Comics: Batman loses another Robin as writer Grant Morrison closes his run on the Bat-books at DC

February 25th 2013, 8:02pm

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

For those keeping up with the current Bat-family of books, which just wrapped an epic Joker-themed storyline called “Death of the Family,” the biggest shake up to happen since Bruce Wayne’s death a few years back during Final Crisis is upon us. It may not involve Bruce Wayne, but it certainly affects his offsprint.

Damian Wayne, the current Robin, is a precocious, violent, and cold 10-year-old boy raised to be an elite assassin by the League of Assassins, led by his mother, none other than Talia Al Ghul, who movie fans will recall from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES as played by Marion Cotillard. Damian’s father? None other than Bruce Wayne. After a series of conflicts, Damian ends up under the wing (natch!) of Batman, eventually taking on the mantle of Robin. Following in the footsteps of Dick Grayson (the current Nightwing), Jason Todd (the current Red Hood), and Tim Drake (the current Red Robin), Damian is the fifth character to take on the mantle (if you count The Dark Knight Returns’ Carrie Kelly).

The father-son relationship created an interesting and compelling dynamic for both characters, most notably in writer Grant Morrison’s run on Batman and Robin and the newly-created series, Batman, Inc., where the newest Robin will meet his final demise in issue #8, out on shelves tomorrow.Although the details of his death haven’t yet been leaked, DC and Morrison have confirmed the outcome, with Morrison saying,

“He saves the world. He does his job as Robin. He dies an absolute hero.”

Morrison went on to say that Damian’s death will “illustrate how parents lose sight of their kids when they fight.”

“It’s all about the family and the family going to hell. The two adults in the story are both culpable. The kid’s the good guy.”

Personally speaking, I’ve been reading the Batbooks for going on 20 years and I feel they are at a solid peak right now. Writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo are killing it on Batman and Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s run on Batman and Robin has been some of the most phenomenal storytelling and art I’ve ever seen in a Bat-title. No one has explored the relationship of the two characters as much as Morrison has as Tomasi, and the book speaks volumes about the father-son dynamic of Batman and Robin. I’ll be truly sad to see Damian go.

Tomasi isn’t exactly pleased to see one of his leading characters killed off, either, but says:

“I think Grant sends Damian off in exactly the way he wanted from the start. To be honest, I’m glad he ended up keeping Damian around longer than he expected, allowing Pat and I enough time to explore the father/son dynamic set against a tragic backdrop.”

Batman, Inc. #8 hits comic shops tomorrow.