Damian is the best Robin. Period. He has got more personality, is more deadly, has a richer background, and is more personally connected to Bruce than any of the other Robins. All the time people complain; "He's a brat." "He's too young." He's clueless." He's ignorant." They're all wrong! These comments are said because Damian is young and they are complaining about that. Well news-flash, ten year olds have personalities too. Dick is mature and can handle adult things, but aren't there already enough grown-ups in the superhero universe? I find that the only person who ever respects Damian at all is Alfred. Bruce can't stop mentioning that Damian is his son even though he seems to feel ashamed about it, Tim hates Damian because Damian almost killed him in Batman and Son, Dick is now too preoccupied being Nightwing to talk to Damian and when he finally does he is awkward, Jason doesn't respect him because Jason doesn't respect anybody. Alfred genuinely cares for Damian and supports all of his ideas.
Also remember that Damian isn't living the easiest life possible. He runs around every night fighting druglords and mob bosses and he's not even 5 feet tall. I get that the whole young hero thing is Spiderman's thing but Damian doesn't whine about parking tickets.
He is also really funny. If the haters would just give the complaining a rest and actually pick up a Batman and Robin comic they would see how hilarious Damian can be. He is a clever boy and that is emphasized in every good writers take on him. Especially in Batman and Robin Annual #1 (see full review in post 1/30/13) Damian tricks his dad to go and do something he shouldn't. A normal behavior that is unique to this situation.
 |
| Even in this interesting drawing Damian is portrayed as a selfish jerk. |
I know this is a controversial conversation and would love to see what you guys think. Comment below or hit me up on Google+. I want to get to 500 pageviews by the end of the week so keep reading and stay tuned for this weeks reviews!
I don't read any bat-books but Batgirl, so I really don't know anything about Damian. I can't comment on him good or bad.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I will say that one of the ongoing controversies about Batman as a character (and this has been going on for decades) is the fact that he lets minors accompany him to fight killers. If Damian is as young as you say (10 years old?), then that is probably where the "hate" is coming from. Legally this would be considered "child endangerment" in the real world.
Now, Gotham City isn't the real world, but most adults feel uncomfortable with the idea of a character who is not just a late-teens near-adult, but an actual child, being knowingly put into these dangerous situations by the adult who is supposed to "know better."
Again, I have not read the books, so maybe these things are answered in them. But, I think that may be where the "hate" is coming from, and that it may not be directed toward the character of Damian specifically.
I thank you very much for your comment and recommending my blog on your own. (Will do the same shortly). Your point is valid except for the fact that Damian is anything but normal. He was raised by the League of Assassins and his willingness to kill is unsettling. If people don't like him because he is not an adult they should read a different comic like the main Batman Title.
ReplyDeleteI agree about reading a different title. Years ago, Robin appeared in Batman but not Detective Comics. The idea was, if you liked him, you read one, if not, you read the other. (I read both in those days because I liked both creative teams.) I'm sure Damian is quite extraordinary for a 10 year old, but 10 years old is extremely young even so... and I think that is where the objection probably comes from.
ReplyDelete