Bat-Family, trapping them in the Batcave and leaving them soaked in gasoline while he forces Batman to watch. He attempts to set them ablaze before Batman stops him, but leaves a contingency: his special Joker gas to force them to kill one another if not for their HeroicWillpower. The Joker here shows how terrifying he can be when he decides to cut loose and is defined by his twisted obsession with and desire to hurt Batman.
* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: This and the following arc "The Pearl" ([[spoiler:which had Damian Wayne dying and the rest of the Bat-Family grieving in one way or another-like Batman becoming a workaholic KnightTemplar [[HistoryRepeats again]]]]) pretty much triggered this on Franchise/{{Batman}}-related titles. The BrokenBase reactions about TheJoker are either the tinder, the fuel, or the whole damn fire-needless to say, people found this arc depressive.

* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler: Harley Quinn]]. It's no secret that she is a villain. However, when you see the DomesticAbuse Joker puts her through and the fact that she's not really enjoying it this time around, you will feel sorry for her. She goes so far as to ''tell Batman'' how whacked out the Joker is this time. Now ''that's'' jarring for her character.

* VillainSue: The Joker has been criticised by many for being this. Some complaints say he borders on Jeph Loeb's Hush levels at times.

* CompleteMonster: SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker is as monstrous as ever. Starting by attacking the Gotham City Police Department to retrieve the face he had cut off, he murders nineteen police officers and threatens to kill Mayor Hady, but instead kills Hady's police guards. Reenacting old crimes, the Joker attempts to poison Commissioner Gordon and blows up the Gotham reservoir. The Joker hunts down the whole Bat-Family, trapping them in the Batcave and leaving them soaked in gasoline while he forces Batman to watch. He attempts to set them ablaze before Batman stops him, but leaves a contingency: his special Joker gas to force them to kill one another if not for their HeroicWillpower. The Joker here shows how terrifying he can be when he decides to cut loose and is defined by his twisted obsession with and desire to hurt Batman.

* TearJerker: In the conclusion issue, after [[spoiler: the Batfamily remove their bandages to find that their faces are still attached and the Joker had created fakes, Bruce shares a rare tender moment with his son. This in and of itself is somewhat of an emotional climax for the two of them, but it becomes much worse when you know that chronologically the very next thing that happens is Damian's death.]]

** Some people think the symbols and ideas in the story (Joker genuinely loving Batman, the whole king and jester parallel, etc) aren't bad ideas in and of themselves but the Joker's characterization ruins their effectiveness because he prattles on and on about them in practically all of his conversations with Batman, ruining any kind of subtlety the story could have had.

** Some people think the symbols and parallels Snyder uses in the story aren't bad ideas in and of themselves but the Joker's characterization ruins their effectiveness because he prattles on and on about them in practically all of his conversations with Batman, ruining any kind of subtlety the story could have had.

* Some people think the symbols and parallels Snyder uses in the story aren't bad ideas in and of themselves but the Joker's characterization ruins their effectiveness because he prattles on and on about them in practically all of his conversations with Batman, ruining any kind of subtlety the story could have had.

* CompleteMonster: The Joker once again establishes his position as one, particularly with his treatment of Harley Quinn in the story.

* BrokenBase:

* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler: Harley Quinn]]. It's no secret that she is a villain. However, when you see the DomesticAbuse Joker puts her through and the fact that she's not really enjoying it this time around, you will feel sorry for her.
** She goes so far as to ''tell Batman'' how whacked out the Joker is this time. Now ''that's'' jarring for her character.

* {{Narm}}: In Batman #16 Joker at one point dramatically in a one page spread yells for Batman to [[PunctuatedForEmphasis "Sit. [His] Ass. Down!"]] Only for the word "ass" to be censored, in a series that involves the Joker wearing his decomposing face as a mask, as well as beating a child on-panel.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: This and the following arc "The Pearl" ([[spoiler:which had Damian Wayne dying and the rest of the Bat-Family grieving in one way or another-like Batman becoming a workaholic KnightTemplar [[HistoryRepeats again]]]]) pretty much triggered this on {{Batman}}-related titles. The BrokenBase reactions about TheJoker are either the tinder, the fuel, or the whole damn fire-needless to say, people found this arc depressive.