Warning! Spoilers for Batman and Robin #19!BatmanandRobinhave been DC’s dynamic duo for decades, but it seems like their partnership is finally coming to an end. As Damian Wayne’s Robin continually moves further and further away from Batman, one has to question if he’ll end up running back into the arms of his other family. If Damian is no longer Robin, there might be a darker destiny waiting for him.
Batman hasn’t always done well with his children. While he certainly means well, connecting with them isn’t always easy, whichhas led to a rift between Bruce and Damian. Damian has begun working at a hospital to explore different ways to help Gotham City, as further explored inBatman and Robin#19 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javi Fernández.
While working at the hospital, he comes under the tutelage of Doctor Bashar, with whom Bruce isn’t entirely on board.Bruce suspects Bashar of manipulating Damian on behalf of the League of Assassins, and inBatman and Robin#19, it seems that Bruce finally has the proof he needs.
Damian Wayne’s Robin Has a Potentially Dark Future Awaiting Him
Batman and Robin#19 by Philip Kennedy Johnson, Javi Fernández, Marcelo Maiolo, and Steve Wands
There always comes a time when a Robin needs to leave Batman’s nest, andDamian can’t stay Robin forever.He’s already been Robin for around twenty real-life years, after all. All the previous Robins before him eventually found their own identity and left the role when the time was right. The problem is that none of the other Robins had such a dark influence looming over them, waiting for its chance to snatch them up. While Damian’s blood-drenched past certainly isn’t something he’s likely to want to revisit, it can be hard to resist family, especially one like the al Ghuls.
A Complete Guide to Damian Wayne’s Powerful Family Tree
Ever wondered who Robin is related to? Discover every hero and villain that the Boy Wonder has in his family tree with this comprehensive guide.
That’s what hasBatmanso worried in this situation. Damian drifting away from him would be unfortunate, but it’s happened before. Batman has been estranged from all of his children at one point or another. But if Damian is being manipulated by Bashar on behalf of the League of Assassins, then that would be a major problem. While Batman doesn’t have any hardevidence that Bashar is leading Damian astray,he does have one link that ties Bashar to the League of Assassins, which means that the good doctor could be trying to pull Damian back down a dark path.
Ra’s al Ghul Needs a Successor, and It Could be Robin Damian Wayne
He’s Considered Other Robins Before
Damian wasn’t always a hero. When he was born, he lived with his mother and grandfather in the League of Assassins. By the age of ten,Damian was a brutal killer who had murdered over a hundred peopleduring his training.Damian was born to be Ra’s al Ghul’s successorand inherit the League of Assassins, an organization that Ra’s has run for hundreds of years. Because of Ra’s long life, he’s had his hands in a lot of different businesses and corporations over the years, including one that Doctor Bashar founded, as pointed out by Oracle inBatman and Robin#19.
While Ra’s al Ghul originally had his eyes set on Batman, he quickly realized that Bruce would never accept the position.
If Ra’s al Ghul really is trying to reconnect with his grandson, it wouldn’t be the first time that he has reached out to try and use a Robin as a successor. While Ra’s al Ghul originally had his eyes set on Batman, he quickly realized that Bruce would never accept the position. Since then, Ra’s has considered Tim Drake as a possible successor, andTalia al Ghul even considered Red Hood at one point. But none of them were literally born and bred for the role like Damian was. In fact, his past with the al Ghuls is probably what’s fueling Damian as he seeks out ways of helping Gotham City without violence.
There’s no getting around it: Damian Wayne has a blood-soaked backstory. He’s killed many people and has been working toward redemption ever since he renounced the ways of the al Ghuls. That’s most likely why he started taking such a keen interest in medicine: because of his guilt over these deaths. Damian has been trying for years to make amends for the things he did in his past.Though he was in a literal death cult, ad he was a child, so it’s not like he can really be blamed - but he’s still been working towards redemption as best he can. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking that his bloody past may be resurfacing.
In Certain Futures, Damian Wayne Accepts His Grandfather’s Legacy
Batman Beyond#9 by Dan Jurgens, Bernard Chang, Marcelo Maiolo, and Travis Lanham
As hard as it might be to imagine, there have been timelines where Damian Wayne accepted the legacy of Ra’s al Ghul. Concerningly, it seems that the path to Damian becoming Ra’s starts with Damian believing his father’s mission is too narrow-minded.That’s exactly what’s currently happening inBatman and Robin,with Damian specifically telling Batman that he’s unsure if they’re really doing Gotham any good by acting as Batman and Robin. If Damian truly loses faith in his father’s mission, that’s just one more step towards accepting his grandfather’s mission instead.
Though Damian is losing faith in Batman’s mission inBatman and Robin, over inDetective Comicshe’s been working closely with his father to solve a different mystery. For another take on Damian’s role as Robin, check outDetective Comics#1094 by Tom Taylor and Mikel Janín, available now from DC Comics.
InBatman Beyond#9 by Dan Jurgens and Bernard Chang,it’s revealed that Damian felt that Batman’splans only focused on Gotham City and that he wasn’t actually doing anything to make the world as a whole a better place. Damian believed that with the League’s resources and power, he could be a force for global change and improvement, leading him to nearly commit genocide, looking to kill over half the planet with a virus that would wipe out the weakest members of humanity. To think that all of that would start becauseDamian simply wanted to help people outside of being Robin.
Is Robin’s Current Crisis of Faith the Start of Damian Becoming a True Villain?
Batman and Robin have always been DC’s dynamic duo, but at a certain point,Robin needs to spread his wings and find out who he truly is. Unfortunately, who Damian truly is has haunted both Damian and Bruce. Is Damian a Wayne, or is he an al Ghul? While Damian has tried his best to live by his father’s example and live life as a Wayne, if Damian has become disillusioned with Bruce’s mission, then he might also have become disillusioned with being a Wayne as well.
It’s hard to imagine that Damian would level all the progress that he’s made over the years and simply run back to the League of Assassins. But his trust in Batman is at an all-time low right now, and even more concerningly, his trust in Batman’s mission isn’t doing much better. If Damian is unable to find a reason to stay in Gotham City beyond being Robin, and if he’s unable to find a way to help people withinBatman’sexpectations of him, then Damian might just be leavingRobinbehind for a much darker title.
Batman and Robin#19is available now from DC Comics!
Robin
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
