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Warning: Spoilers for Batman and Robin #13Everybody knows Batmanis Bruce Wayne – everybody that reads comics, that is. In the world of DC, it’s vitally important for the Batman secret identity to remain intact. Batman relies on shadows and fear, and if any villain saw the softer side of Bruce Wayne, the image of Batman would be ruined. But when his son is in danger, Batman throws away his cowl to show up as a father first.
In Batman and Robin #13by Joshua Williamson, Juan Ferreyra, and Steve Wands, Batman and Robin are trapped on Dinosaur Island. They have just made a temporary alliance with their greatest enemy, Bane, and Damian Wayne is coming off the use of Venom, struggling with the idea that he’s become the very monster he’s trying to stop. Just as Robin is crying out for Batman’s help, Batman decides he doesn’t want to be called by that name, not by his son.
Bruce Wayne pulls off his cowl and tells Damian he’s there to help – not as the Caped Crusader, but as his father first and foremost, changing their dynamic forever.
Batman Hasn’t Been the Best Father
Robin Isn’t Just His Sidekick, But His Son
Fighting alongside Batman means enduring years of trauma-inducing hardship. The very path of the Bat is in facing one’s own demons and trying to beat them by being a scarier, darker version of oneself. One Robin was killed by the Joker, another was shot in the head by an assassin – practically every Robin has died at some point. Even Jason Todd has accused Batman of an unforgivable crime: namely, bringing children into this world of violence in the first place. This is no world for children.
It looks like Batman is finally ready to stop being a hurting child and start being a healing dad.
But neither was it a world for a child like Bruce Wayne, who watched his parents brutally murdered in front of him. Because of this tragedy, Batman will always feel a kinship to the lost orphan in need of a dad, even going so far as to collect a whole Bat-Family of them. But he has definitely fallen short of being a good dad and always resorted to being a teacher of crime fighting first.It looks like Batman is finally ready to stop being a hurting child and start being a healing dad.
Damian Wayne and His Father Haven’t Always Seen Eye to Eye
Robin Was an Assassin in Need of a Good Father Figure
Damian Wayne is more than just an adopted orphan – he’s Bruce Wayne’s biological son with Talia al Ghul. Ever since his official debut in writer Grant Morrison’s run on Batman, Bruce and Damian have been crossing each other. Damian was raised by assassins and had no qualms with killing their enemies, occassionally disappointing Batman and his famous no-kill rule. Ever since then, Batman has seen Robin more as a killer, and Robin has seen Batman as an ineffective superhero, unwilling to do what is necessary to win.
After 18 Years, Damian Wayne’s Robin Finally Explains the Meaning of His Catchphrase
After nearly two decades, DC finally gives fans the explanation behind the most iconic Robin catchphrase, and it’s all thanks to Wonder Woman.
After Damian Wayne was later killed during Morrison’s time in Gothm, Batman did fight all the way through Apokolips in his Hellbat armor just to save the body of his son and bring him back to life, which was a fantastic moment for Batman and a Robin that is already growing up like Nightwing before him. And yet, it was still Batman fighting his way through his trauma. Batman fades into the background, and Bruce Wayne, the father, arrives for his son. No contingency plan, no special suit of armor is needed here – just a father sitting with his suffering son. No child could ask for a better moment with their father.
Batman Finally Shows Up As a Father
Bruce Wayne Saves the Day Better than Batman Ever Could
DC is doing the work of healing generational trauma, even with scenes as simple as this one Bat-Family moment. The Batman creators today are the very same comic lovers who grew up with Bruce Wayne as a bad father and are ready to help him change into what he really needs to be. As Batman continues to evolve, DC is learning that what fans really need to see is Batman becoming the father he’s been missing himself.
Unmasking in front of his greatest rival is one of the most astonishing things Batman can do to prove he doesn’t care for his own image over his son.
Robin and Batman’s relationship is forever changed. Robin no longer feels like a monster in his father’s eyes, and his father has pulled away the mask that had always separated them. They have long been Batman and Robin first, but those forms have finally fallen away. And they aren’t the only relationship that’s been forever changed, as Batman and Bane settle their differences in this issue. Unmasking in front of his greatest rival is one of the most astonishing things that Batman can do to prove he doesn’t care for his own image over his son. Letting Bane see his face shows that his son’s life means more to him than his own dream.
A New Era Begins for Batman and Robin
DC’s Best Father and Son Duo
Batman has vowed to never fight Damian again, because a father and a son should be on the same side. Especially when you have villains like Bane ready to break your back. Williamson’s time with Damian Wayne – which stretches back to the 2021 Robin series with Gleb Melnikov – has done a lot of work in healing a relationship that was rocky from the very beginning. Now, Batman and Robinare more than just a dynamic duo – they are unmasked as father and son.
Batman and Robin #13is available now from DC Comics!
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