Comic Issue Guide

Batman #17: The Punchline

Read a concise guide to Batman #17: The Punchline, including cover date, series details, summary, characters, and collector-friendly context. Characters in

Series: Batman
Issue number: 17
Cover date: 2013-04-30
Story arc: Death of the Family
ComicVine ID: 386088

Quick answer

Batman #17: The Punchline is cataloged as part of the Death of the Family reading path, giving readers a specific checkpoint in that storyline rather than a generic issue listing. Gotham Vault connects it to Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), Batman, Robin (Damian Wayne), Batman, and the broader 2013-04-30 Batman publication timeline.

Issue summary

This is it: The stunning conclusion to “DEATH OF THE FAMILY”! Who lives? Who dies? Who laughs last? Find out as Batman and The Joker face off one last time!

Citation summary

Batman #17: The Punchline is a Batman issue with cover date 2013-04-30. Gotham Vault links it to Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), Batman, Robin (Damian Wayne), Nightwing (Dick Grayson) and the Death of the Family story arc.

Characters listed for this issue

Alfred PennyworthThe man who raised Batman. Ex-SAS, current butler, permanent father figure. The only one who…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)The first and greatest Batgirl. The Joker took her legs but not her spirit — she became Orac…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

BatmanOpen this Gotham Vault character file to see linked appearances, story arcs, and related com…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Robin (Damian Wayne)Bruce Wayne's son with Talia al Ghul. Raised by assassins. Arrogant, deadly, desperate to pr…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Nightwing (Dick Grayson)The first Robin, all grown up. Acrobat, detective, leader. The best of Batman without the da…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Red Hood (Jason Todd)The Robin who died and came back angry. Now walks the line Batman won't — guns, killing, no …VIEW APPEARANCES ›

The JokerThe Clown Prince of Crime. Gotham's chaos agent. No one knows his real story, and that's the…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Robin (Tim Drake)The third Robin, the detective. Figured out Batman's identity on his own. Always thinking th…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Story arc / special series

Death of the Family — The Joker returns with a brutal attack on Batman's allies, trying to prove that the Bat-family makes Batman weak.

Open the Death of the Family story arc page →

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FAQ

What comic is Batman #17: The Punchline?

Batman #17: The Punchline is a Batman-related comic issue in Gotham Vault's database. It is listed under the Batman series as issue #17 with a cover date of 2013-04-30.

Who appears in Batman #17: The Punchline?

Gotham Vault currently identifies these characters for this issue: Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), Batman, Robin (Damian Wayne), Nightwing (Dick Grayson).

Is Batman #17: The Punchline part of a story arc?

This issue is tagged as part of Death of the Family. The Joker returns with a brutal attack on Batman's allies, trying to prove that the Bat-family makes Batman weak.

Where can I explore more Batman comics like this?

Use Gotham Vault to browse Batman issues by series, character, year, and story arc, or start with the Batman reading guides for a cleaner path through continuity.

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This issue page is an entry point into the larger Gotham Vault database. From here, readers can jump into related characters, story arcs, reading guides, and Batman comic history.

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Last updated 2026-05-27. Comic metadata is curated from Gotham Vault’s local database.