Batman And Robin Have been a dynamic duo since the Fairies. But their history is full of constant death, sacrifice and in-fighting. There have been many Robins, but none have held more dramatic weight to the Batman mythos than Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul’s son: Damian Wayne. Robin was framed as a potential villain from the start, but a dark universe revealed what Damian would have looked like if he’d sided with his grandfather, Ra’s, instead.
There is a future where this is possible – a dark future glimpsed into Dark Nights: Death Metal – The Last 52: War of the Multiverses #1. In a story featuring the Teen Titans, “Falling Through the Cracks” by Che Grayson, Pop Man, Chris Sotomayor and Troy Peteri, the Dark Multiverse is at war with the DC Multiverse, and The Teen Titans meet their match: a twisted, evil version of themselves as if seen through a nightmare mirror.
While evil versions of mainstream characters are nothing new in the DC Universe, this story shows a universe where Damian Wayne Robin becomes a full-fledged assassin in the service of the demon’s head and kills his own father, Batman.
Robin is trained from birth to kill the Batman
Damian Wayne is an assassin first and a hero second
The Robin was not just another orphan picked up and cared for by Bruce Wayne. When Grant Morrison, with Andy Kubert, introduced Damian Wayne to modern continuity in their Batman Run, Damian was already a young boy, a child Bruce didn’t know existed. After birth as a test tube baby, Damian Wayne was trained from birth to become a deadly assassin the likes of which the League of Assassins had never seen before. The problem came when his mother, Talia, dropped Damian into the hands of his father, making Batman’s new Robin a deadly assassin.
Robin is still only a child during all the killings, and in a twisted way, he is a reflection of Batman’s childhood experience.
Damian Wayne was created to continue his grandfather’s legacy, and his past could make the kid seem like a true villain. in Robin: Son of Batman #1 by Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, John Kalisz and Tom Napolitano, Robin is seen acting out a series of assassinations every day for an entire year. Robin is still only a child during all the killings, And in a twisted way, he is a reflection of Batman’s childhood experience: both are surrounded by death and suffering and desensitized to murder – but only one of them is the murderer.
The Dark Multiverse Teen Titans reveal a nightmarish vision of Robin
Dark Raven shows a universe where Damian Wayne kills Batman
The Dark Robin is a vision of Batman gone too far. Batman himself once pledged to take over for Ra’s al Ghul To become the demon’s head, the only person Ra’s trusted to do so. The second would be the detective’s son, Robin. In this way, the dark version of Robin has finally completed his destiny, all by following in his grandfather’s footsteps. This is really a dark multiverse, where a child killer never gets a chance for redemption.
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Damian’s struggle with evil makes him the most interesting Robin. In fact, Damian Wayne’s struggle with murder makes him much more like his father, Batman, than any of the other Robins. Batman has a no kill rule precisely because he wants to kill. Superman has no such rule – he just doesn’t kill. in this matter, Robin is so much more like Batman than any other Bat-family member. They understand deeply that they want to carry out their dark justice with methods that no one else is comfortable with to help the world. For Batman, this need comes from trauma; Robin just didn’t know any other way.
Robin decides what legacy he wants to follow
Pages of Batman vs. Robin #1 by Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, Jordie Bellaire and Steve Wands
Robin is once resistant to Batman’s methods and teaching. Eventually he started learning from him. Batman’s no-kill rule is pushed to its limits with a murderer for a son. Very early in their relationship, Robin’s preferred weapon was a katana, which he used to dispatch their enemies and knock their heads off, much to his own father’s terror. It was almost as if Batman is shown a grim vision of his own failure. Even in glimpses of Damian Wayne as a future Batman, it’s a world on fire, a world of murder.
Thanks to Batman, Damian is able to stop a murderer and be a child again – a son.
But time and time again, Batman showed Damian what a true father meant. Even after Robin’s death, Batman fought to resurrect him only for love; The only resurrection Ra’s would do would be because he didn’t want to lose a good soldier. After too many battles between the two, Batman vowed to never fight his son again. It is their love that saved Damian. Thanks to Batman, he could stop being a murderer and be a child again – a son.
Batman is a greater father figure than Ra’s Al Ghul
panel from Batman and Robin #13 by Joshua Williamson, Juan Ferreyra and Steve Wands
Damian Wayne’s debut in the comics was antagonistic and, ultimately, a plot device to test the Dark Knight. Now, they are one of the best father and son duos in comics. Damian Wayne stood by Batman because Bruce Wayne loves him like a son and not for failing any tests. in turn, Robin Made Batman An even better person, and the legacy they created is better than any murderer’s legacy.
Dark Nights: Death Metal – The Last 52: War of the Multiverses #1 is available now from DC Comics.