The Most Controversial Robin Award Goes Tooooo

Hiya.
First post so Imma just get to it.
Before I really begin if you have not yet read the latest Teen Titans Annual #2 then you should leave now or face spoilers!!!

I warned you…

DC fans, especially Batman fans, have seen a myriad of Robins–both girls and boys, but the most recent and controversial Robin falls to Damian Wayne, AKA the biological son of Bruce and Talia and the grandson to Ra’s al Ghul.
Damian went through many dark journeys but that led him to trying to get out from his father’s shadow–after getting away from his “destiny” as the next Ra’s–by creating the new Teen Titans.
In this latest annual–post Alfred death, which really messed up Damian–Damian kills Brother Blood and leaves the Titans. He then tries to kill KGBeast because of his attack on Nightwing and on top of all of that Batman shows up to tell Damian that the Titans are done.


Pretty tall order of drama and intensity, but wait, there’s more!
After Deathstroke attacks and the team plus Batman stops Damian from killing him Damian says he’s done as Robin, he’s officially done with the Titans, and he walks off in a fury–shock to the characters AND the readers!

I have to say I’m beyond disappointed and furious at this result. Not only does this annual spell the end for the new Titans but it ruined my favorite Robin since Dick Grayson.
Damian has spent a lot of time trying to stay away from killing, trying to find another way, trying to get away from what his mother and grandfather taught him, and learn from Batman–who has more cause to kill every villain than even Damian. Batman AND his family and friends have taught him so much that he speaks to Superboy, AKA Jonathan Kent, about feeling all the guilt from what he’s done with the League of Assassins.


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In this annual I see him regressing and undoing all that work that has gone on for years. I expected some psychological damage for Alfred’s death but if anything I believe he should have tried to sort it out with his closest family and friends because at the start of this Titans rebirth Damian finally admits to needing someone, or someones, to talk to and be with, to help him.
The way the writers are going it seems to me that they are trying to create another Red Hood with Damian. He’s angry, killing–or attempting to, and has to find something new to replace his roles as Titans leader and as Robin.
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Anyway, that’s my take. So what’s yours? Hooray for him leaving? Upset and disgruntled? (–I feel your pain.)

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I loathe Damian. I honestly don’t see what got some fans to come around about his character.

I’m upset with this too, and I’m not even currently reading this run. I’ve been waiting for him to develop more as a character, cause I was tired of constantly hearing about him being a “demon spawn” (oh the fun of fanon). I thought he was going on a better path but… well, now it’s been thrown away. (I personally liked all of the Robins being their own heroes and having their own different strengths but I guess nothing lasts forever). I personally agree with all of this, I didn’t even like it when they made Jon age up to be older than him.

In my heart, all the Robins are happy, everything is right, and I have no idea who “Ric” is :relieved:. That’s my take, you’re not alone.

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Me too.
The regression Damian has gone through recently just tells me that all the author even knew about the character was the stuff from Morrison’s run. It feels like he has completely ignored all the growth Tomasi spent so long cultivating. I love Damian, and that’s mainly because of Tomasi’s stuff. It shows actual character growth and progression. But as soon as the Titans writer got to him he started tearing down all of that progress and turning him into little, evil Red Hood without any of the rugged charm our Mr. Todd is known for.

Damian’s not evil anymore. He was supposed to be pretty much past that. Another thing, can we be done with the Baby face?! Everyone has some variation of Damian’s baby face. Except for Super Sons.

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He’s basically one of four personalities each Robin has their own generic personality. Dick is the happy eldest brother, Jason is the angry middle child, Tim is the smart younger brother, and Damian is the egotistical baby brother. People just find some of those personalities appealing.

Me? I love all of them! But Damian and Dick are my favorites.

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Well @^×<, thats upsetting. I’ve been reading Batman and Robin (2011-2015), Batman Incorporated, Robin son of batman, and the super sons run and your telling me all that hard work is just gone.


I’ve grown quite attached to the petulant but endearing Robin, ill just have to pass on that run. And hopefully that’s a 1 time thing right? Like a spin off right? :disappointed: and definitely not part of the conintinuity :sob:

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Just remember there will probably be another reboot down the line.

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your telling me all that hard work is just gone

Thats corporte owned comics for you.

The Super Sons line was always my favorite because not only do I get to see Jon but I get to see Damian and how he’s grown—with a different face.
I screamed when I found out they ended it!
And I hated it when they aged up Jon, but I ignore that completely and besides the occasional lapse it doesn’t even exist in my mind.

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I warned you that there was spoilers… :confused:
And yes, there will be a spin-off hopefully to explain or expand on this.
Yes, there will also always be a reboot or a “Hey, we made a mistake so we’re fixing it.”
And totally absolutely, yes we fans of Damian all weep at the regression he’s suffered because none of the writers seemed to think that he grew since he had been under Batman’s wing… to maybe, I dunno, go to his friends and family for comfort…! :angry:

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Hahaha yea but thats not what I was upset about, just poor damians future…did the year of atonement not count for anything? Sigh

:crossed_fingers:

Always great to meet a fellow Damian fan.

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Half the fans look at this and complain about character de-railment, the other half says: “What character de-railment?”. Side note, I found that issue where he was angry about Tim having a plan for dealing with him annoying. It acted like Tim was in the wrong for having a plan for dealing with Damian if he (Damian) tried to kill Tim AGAIN. The fact that Damian was never punished for it, has never apologized for it, was handed everything that he tried to kill Tim for, and never misses an opportunity to disparage Tim and insist that he deserves to be handed everything that Tim worked for is seemingly unimportant.

I can’t remember if that was early in his comic history or later.
In Super Sons he was pretty distraught about his violent and bloody history.
However, in Titans I did find him a little more aggressive.
Personally the writers needed to find a middle ground because sometimes it felt like I was looking at too completely different Robins.

I’m a big Damian fan. (Though, Tim is my #1) But this latest Teen Titans run did bother me. I have been reading Damian for a while now and he has come so far and this run just breaks all of that down. I get Damian is getting older. I get Damian wants to do things his way. And honestly him brainwashing all the villains didn’t bother me too much. It seemed like a logical decision for a killer turned non-killer who had access to an all powerful genie. But him killing Brother Blood was too much for me.

However, the silver lining is that he looks to be appearing in Detective Comics for a little bit, coming up. And Peter Tomasi is writing that. So hopefully, he can get his boy Damian back on track.

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Hopefully. Tomasi is amazing.
I’m still adding a Super Sons continuance to my Christmas list WITH JON DE-AGED…
As for the brainwashing I do not and did not condone that. It felt a little too al Ghul, and yes, Damian is an al Ghul, but he’s also a Wayne, the son of Batman and Batman wouldn’t do that unless there was no other way and for a VERY good reason.

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Yeah, the brainwashing wasn’t perfect. But I did understand his logic in it. (Even if it was terrible.)

But Super Sons is great! I will always recommend that series!

Because it’s amazing and shows character growth. Titans did that a tiny bit, and with Batman and Damian it seemed to happen and then just be completely forgotten about.
Damian in Super Sons is my absolute favorite out of all the other lines he’s been in. His and Jon’s relationship is fantastic!

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