The Origin Of Batman's Son: How Damian Wayne Entered The DC Universe
The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is actually changing. James Gunn and Peter Safran are moving closer and closer to unleashing their brand-new take on DC's movie and TV properties, and there is a lot to be excited about. At long last, we're getting a modern "Swamp Thing" movie, Superman is returning to his dorky form, there will be new animated shows, and so much more.
Arguably the most thrilling part of this new DC Universe has to do with Batman. Now, to be fair, we've only just gotten an excellent Batman movie courtesy of Matt Reeves and we've never really stopped seeing Batman in TV and film, so it's understandably hard to argue that yet another Batman is the coolest part of a brand-new universe — especially when there will also be a "Booster Gold" TV show. And yet, the upcoming "The Brave and the Bold" has something no other Batman movie has had since Joel Schumacher was running the franchise — Robin. Moreover, the film is set to finally going to bring back a hugely important part of the movies we've only seen in live-action once before: the Bat-family.
This is what separates Batman from other heroes and there is no best way to introduce the Bat-family than with Damian Wayne. Damian is of the coolest characters DC has introduced in the last couple of decades. But if you haven't read the multi-year comic book epic he debuted in, or watched the many animated movies he was a part of, then it's hard to be excited just by the mention of his name. This is why we're breaking down what you need to know about Damian Wayne ahead of "The Brave and the Bold."
Batman and son
Originally, the idea of Bruce Wayne having a son was introduced in Mike Barr and Jerry Bingham's 1987 graphic novel "Batman: Son of the Demon," wherein Batman romances Talia al Ghul, who becomes pregnant with his child. It wasn't until Grant Morrison took over the "Batman" comic book title in the early '00s that the child was brought into canon, as Damian Wayne (also known as Damian al Ghul).
Damian's existence was long kept hidden from Bruce. He was raised as a full-blown member of the League of Assassins and was already an excellent martial artist and assassin by the time he became a teenager. Although he was originally trained to kill and replace his father, Talia eventually decided to reveal her son's existence to Bruce Wayne and left Damian in his custody — presumably because she knew there is no bigger threat to Batman than having to care for a child.
Originally, Grant Morrison's plan was to kill Damian as soon as he was introduced. As the author told IGN, "I planned to have Damian learn his lessons quickly before dying nobly at the end of that first arc." Thankfully, they changed their mind, and we got one of the coolest characters in comics, who is now as integral to the character of Bruce Wayne as Alfred. Plus, as Robin, he stands out as something completely unique, starting with the fact that as hyper-violent, bratty, and obnoxious as Damian is, he is also a kid who loves animals so much he becomes a vegetarian. Among his many pets are the Bat-dog his father gifted him and the greatest sidekick in DC, Bat-cow, who is literally just a cow.
The dynamic duo together at last
From his introduction, Damian's bratty personality was a great contrast to Bruce's and those of the other Robins, which made him hugely entertaining. To paraphrase Grant Morrison, giving a stoic billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne a volatile aristocratic ninja jerk of a son made him cooler and more complex.
However, it was only when Bruce Wayne briefly died during "Final Crisis" that we got the best Damian stories. In "Batman" #657, he finally became Robin after almost killing the previous Robin, Tim Drake, and paired up with Dick Grayson, who had just become Batman. The result was one of the best things to happen to the Caped Crusader, as we got a reversal in dynamic — Batman became a happy-go-lucky guy who smiled a lot, while Robin was the grim and angry edge-lord. It is unlikely we will see Dick Grayson take the mantle in the DC Universe's "The Brave and the Bold," but hopefully, this relationship will be explored in the DCU at some point.
Sure, Batman growing by taking care of a kid and realizing the mistakes he made with his previous wards is cool and emotional, but a fun Batman constantly fighting with his younger brother is hilarious — and we could use a funny Batman on the big screen.
Whatever Damian's role is in the new DC Universe, let's not forget one of the biggest reasons Morrison had for creating the character. "Part of my approach included reminding readers that Batman does get laid, and his partners are some of the most beautiful exotic women in the world," Morrison told IGN. At the time, Batman was portrayed as a noble and pure crusader, or as Morrison called him, a "fundamentally sexless tight-ass, in the face of the printed evidence of decades of stories."