You know for a blog based around comic books you don't really see me-THE ALMIGHTY PANEL BITER-talking about the comics I currently read. With that in mind I'm starting a new series of posts called "Current Issues" where I discuss the current comic book series I am reading and judge them thus far. If you're further interested in this, I always update my Facebook with the issues I pick up and rate the comics on Twitter. Now on with the post!
"Robin: Son of Batman"
Writer: Patrick Gleason
Artist: Patrick Gleason
Inker: Mick Gray
Colorist: John Kallsz
When Damian Wayne was created by Grant Morrison in 2009, he was quickly rejected by the Batman fan community. The reason being was that he had subsequently kicked Tim Drake out of the role when Dick Grayson (Robin>Nightwing>Batman) starred in the Batman titles. Tim Drake-mind you-had been Robin for roughly twenty years and was well accepted by fans to be the true Robin of the era. It would seem the fans weren't ready for a new Robin just yet, and further rejected this character when his personality of egotism, stubbornness and disregard of authority made this ten year old assassin as unlikable as Jason Todd back in the day. In addition to being the descendent of Ra's al Ghul, Damian was also the son of Bruce Wayne/Batman and Talia al Ghul, leaving the child with a sense of self-entitlement. As if he deserved the Robin mantle and the future of the Batman mantle, as well. Further feud came from his unconventional use of swords, guns, and other killing tools, as Damian was a born killer. As the years went by Damian was raised to be a better hero under Batman's guidance, taking the oath not to kill, getting along better with the Batman Family, abandoning his assassin family, and even making a heroic sacrifice of his life....and then coming back to life with superpowers for a little while. Anyway, Damian has been making his slow progression to earning another chance in the eyes of readers and this comic book series serves to show the world what makes this new Robin different from the rest.
Before Damian was allowed to see his father, Ra's al Ghul gave Damian one more task. A year long series of missions involving murder, defacing, and theft. This was the traditional al Ghul ceremony "The Year of Blood". Now, after coming back to life and improving his relationship with his father and many heroes, Damian prepares to make up for every day of that year, by returning what he stole and seeking redemption. With the al Ghul's dead, Damian has full access to their slave monks, weaponry, and resources. One resource is a monstrous bat-creature named Goliath. Goliath acts as transportation and backup for Damian, continuing the tradition of the young hero finding affiliation with pets (his dog Titus and his cow Batcow being early signs). In trying to gain forgiveness, he and his bat monster fight mystical and ancient forces, but are threatened by a power far too human. In the early days of The New 52, Batman and Robin fought an assassin named Nobody who turned out to be Morgan Ducard, a former teacher of Bruce during his training. Ducard was murdered by Robin in an uncontrollable rage and his body was found by his student/daughter Mia Ducard. Mia swore revenge on Damian and donned the Nobody identity. Through interaction, Mia comes to the realization that her father only saw her as a student and never family, so stuck with no path Mia joins Damian on his redemption mission hoping to wipe her father's blood off her name. As of Issue #4, Robin, Goliath and Nobody successfully return stolen "mummy guts" and defeat Deathstroke, who had been chasing Ducard for a cash return. After kicking his ass royally, Robin used Justice League intel and five million dollars to ward Deathstroke away from Mia. The story continues with the al Ghul's potential return to the land of the living.
I never had an issue with Damian. I understood what made his character unlikable and why veteran fans didn't like him, but because my early experiences reading of the character was during his recovering reputation phases, I saw only hope for this new Robin. Obviously, my admiration of The Robins meant I had to look at this character without personal connection and still I saw potential for a great character. Former Robins represented the youth of the times, but now more than ever do we see children either rejecting, ignoring or following in their family footsteps. Damian is the perfect example of a child victim to his family tropes, but struggles to lean on the finer points of his heritage. His evolution as a character has meant a lot to the Batman mythos, I use his death and his mourning as example to that. At ten years old, Damian is one of the youngest characters in DC Comic's gallery and does act like one at times, but more often he loathes his childish nature and it is only through family and friends that Damian can enjoy living. Having this new series be about Damian and friends instead of by himself is what I believe will make him grow to be a redeemable character.
I adore the writing of this book as it balances Damian's annoyingly witty demeanor and his more mature, more calculated dialog. There are also plenty of moments when we see Damian reflect on the cruel child he used to be and witness the guilt and urge to wipe that history away. The art is incredible. Returning art style from "Batman & Robin" the book presents accurate body description while also not shying away from bolder and uglier design. The horrendous directions the book can sometimes take keep from being too brutal when the color direction is so spectacular. Never before has the Robin costume been so wonderfully presented, with features of golden yellow, bright red and stunning green. The darkness and style of Robin's costume allow him to continue the mantle's colorful style while also using his hood and cape to mimic his father's shadowy silhouette. Goliath's red fur is refreshing as most of DC Comic's bat-themed creatures rely too much on darker colors and Nobody's new white and purple costume is a nice contrast to the rest of the book, it even features pink lighting that moves and sways with the character.
If you are curious to the current state of The Boy Wonder's history or wish to give this character another chance to win you over, I highly recommend this book. It presents Damian in the best possible way while introducing new concepts to the character. With four issues-at the time of this post-now is the perfect time to get invested in DC Comic's youngest superhero!
Thanks for reading!
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