The Boy Wonder #1 Preview Puts Mature Spin on Damian Wayne’s Robin

Matt Morrison
·2 min read
The Boy Wonder 1 cover by Juni Ba cropped
(Image Source: DC / Juni Ba)

Damian Wayne is the latest boy to bear the title of Robin. It is a legacy he came to cherish, though originally trained to be a killer rather than a hero. Now, a new DC Black Label series, The Boy Wonder, retells the tale of how Damian redeemed himself to become the Dark Knight’s squire.

Written and drawn by Juni Ba, The Boy Wonder retells the story of Damian Wayne as a fable. Damian seems himself as the rightful heir to the title of Robin and his father, Batman, as the King of Gotham City. This leads to a difficult journey, as his fellow “princes” teach Damian the concept of noblesse oblige.

The first four pages from The Boy Wonder #1 can be viewed below.

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(Image Source: DC / Juni Ba)

The Complicated History of Damian Wayne’s Robin

Created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, Damian Wayne first appeared in 2006’s Batman #655. He became the fifth Robin two issues later, in Batman #657. However, he was later established as the unnamed baby of Batman and Talia al Ghul depicted in 1987’s Son of the Demon. This graphic novel was originally not considered canon. However, Morrison rewrote history so that Talia raised her son in secret, rather than faking a miscarriage and putting him up for adoption.

This history was changed yet again in 2011, as part of the reboot leading to the New 52 universe. Following the Flashpoint event, it was impossible for Bruce Wayne to conceive a son with Talia while he was Batman. Hence, Damian became the product of genetic engineering, and a League of Assassins experiment to create the perfect warrior. Despite this, Bruce Wayne regarded Damian as his son, and trained him as the next Robin.

The Boy Wonder #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on May 7, 2024.