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Warning: Spoilers for Batman and Robin #17DC is dangerously close to repeating the same mistake it has made dozens of times before with Batman and Robin, and I am begging for it to stop. The dynamic duo are one of the most iconic elements of the DC Universe, but as of late, it feels like the characters are falling into old habits. I’m worried that the company will rehash an old storyline after the characters have just moved past it without making the choice feel justified.
Batman and Robin #17 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Javier Fernández, and Carmine Di Giandomenico features a moment where Bruce and Damian have an argument over the idea of Batman, with Damian even questioning if the vigilante life is worth it.
This moment, I fear, is emblematic of DC repeating the same, tired storyline of Bruce and Damian being at odds with one another that we’ve seen time and time again. That we could be seeing this story again is infuriating, especially since the previous run on Batman and Robin saw this pattern being firmly broken.
Batman and Robin Damian Wayne Have Been Through This Story Time and Time Again
Batman and Robin #17 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Javier Fernández, Marcelo Maiolo, and Steve Wands
While Bruce and Damian are ultimately on the same side, DC has had a history of showing the pair on the outs more often than not. Most notably, the two were at odds in the aftermath of Alfred’s death, with the bad blood between the pair getting to the point where Damian stopped working with the Bat-Family for a period of time and flew solo, as well as in 2022’s Batman vs. Robin by Mark Waid and Mahmud Asrar, which pit father and son against one another. This trend even extends into alternate universes, such as DC’s Injustice series.
Part of their recent fights may be due to Damian’s growing up, as he is growing older and even beginning to find an identity for himself outside what both his mother and father wanted for him.
Bruce and Damian going through this exact same story again feels tiring, especially when great stories can be told when the pair are getting along. Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s New 52 run on Batman and Robin started with the pair having trouble getting along, with the main drive of the series being the pair growing closer both as a dynamic duo and as father and son. Joshua Williamson’s preceding run on the title – during the Dawn of DC initiative – also saw the pair moving beyond their differences, providing a fresh and brilliant look at Batman and his son.
Part of their recent fights may be due to Damian’s growing up, as he is growing older and even beginning to find an identity for himself outside what both his mother and father wanted for him. However, I don’t think that this newfound aspect of the character is written well enough to justify going through this story again. For Damian to be at this point with Bruce again, where they’re arguing more than they’re getting along, it feels like all of Williamson’s wonderful work with Damian has to be ignored for this plot to make sense.
Going Back to Batman and Robin Being at Odds Is a Mistake
Damian Wayne’s Character Has Moved Beyond This Problem
Ultimately, I think that having Bruce and Damian at odds with one another yet again is a mistake. With Bruce now being on good terms with the majority of the Bat-Family, it feels like a box is being ticked for the purpose of there being conflict in the Bat-Family, rather than there being a good reason for it. It’s especially disappointing that this plot is happening with Damian yet again, as he’s enjoyed a considerably less consistent dynamic with Bruce as Robin than his predecessors, almost as if all their progress is being reset for the sake of artificial conflict.
I’m not saying that Bruce and Damian need to get along all the time, either. It’s healthy and good for them to butt heads from time to time, especially due to Damian’s upbringing and how similar he can be to his father at times. It would be polarizing if they went from having constant conflict to no conflict. But going from one run where they get along to another where it feels like they’re back at square one is infuriating, especially for readers who have followed these characters for years.
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DC is repeating the same mistake we’ve seen with Batman and Robin for years, and I’m hoping the publisher corrects course before it’s too late. After Williamson’s run saw them reuniting as a team, returning to this story feels reductive, especially without being written well enough to justify going back to it. With Damian’s cinematic debut coming up in the DCU’s upcoming The Brave and the Bold film, I hope DC will remember that Batman and Robin are supposed to be the dynamic duo and will let both Bruce and Damian move on from this conflict for good.
Batman and Robin #17 is available now from DC Comics.
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