Thanks to The Washington Post, everyone and their mother knows that Damian Wayne has been killed. Other than the vague details the article delivered, how much do people know about the son of Batman or the huge impact he had on the DC Universe?

Damian Wayne is the son of Bruce Wayne (obviously) and even more surprisingly, Talia al Ghul. Talia is the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, one of Batman’s oldest and most sinister foes. Talia inherited her father’s global crime empire, the League of Assassins. 

Now, if being the son of a vigilante and the head of a criminal syndicate didn’t add enough drama, just wait. Bruce was not even aware that he had a son until Damian was already 10 years old. Talia hid her child from his father and had master assassins raise the boy — Maury Povich couldn’t handle this family.

The character was introduced in Grant Morrison’s Batman and Son. Since that initial story, Morrison has planned a story for Damian that came to fruition in Batman Incorporated 8. In Damian’s brief tenure as Robin, the writers show a cold and borderline sociopathic boy grow into a compassionate hero willing to sacrifice himself to help others.

Talia introduces Damian to Bruce, claiming that the boy lacked discipline and was growing beyond her control. It is later revealed that Talia hoped to distract Batman from her latest world domination scheme. After Talia’s plans fall through she takes Damian back, only to have him leave her to live with his father the first chance he gets.

Initially, I couldn’t stand the punk. When introductions were made at Wayne Manor, Damian showed nothing but contempt for Alfred Pennyworth and Tim Drake-Wayne, the adopted son of Batman. Despite Damian’s behavior, Tim tries to befriend him, only to have Damian attempt to murder him, claiming that Tim is his rival and that Bruce no longer needed a “surrogate son.” 

Damian’s combat skills are more than impressive, but the boy’s emotional development is obviously lacking. One of the big questions presented in the New 52 Batman and Robin storyline is whether Damian is a sociopath. This question is not surprising, considering that Damian was raised by assassins and taught to take another human life at a very young age. 

Despite my initial distaste for the kid, the writers and artists did a fantastic job trying to gain sympathy for the boy. While Damian was initially portrayed as a bratty, arrogant, horrible, despicable (seriously, he was awful) child, the writers shifted gears to show a child who grew up in a cold and dangerous environment who wanted nothing more than his father’s approval and is willing do anything to gain it. 

Damian officially donned the persona of Robin while Bruce is “temporarily dead” (he was actually lost in time … just go with it). During this time, Dick Grayson, the first Robin, donned the cowl to fill in as the dark knight. Grayson grooms Robin for the role and the two have a stunning partnership. This Dynamic Duo featured a more lighthearted Batman (Grayson) and a brooding Robin (Damian). This role reversal was expertly done, and makes for an incredible read. 

Bruce returned shortly before the New 52 began, and upon his return, travels the world to set up a global Batman operation titled Batman Inc. Bruce’s return does not have a positive effect on Damian. Instead of being overjoyed, Damian feels ignored during Bruce’s travels. It is apparent that Damian is jealous of other members of the Bat-Family that Bruce included in Batman Inc. 

At the start of the New 52, Bruce decided it was time for him to put away the ghost of his parent’s murder and embrace his role as a father to Damian. While Damian thrived during his partnership with Grayson, teaming up with Bruce added a very noticeable stress to the character. Damian felt the need to prove himself to Bruce.

Throughout the New 52 Batman and Robin series, the dynamic duo is constantly put into situations where they need to depend on each other. As the father and son pair learns a valuable lesson in trust, the writers incorporate very touching scenes that highlight Damian’s human side. In Batman and Robin 8, Damian tells Bruce how wants to have a moral compass.

 “I want to be like you. I’ve always wanted to be like you … but sometimes I don’t know what I am … or even who I am.” Damian said.

 In response, Bruce said, “You’re my son. All I want you to be is the best Damian Wayne you can be.”

Despite how cheesy the dialogue may seem the art that accompanies the next panel features Damian looking up at his father in surprise and warmth that make him seem like a normal 10-year-old boy.

While Damian still struggles to prove himself to the other members of the Bat-Family, and more notably himself, a drastic change in character can be noted from that issue on.  Damian is committed to aiding Bruce in any way that he can.

When the Joker reappears, Damian pursues every lead he can. Perhaps the most touching scene of Damian is when he falls asleep on his dog, Titus, after studying the old case files on the Joker. Bruce finds him and carries him to bed. In that single frame I did not see a heartless child, I saw a son being carried by the father he loved so dearly and looking so small in his father’s arms. 

Unfortunately tragedy (Talia) struck to disrupt Damian’s emotional growth. Talia is outraged that Damian chose Bruce over her and swore vengeance on Bruce by destroying Batman Inc. Talia unleashes the Heretic, an artificially grown genetic clone of Damian (again, just go with it …) on Gotham, and while the city is under siege Damian comes face-to-face with the monster. Damian is slaughtered at the hands of the Heretic and other members of the League of Assassins. 

Grant Morrison has planned to leave DC for some time now and wanted to make a significant impact on the Batman universe he helped create. Seeing how Morrison introduced Damian, it seemed he planned to retire him as well.

In my opinion, Morrison chose to leave his lasting mark in an uncreative way by killing Damian. Killing Damian adds only more pain to a story that has been riddled with it for years and creates a problem writers have already had to deal with before, the death of a Robin.

Fortunately, Damian is sure to return in the coming years, I mean it’s not like his grandfather (maternal …Thomas isn’t so lucky) isn’t infamous for coming back from the dead.