Warning: Spoilers for Robin #1
The latest Robin standalone series will pit the progeny of iconic DC Comics hero Batman, and villain Deathstroke against each other, and so far the contrasts are surprising. In Joshua Williamson’s and Gleb Melnikov’s Robin #1, Damian Wayne has gone AWOL from the Bat family and entered a mysterious tournament on Lazarus Island. There, the world’s most dangerous combatants will fight to death—or some version of it—and ultimately reap the rewards of their fighting prowess. As this first instalment ends with Robin’s gruesome death at the hands of new enemy Flatline, there’s obviously more to the tournament than meets the eye.
As it turns out, another champion invited to the tournament is Rose Wilson, otherwise known as Ravager, the daughter of super-assassin Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke. The former villain now turned heroic member of the Teen Titans, has ulterior motives for making the journey to Lazarus Island. For his part, Damian is driven to prove himself and the legacy of his bloodline no matter the physical or personal cost. One would think the daughter of a deadly assassin and the son of a founding member of the Justice League wouldn’t have much in common, and that assumption is correct, but not for the obvious reasons.
Following the death of Alfred Pennyworth, resentment has been building between Damian Wayne and his father Bruce, Gotham City’s Dark Knight. Blaming Bruce for the loss of the loving paternal figure that was Pennyworth, Damian is searching for a way to reclaim his heritage. As the grandson of master-criminal Ra’s al Ghul, the demon who found eternal life in the fabled Lazarus Pits, it comes as no surprise to fans that Damian should be drawn to an underground organization known as the Lazarus League assembling the deadliest fighters from around the globe on Lazarus Island. In fact, it could be argued—as Damian does in the comic—that it’s his birthright. Unfortunately, the arrogance stemming from this sense of entitlement has put him in greater peril than he has anticipated. Since he was first introduced, Damian Wayne’s Robin has always been stubborn and sure of his abilities to the point of haughtiness. However, this problematic trait has—up until now—been tempered by the humility and methodical nature of his father, Batman. Now his hubris has patently set him up for a great fall.
On the other side of the equation, Ravager is poised to not make the same mistakes as her compatriot. Aware that there’s more to this game than the trappings of an organized competition, she enters into the situation alert and cautious of her surroundings. Whatever her exact rationale may be for entering the tournament, it’s safe to assume it isn’t solely for personal gratification. Interestingly, her immediate response to seeing Robin on the island is to inquire as to whether or not “You-Know-Who”, i.e. Batman, knows what Damian is up to. What’s more, when Damian decides to grandstand in front of the gathered crowd and their host, Mother Soul, Rose attempts to warn him of the danger his apparent ignorance is setting him up for. Ravager’s care and attention is far more heroic than Damian’s in this first issue. As much as Batman is a hero and Deathstroke a villain, their biological offspring certainly aren’t their carbon copies. Both Batman and Deathstroke have complex and tragic legacies, the scions of which will be tested against each other in what is shaping up to be a brutal contest.
By all accounts, the tournament of the Lazarus League will be the crucible by which Damian Wayne’s Robin will discover just how far the apple has fallen from the Batman family tree. Assembling characters new and old from all corners of the DC Comics universe, the mettle of both Damian and Deathstroke’s daughter Ravager will be tested beyond its breaking point, and who knows what kind of proverbial skeletons will ultimately be revealed.
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