I Think It's Time We Talk About Damian Wayne

It's hard to believe, but come this September, it will have been 6 years since the creation of Damian Wayne by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert. Damian represents everything about Grant Morrison's run on the various Batman titles of Batman, Batman and Robin, and Batman Incorporated, that being that he is the re-introduction of an old idea in the comics that used to be considered non-canon for various reasons, alongside Jason Todd actually being a redhead, and the word Zurr-En-Arrh being used.


Some of Morrison's ideas have tanked, like the concept of Jason Todd being a natural redhead. Currently, Jason has been reverted back to his old appearance, although he now has a gray streak in his hair due to the Lazarus Pit reviving him. The entirety of Batman R.I.P. has largely been ignored ever since it ended. Talia al Ghul drugging Batman to have unprotected sex with him is no longer valid.


Other ideas have succeeded. Dr. Hurt is once again a Batman villain, the leader of the organization known as the Black Glove, a group that worships the devil and Death herself. Batman's current costume is clearly influenced by Batman's Batman, Incorporated suit, although the yellow oval is gone again.


The main thing that will inevitably be Morrison's legacy, however (besides the ridiculousness of Final Crisis), is the creation of Damian Wayne.


More after the break.

Damian has mellowed out over the years. When he was first introduced, he was beheading criminals and telling Alfred to fuck off. In his latest appearance in Batman, Incorporated #1 (Vol. 2), written by Grant Morrison, Damian is disgusted by a butchery and somewhat jokingly states that he will become a vegetarian and that he has named a cow they found, "Bat-Cow". Morrison knows the character best, having created him, so when Damian jokes about stuff like that in a Morrison comic, you know it's accepted fact that Damian is becoming a nice kid.


Which makes it that much more disappointing to see the implied death of Damian at the end of the issue. He's not dead though, because he's an integral part of the current storyline where Batman and Talia essentially have a custody battle, except with explosives and assassin Bat-Ninjas. For a brief moment I thought Damian was dead, but then I remembered that Morrison is the writer and he would never kill off his own creation. But, it did get me thinking about Damian's place in the DC Universe.


Dick Grayson has been Nightwing since before I was born. Jason Todd died before I was born and is very happy as the Red Hood. Tim Drake is the flagship character of Teen Titans, so he can't go stop being Red Robin to re-join Batman. Stephanie Brown hasn't made an appearance thus far in the DCnU. That only leaves Damian to become Robin, or Batman would operate solo, but that would require Batman and Robin getting cancelled, which is not about to happen any time soon.


I personally enjoy Damian as Robin because of his flaws. As the DC Comics Database states, he rivals Dick's childishness, Jason's anger, Tim's overconfidence, and Stephanie's impulsiveness. He is a rarity for DC Comics, a multi-faceted character with an actual personality. I don't know if Morrison will continue working on Batman comics, what with Scott Snyder becoming the current favorite Batman writer after his run on Detective Comics and his current tenure on Batman and overseeing the absolutely fantastically original "Night of the Owls" event. I personally feel that Morrison should return to writing Batman and Robin, although he really does love the concept of Batman, Inc., having dropped out as writer to focus on Batman as a corporation.


Here's to many more years of Damian to come.


*tt*