Warning! Contains spoilers for Absolute Batman #1!Batman has raised many children over the years, whether biological, adopted or otherwise, but the modern spotlight belongs to him Damian WayneThe true heir to the title. Readers have gotten to see their relationship grow over the past two decades, but it seems DC’s bold new Absolute Universe could be setting up a major twist. Damian may not be the son of Batman in this new continuity, but instead, the son of the Joker.
The Ultimate Batman has already made massive changes to canon, with Batman no longer a billionaire, but a working-class man in Gotham City who has never left the country (let alone traveled the world). This is a problem for Batman’s lore: if Batman never travels the world, he never meets Talia al Ghul. And if he never meets Talia, they never have the chance to create Bruce’s final version of Robin.
Damian Wayne couldn’t exist if Batman never traveled the world
The meeting of Bruce and Tali al Ghul is what changed DC history
The Damian Wayne of the main DC universe was born when Bruce and Talia shared a steamy meeting in the desert, after Bruce had battled her father Ra’s al Ghul in a duel. It was a moment that would have long-lasting effects, as Damian would later appear as part of Grant Morrison’s Batman Run. While initially disliked, Damian has grown to be one of DC’s most popular Robins, regularly earning starring or supporting comic roles. But his existence relies on Bruce Wayne, awaiting Gotham.
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The ultimate version of Batman is not the figure that fans are used to being larger than life. Whether due to his lack of family money, or simply his decision to train in Gotham and not around the world, the new version of Bruce should never meet Talia. Even more chilling to consider, however, is that the comic introduces a different character who is traveling the world. The man known as the Joker has learned from the best of the best, including Henri Ducard and the League of Assassins (and kills them off after he’s finished his training) I think it’s entirely possible that instead of Bruce, it was Joker who spent that fateful night with Talia al Ghul.
Absolute Joker being Damian’s father would change everything
Absolute Batman #1 By Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin and Clayton Cowles
One of the defining features of Damian Wayne is his training, he learned through the League of Assassins for the first decade of his life. When Damian came to Gotham to assume the role of Robin, he was already a deadly fighter, making him a unique Robin (and one of the reasons I think Damian is such a great character). Usually, it’s a Robin’s job to prevent Batman from falling into darkness. Instead, Damian started in darkness, and Batman had to pull him out. But what if he didn’t have a father to pull him out of darkness, but one who instead pushed him deep into it?
I don’t think it’s any secret that the Joker has a sadistic streak, and that seems to be the case with the absolute version of the Joker as well. In the first issue of Absolute BatmanAlfred mentions that he has been chasing the Joker for 6 years, but no explanation is given of where that time has taken him. For all I know, Joker spent the years with Talia in the League of Assassins. Leave 4 more years of Joker fighting Batman, and that would be the appropriate time that Damian appeared in the original comics. If this change is made, it could be one of the biggest twists of the Absolute Universe.
Absolute Joker would turn Robin into a monster
The Clown Prince, with his own deadly heir?
The version of The Joker glimpsed in the Absolute Universe is definitely different from what fans know. From only the debut issue, he doesn’t have pale skin or green hair, and is instead incredibly rich. With those talents, I don’t think there’s any reason to assume he wouldn’t be able to handle Damian with the same tact as Bruce. Now, to explain why he would care about names in Damian is still too early to say.
But one thing is certain and undeniable: there is no reason to think that Bruce Wayne ever met Tally al Ghul. And now that the League of Assassins is dead, it’s unlikely he ever will. But The Joker Absolutely met the League of Assassins, and could very well have met Talia, who I think might just give readers their darkest version of Damian Wayne yet.
Absolute Batman #1 is now on sale from DC Comics.