Today, ROBOT 6 introduces its new weekly feature "By the Numbers," which takes a look back at the events of the past five days ... in numbers. The biggest, or at least most-discussed, story of the week was undoubtedly Grant Morrison's decision to kill off Damian Wayne in Batman Incorporated #8, a little something to remember the writer by as he wraps up his six-year run on the Dark Knight.

That development, naturally, stirred memories of 1988, when DC Comics bumped off a far less-popular Robin in an even more controversial manner: by having the readers decide whether Jason Todd lived or died ... by calling a 1-900 phone number. The Joker may have wielded the crowbar, but Batman fans handed down the death sentence.



1. 1988 DC Comics house ad, "Robin Will Die Because The Joker Wants Revenge, But You Can Prevent It With a Telephone Call"

2. Batman--The Complete History: The Life and Times of the Dark Knight, by Les Daniels

3. Scott Snyder's Jan. 13, 2013, interview with Comic Book Resources

4. Batman #428 (December 1988) and Batman #635 (February 2005)

5. eBay.com