So, what do you all think of Damian’s characterization in DCeased? He’s had quite an arc already. Going from his typical acerbic loner persona to an adult fully desirous of team work, with (heathy!?) friendships and a romantic relationship. In the last issue when he hugged Gordon and commented on Bruce’s stunted capacity for intimacy, I couldn’t help but think that while the universe is falling apart, is it possible that Damian may actually have benefited from losing his father? If that’s true, what does that say about canon Damian’s future? Thoughts?
I like the idea of Damian being able to grow up and make his own choices even if Bruce has never meant for Damian to end up as a carbon copy of him. Who knows, maybe all that time with Jon rubbed off on him!
@Koontzie97 Yes, you’re definitely right in that he’s never been a carbon copy of Bruce, even in his canonical darker persona. And yeah, all that time with Jon is a factor for sure. I really enjoy their friendship, and I hope they don’t lose their canonical dynamic now that Jon has been aged up.
I think Taylor is doing a great job of showing us a Damian after 5 years of a healthy family dynamic. With Alfred, Jon, Lois, and Cassie all close by to support him unconditionally, without caring how good he is at killing a man or stopping a crime, he’s had the support network he’s needed to grow into an emotionally healthy individual. It’s ironic that one of the darkest series gives us the most well adjusted Damian, but that’s how Taylor operates. “Hope at world’s end.”
Yes, I agree, he is doing a great job with Damian’s arc and with the story overall. And yeah, I think that’s a great summary of Taylor’s Damian - you explained it really eloquently. I love the littlest Wayne and it’s been really great to see what a healthy and relatively happy future could look like for him!
read it last night. My initial reaction was Oh Wow Damian’s changed a bunch. I didn’t have any issues with it and thought given the circumstances and what everyone’s gone through it made since. I was just surprised, but it was a good surprise. My exposure to Damian is mostly from Batman comics and the animated movies and haven’t read much of his TT or Super Sons. So I’m not sure if him being with Cassie is something that’s out of left field but that caught me by surprise as well. I wounder if they are going to lean into Jon and Mary at all. I did have a good chuckle at Gordon’s comment about how a supportive pat on the shoulder could chase Batman out of Gotham.
