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Summary
Being the child of a hero and a baddie , Damian Waynehas had a character - defining conflict between good and immorality that started long before he becameBatman’sRobin . This conflict with evil has existed since he was introduced , and it wo n’t be go anywhere anytime soon . As he grows and develops as a character , DC keep on to find new and interesting way to incorporate these themes in his character - focus narrative .
Damian Wayne ’s battle not only bear upon how he sees himself and how he interact with the mankind around him , but his past history of wrong - doing also continues to change how other character reference see him . Even when Damian — who is the biological Logos of Batman and Talia al Ghul — tries to be good , other DC characters can be hesitant to give him the welfare of the uncertainty .
Other times , Robin taste so hard to push for justice that he loses himself in the process . This part of his story not only makes him a more compelling grapheme , but it sends an significant message about finding oneself , making him one of Batman ’s most compelling allies , even among the other Robins .
Created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert , Damian Wayne ’s first prescribed appearing is inBatman#655 .
Damian Wayne has been Robin for age , and now DC has finally given him his most intriguing mission yet . Damian Wayne is finally going to farm up .
Robin Comes from One of DC’s Major Supervillain Families
Damian Wayne’s Mother Is Talia al Ghul, Making Ra’s al Ghul his Grandfather
To understand Damian ’s relationship with evil , it ’s important to test the theme of his evil : his mother and , more significantly , his gramps . When Talia al Ghul is first introduced , she is more of an antihero than a clear scoundrel . However , she finally shifted towards a more villainous office . While she was definitely a scoundrel by the time Damian was introduced , Talia has always been morally equivocal , which is important to keep in mind when look at who bring up Damian for the majority of his childhood . If she had stayed an antihero , it ’s still likely his sense of morality would have been touch on .
A child being impart up in a cult - like environs that worships his supervillain grandfather is live on to have some fuss differentiating right from incorrect .
In direct contrast , Ra ’s al Ghul has always been a supervillain . Although he did n’t raise Damian like Talia , Ra ’s has had a significant impact on Damian ’s living . Being the loss leader of the League of Assassins , Ra ’s is worshiped as a god among his followers . A child being brought up in a cultus - like environment that worship his supervillain grandpa is go to have some worry differentiate properly from wrong . Additionally , there ’s an argument to be made that Damian inherited sure traits from his gramps , like issues controlling ira , that hold it intemperate for him to overcome iniquity .
Damian Wayne Was Raised to Be a Weapon
Damian’s Dark Childhood Has Been a Major Subject Throughout His History
Damian was an assassin , a weapon , and an inheritor — but never a tyke .
DespiteTalia al Ghul undeniably loving Damian , he was n’t created with the intention of being loved . In current persistence , Damian was create in a laboratory for the solitary purpose of continuing his grandfather ’s legacy , either as a vessel for Ra ’s al Ghul or to kill his father , Batman . Damian by no means had a normal puerility , and those raise him often did n’t see him as a minor . Instead , he had only been seen as a means to an end . Damian was an bravo , a weapon , and an heritor — but never a child .
Damian had death ingrained into him from the moment he was created . InRobin : Son of Batman#1 by Patrick Gleason , Mick Gray , and Robbi Rodriguez , it ’s revealed he was coerce to participate in “ a year of line . ” In that yr , Damian had to fill in a different task , often related to assassination , every Clarence Day for a yearto prove he could lead both the League and the al Ghul family . This " quest " at the same time made him mortal and further desensitize him to any pain and suffering he caused . Others may have feared him , but in his young mind , everything he did became normalized .
radium ’s and Talia al Ghul never kept the ground Damian was make hidden from him . In Grant Morrison , Tony Daniel , and Jonathan Glapion’sBatman#670,Ra ’s al Ghul refers to Damian as “ it ” rather than as “ he . ”This selection in pronoun is a modest but essential item when analyzinghow Damian was treatedand seen within the League of Assassins . likewise , inBatman and Robin#2 by Joshua Williamson and Simone Di Meo , a flashback shows guard being punished for even speak near him . A 10 of dehumanization and isolation is n’t good for anyone , specially not a small fry .
Damian Wayne Didn’t Understand How the Bat-Family Operated
Damian’s Relationship with Tim Drake Has Always Been Strained
When Damian first meetsBruce Wayne and Tim Drakeas a ten year honest-to-god child , he does n’t understand how they operate . His first confrontation with Timkickstarts the two Robins ' long - lasting rivalry . At their first merging inBatman#657 by Morrison , Andy Kubert , Jesse Delperdang , and Dave Stewart , Damian threatens Tim ; however , in Damian ’s mind , he has a reason . One of the first things Tim says to Damian is , “ Here on my creation we call this gesture a shake . ” Tim is descend in repoint out Damian ’s unusual - to - him conduct . Threats are an overreaction , but Damian does n’t see it that manner because of how normalized violence is to him .
In the same issue , Damian tries to fight down crime for the first sentence . He present a baddie ’s severed head to Tim Drake with a grenade stuffed in his mouthpiece . This interaction is in spades a traumatizing moment for Tim , but that is n’t amply Damian ’s intention . His scene - setting , such as the grenade , is an intimidation maneuver against Tim , of course . But on the other hand , Damian is really attempt to fight criminal offence . Without Bruce explaining the “ no killing rule ” andDamian being trained to kill without hesitation , this " failure " should n’t be surprising . If Tim had been remove from the par , Damian still would ’ve killed his first baddie .
As a fry , Damian did n’t understand why what he did to Tim was untimely .
This aspect is followed by a blow - out scrap between Tim and Damian . Damian attacks Tim wanton , yet he does n’t see it as unjustified . InBatman#658 by Morrison , Kubert , Delperdang , and Stewart , Damian explain in his own Scripture why he assail Tim . Tim was his rival , and that’show the League handles contention : fight to the last . As a fry , Damian did n’t understand why what he did to Tim was wrong . He was doing what he was raised to do . Conversely , he did n’t defeat Tim when he had the hazard , bespeak the kickoff of his struggle .
Damian would soon take on the Robin mantle at Dick Grayson ’s side , lead Tim to his own dark turn as Red Robin in the pre - New 52 seriesRed Robin .
Damian Wayne Chooses to Stand Against Talia and Ra’s
Damian’s Supervillain Family Will Always Be a Source of Conflict
There is nothing more symbolic of Damian ’s battle with evil than him actively fighting against his villainous female parent and grandfather . A prime example of this is inBatman : overture to the Wedding - Robin vs. Ra ’s al Ghul#1 by Tim Seeley , Otto Schmidt , Brad Walker , Mick Gray , Andrew Hennessy , Jordie Bellaire , and Dave Sharpe . As Damian fight his grandfather , Ra ’s claims he ’s poor as an al Ghul and as a Wayne . In reception , Damian reaffirm himself as Robin . By not reaffirm his status as an al Ghul , Damian actively distance himself from that side of his family and shows his desire to be grand .
Damian stands his ground and insists he ’s not leaving his father .
later , Damian comes face - to - face with his mother inSuper Sons#13 by Peter J. Tomasi , Carlo Barberi , Art Thibert , Gabe Eltaeb , and Rob Leigh . In this issue , his mother directly refers to him as a weapon system and demands he come with her . Damian stands his ground and insists he ’s not leaving his father . Later in the comedian , Superboy asks Damian about his history as an bravo . Damian tells him , “ … That was a whole other lifespan ago . ” Damian ’s response show him attempt to distance himself from his retiring actions . He ’s a different , better person now .
Super Sons#13 is part one of a two - part spark called " The Parent Trap " and is available now both digitally and in call for editions from DC Comics .
Damian Wayne’s Time as a Teen Titan Complicates His Morality
Can Damian Ever Be Considered a “Team Player”?
Beast Boy refers to Damian as a “ good - guy - bad - guy smoothie , ” which is an clever verbal description of Damian ’s actions in this serial .
Robin ’s prison term on his own Teen Titans squad blurs the lines between hero , villain , and antihero . The moral equivocalness starts inTeen Titans#1 by Benjamin Percy , Jonboy Meyers , Jim Charalampidis , and Corey Breen . When spring the squad , Damian kidnaps the prospective phallus — which pales in comparison to his actions later on in the series . But the kidnapping predict how virtuously gray Damian ’s approaching to Justice Department becomes . Not long after the team first amass , Beast Boy refers to Damian as a “ in force - guy rope - spoilt - guy charmer , ” which is an apt description of Damian ’s actions in this series .
The actual moral ambiguity starts inTeen Titans#20 by Adam Glass , Bernard Chang , Marcelo Maiolo , and Leigh . Robin gets a new team and a fresh floor of trading operations . lilliputian does his squad know , Damian intends to keep villains prisoner within the base . He watch Arkham Asylum as a revolving door , and he ’s hackneyed of felon getting off . Damian ’s new method make him evaluate , jury , and prison wardenand are a corruption of jurist . Slowly , he becomes more and more preoccupied with imprison felon . His heart is in the right place , but his actions are inexcusable .
Damian Wayne Truly Finds Himself During HisRobinSeries
Like Other Robins Before Him, Damian Finally Finds His Peers
After his time on the Teen Titans , Damian Wayne ’s solo - series as Robin heavily focus on his internal struggle of good versus evilness . Robinby Williamson and Gleb Melnikov takes place in a tournament to the last consisting of teenagers . He knows he has to take down the tourney , but to do soDamian will need to kill . This contention showcases him using his ability as a grampus to do something that ’s overall a positive . The stakes are also lower , since not all destruction is permanent within the confines of the tourney .
TheRobinseries also features the return of Green Arrow ’s son , Connor Hawke , to continuity . Hawke promptly becomes a close friend of Damian after bonding about their superheroic fathers .
Over the path of the competition , Damian also finds himself connecting with the competitors . These " killers " are adolescent in his old age radical with similar life experience to him , even if they are n’t heroes . In fact , Damian even develops a crush on Flatline , Lord Death Man ’s sidekick . He ’s able to put by her actions and see her as a person . Doing so can avail him see himself as a more complete soul , too . By the end of the series , he feels like his moral conflict is over . Damian realise he ’s neither his female parent nor his father . Nevertheless , Damian ’s conflict with darkness is n’t over .
Robin’s Struggles Aren’t Over Yet
Batman and Robinby Williamson and Simone Di Meo Continues Damian’s Story
Despite Damian feeling reassured at the conclusion ofRobin , his inner warfare is ongoing . First , inBatman and Robin#1 by Williamson and Di Meo , Damian is show to be drawing a amusing script about his fictionalized alter ego , Damian Vane . This reference is clearly a " self - insert " of himself , but the drawing suggests that he still has major doubtfulness . In his homemade comedian , he specifically notes that one of the grapheme ’s parent is a hero sandwich and the other is a villain . This detail hints thatDamian still contemplate on his parents and how their natures affect him .
Robin has to keep balancing his two side of meat .
in conclusion , Flatline makes a comeback and even come across Batman . While Damian should be happy to see his love interestingness , he has assorted emotion ; his two Earth are crossing over yet again . Robin never gave Batman the full information on everything that happened on Lazarus Island . Part of him need to move on from it , or at leastkeep his scoundrel and poor boy sides separate . This desire is n’t surprising , though . After all , inBatman and Robin # 1 , the tournament is brought up , and Damian defends his newfound friends . Robin has to keep equilibrise his two sides .
Damian Wayne has a long account of balance his desire to be good and the malevolent mode he was raise . Robin will never to the full resolve this internal conflictdue to the psychic trauma he ’s last . Despite his line , there are ways he can develop around his coloured past tense . Damian require to find who he is outside his parent and the role ofRobin . ForDamian Wayneto find heartsease with himself , he first need to discover who he is as an mortal .
All titles advert — including the most recentBatman and Robin — are available now from DC Comics .
