Damian Wayne: Robin Appreciation 2020

[Rac7d*]

Welp, this ship is happening.

Saw the video it’s so happeneing

[dietrich]

It's more likely that the TT Annual takes place before the kids go to hell and Damian is the one who doesn't make it back. He's set up to be the sacrifice, it matches the pattern of his previous sacrifices in Robin: Son of Batman and Batman Incorporated:

-Actual or percieved rejection by his father and the family he's tried to join
-A need to redeem himself for previous actions, in this case falling to do an extra sweep for bystanders before detonating the warehouse as well as the false imprisonment and mind wipes of the criminals the TT took down
-His own rejection of and refusing to join the criminal empire run by a family member
-Essentially homeless
-There is someone he cares about who needs saving

Add in Elias specifically greeted Damian and talked about catching up along with informing Djinn that the TT coming to rescue her is part of his plan for getting into heaven and Damian's heroic sacrifice is heavily implied. We also know from the Batman promos that Bruce is going to lose another family member in April due to his actions and choices with all the set up in Pennyworth R.I.P. it's almost a given that Damian doesn't make it back.

Which takes us into 5G. It also creates a potential for Alfred's resurrection as TT has already mentioned that only a god can raise the dead, and if Damian loses his freedom due to fighting on the side of a god, Alfred being resurrected as a thank you makes sense. It's very magical girl trope, and Damian is consistently a gender bent magical girl character.

Damian being lost also puts Ra's's anger at Bruce into perspective as Superman/Batman has Ra's still being civil to borderline friendly, albeit he didn't offer Bruce any in flight refreshments, in today's issue. If Batman and the Outsiders is taking place a few months in the future (or weeks), Ra's wanting to destroy Bruce makes utter sense as al Ghuls only go completely off the deep end when they lose family members and can't get them back via Lazarus Pits.

That would be a good direction for the story to go if not for the part that this will be the 3rd time he's died and he's only 13. Damian's Batfam's Kenny

Maybe this is why he needs help from his long lost sister or why Bats steps back from Batman in 5g? either way Damian dying for a 3rd time is too much. If he does do then he should retire from activities that might kill him and Bruce should find an adult meta as his next sidekick [when he returns to Batmaning.

[Katana500]

I really hope they don't have Damian off the board for 5g.

Would like to see an older Damian in the comics if only for a wee while

[shadow6743]

I almost feel like 5G isn't shaping up to be what Didio described anymore. Like has anyone heard anything about Luke Fox and the other so called replacements in any other books? If anything it looks like older continuity is being represented by different generations. We got Hakeem Thunder in Teen Titans and Donna's in Wonder Woman being Diana's sister. Also Wally bring back his children and the old Titans continuity. I really don't see any of the books ending especially once DC brought on Robbie Thompson for Teen Titans. If they were going to end the book they would have ended with Glass.

The feel I am getting is more like this series:

250px-Dcuniverselegacies.jpg

1344438-glew__003.jpg

Legacies is a great series for introducing new fans to the history of DC Comics especially people who came in during the New 52 or old fans who want to brush up on their DC Comics history.

[dietrich]

I almost feel like 5G isn't shaping up to be what Didio described anymore. Like has anyone heard anything about Luke Fox and the other so called replacements in any other books? If anything it looks like older continuity is being represented by different generations. We got Hakeem Thunder in Teen Titans and Donna's in Wonder Woman being Diana's sister. Also Wally bring back his children and the old Titans continuity. I really don't see any of the books ending especially once DC brought on Robbie Thompson for Teen Titans. If they were going to end the book they would have ended with Glass.

The feel I am getting is more like this series:

250px-Dcuniverselegacies.jpg

1344438-glew__003.jpg

Legacies is a great series for introducing new fans to the history of DC Comics especially people who came in during the New 52 or old fans who want to brush up on their DC Comics history.

The set up has already started with WW and Flash + stuff like JL, JLD, VR are already winding up to the big finish that bring's together all of DC fractured worlds and timeline. Once this is done then the new line line will come into play.

Most ongoings are already wrapping up their runs/arcs.
DC has advertised the one shots for all the Generations including 5G and have already started releasing them.

5G is happening. It's a WB/AT&T initiative and it's due to launch in October.

My guess is the replacement's will pop up in once the story/events leading to heroes retiring/ageing up kicks off.

[shadow6743]

The set up has already started with WW and Flash + stuff like JL, JLD, VR are already winding up to the big finish that bring's together all of DC fractured worlds and timeline. Once this is done then the new line line will come into play.

Most ongoings are already wrapping up their runs/arcs.
DC has advertised the one shots for all the Generations including 5G and have already started releasing them.

5G is happening. It's a WB/AT&T initiative and it's due to launch in October.

My guess is the replacement's will pop up in once the story/events leading to heroes retiring/ageing up kicks off.

I understand I wasn't saying it not happening more like it taking more care in establishing the five generations making up DC Comics. Which is very similar to the Legacies comics. They go through each generation of DC Comics heroes from the JSA to the Teen Titans using one shots. If anything seeing these similarities makes me more interested in the one shots at least.

[dietrich]

I understand I wasn't saying it not happening more like it taking more care in establishing the five generations making up DC Comics. Which is very similar to the Legacies comics. They go through each generation of DC Comics heroes from the JSA to the Teen Titans using one shots. If anything seeing these similarities makes me more interested in the one shots at least.

Oh right. my bad I misunderstood

[Ansa]

Damian being lost also puts Ra's's anger at Bruce into perspective as Superman/Batman has Ra's still being civil to borderline friendly, albeit he didn't offer Bruce any in flight refreshments, in today's issue. If Batman and the Outsiders is taking place a few months in the future (or weeks), Ra's wanting to destroy Bruce makes utter sense as al Ghuls only go completely off the deep end when they lose family members and can't get them back via Lazarus Pits.

I don't think the recent issues of Batman and the Outsiders take place in the future, if Damian was already dead Ra's would have mentioned it and Jefferson gave Bruce condolences only for Alfred's death. Bruce said that he blames himself, especially because it happened in front of Damian. Damian is still alive when that happened.

The solicitation for May does mention Ra's having lost his family though: "Ra's al Ghul has had everything taken away from him. His League of Assassins, his power...even his family. All he has left is his mission to bend the world to his will and save it from itself. He's more dangerous than ever, and it'll take the combined full might of the Outsiders team to take him down!"

Ra's talked about Bruce taking his family from him before, which is why he wants to take Duke and Cassandra from Bruce as revenge, so I didn't think much of it. But Damian dying would escalate the conflict even further and would explain why Ra's has only his mission to save the world from humanity left.
We know from Batman and Superman that Ra's still keeps tabs on Damian and the people he hangs out with.
It's also interesting that in Leviathan Dawn Talia said that she wanted to build Leviathan for her son. Despite their many conflicts both Ra's and Talia still see Damian as their heir.
Losing that heir (now with a Talia that is not crazy) might be interesting for their character developement as well. Ra's would definitely blame Bruce judging by the solicitation for May. Talia would lose part of the motivation that had guided her actions in the past.

[Ansa]

Jon might get confused though. All the people in the future telling him that his best friend is seen by many as something akin to Hitler and that they founded the Legion in part to prevent that and then he comes back for a visit and finds out he's dead.

[Ansa]

The solicitation for Teen Titans #42 does specifically say that the team is in tatters after their encounter with Batman though. So idk. The main cover for that issue has both Damian and Djinn missing.

The only way I see Damian being dead and the solicitation making sense is that either the solicitation is not accurate (not unusal) or that Batman would need to visit them two times. Once in the annual to confront Damian, then Damian and the team go on their mission and Damian dies, and Batman comes back after that to check on Damian/collect the body/whatever and confronts the team with whatever went down.

[Katana500]

Jon might get confused though. All the people in the future telling him that his best friend is seen by many as something akin to Hitler and that they founded the Legion in part to prevent that and then he comes back for a visit and finds out he's dead.

I have a theory that Damian kills Jon in the future. Which is why the Legion of Superheroes would utterly hate him.

I think Damian is going to be forced into a situation where he has to do something bad for the greater good, which results in him being percieved as a villian by the world who don't know the full story even when it is wholly unfair.

[shadow6743]

I don't think Damian or Djinn are dead and here is why. Teen Titans has certain tropes one of them being a team member leaving to figure out their new identity typically after a conflict involving or with their mentor. Think Wally or Dick in New Teen Titans both left the team for a bit before becoming the Flash and Nightwing. This explains Damian's absence from the book.

The other trope involves seemingly dead teammates Bart and Connor were both considered dead until they were brought back by the legion. Raven was thought to be dead at one point after a fight with Tigon if you want a older Titan example. I can't think of many Teen Titans characters that have stayed dead and that explains Djinn's absence. Glass and Thompson look like they are simply following the tropes of writing a Teen Titans book.

[Yennefer]

There is a high risk for a possible death of Damian. He is not wide-loved to people. However, I don't believe he will die...
There is no actual reason to.

[Rac7d*]

There is a high risk for a possible death of Damian. He is not wide-loved to people. However, I don't believe he will die...
There is no actual reason to.

Since when has dc cared if your loved or not. That just means he would live forever

[RLV_1996]

Actually, perception toward Damian has changed already, and he became kinda recognizable even outside the comics, while still being fresh and new.
DC needs that now, considering how they are searching for new heroes that would work with this 5g, to attract new public into comics.

And clear sigh of Damian being more recognized is usage of him in artwork and crossover fanfics by non-DC fans. Also, numerous ships of him with DC characters and non-DC characters are gaining popularity now.

So, to get rid of him now for good, when he just started to become quite marketable, is like shooting in your own leg.