Warning: Spoilers for Batman #149!
Summary
For the DCU to getDamian Wayneright, there’s one thing that James Gunn can’t forget to include about Batman’s latestRobin. We’re all pretty excited to see James Gunn’s new vision for the big screen DC Universe at Warner Bros. It’s hard not to be excited with big projects on the horizon, likeSuperman, aSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrowadaptation, and of course, Damian Wayne’s big-screen debut.
If Warner Bros. is truly going to commit to telling Robin’s origin story, then they can’t forget thatDamian Wayne is essentially a processed clone, asreaders are reminded inBatman#149by Chip Zdarsky, Michele Bandini, and Steve Lieber. I know, I know, I tend to forget that myself sometimes, as do a lot of people. Others assume that Damian was produced naturally between his biological parents, Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne.
It would be easy to simplify Damian’s complicated comics backstory for mainstream moviegoers, but asBatman#149 suggests, having been grown in a lab — and his history with other clones in general — is essential to Damian’s character development.
The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold will introduce audiences to a new Batman in the DC Universe, focusing on the unique dynamic between the Dark Knight and his son, Damian Wayne, who takes on the mantle of Robin. This film marks yet another reboot for the iconic vigilante superhero.
Panel fromBatman#666 by Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert, Jesse Delperdang, Guy Major, and Jared K. Fletcher
While Batman and Talia al Ghul are indeedthe parents of Damian Wayne, he was not conceived in the traditional sense. Using the stolen DNA of Bruce Wayne,the League of Assassins genetically engineered Damian in a lab with the hopes of molding him into the perfect warrior. The mission was accomplished, as Damian has always been far more advanced for his age in terms of intelligence, speed, agility, and durability than other children. That being said, he’s still basically a cloned version of his father.
Damian Wayne arrived in Gotham at the age of 10 in the now-iconicBatman#655 by Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert, Dave Stewart, and Nick J. Napolitano, which is the first part of theBatman & Sonstory being adapted for theBrave and the BoldDCU film.
His clone origins remain a soft spot for Damian Wayne,which explains why he acts so sorely toward Bruce Wayne’s clone — created from his Zurr-En-Arrh personality — inBatman#149. Granted, he has a reason to be sore when he sees his father consolingthe Robin clone who tried to killhim not that long beforehand, but Damian seems especially fixated on the clone part. Maybe there’s a shade of jealousy about all the attention his father is giving this clone, but even the jealousy hints at something deeper for Damian.
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Damian Wayne Was Killed by His Own Clone, the Heretic, inBatman Incorporated#8 by Grant Morrison, Chris Burnham, Jason Masters, Nathan Fairbairn, and Taylor Esposito
Maybe I’m speaking for myself here, butanyone who has a sibling feels like they’re in competitionwith each other at some point in their lives, even briefly. Call it a “brotherly feud,” if you will. Imagine you’re in Damian Wayne’s shoes for a second: you’re in a Bat-Family with brothers like Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, and you’re convinced you’re destined to be the heir to the Bat-Family. All these siblings not only have been Robin, but out of these siblings, you’re the only “clone.”
Remembering that Damian is a clone allows readers to look at all of his decisions through a new lens and, suddenly, everything makes sense.
It’s no wonder he tried to kill Tim Drake for the Robin mantle almost immediately upon entering Wayne Manor. Damian is a lab-grown child with an inferiority complex, convinced he needs to prove himself to his father to be better than his more naturally gifted siblings when his own gifts come from a lab. Remembering that Damian is a clone allows readers to look at all of his decisions through a new lens and, suddenly, everything makes sense. I think the DCU ignoringRobin’sclone origins would do a disservice to the character.
BATMAN #149 (2024)
