Damian Wayne is a character defined by his dualities, and his attempts to break free of them. He is Batman’s son, yet he feels he can do a better job defending Gotham City than his father could. He also happens to be the grandson of the Dark Knight’s foe Ra’s al Ghul…but has often struggled with the murderous teachings his grandfather instilled in him. No matter how you look at it, Damian’s a divisive character…but that might change with the release of The Boy Wonder #1.
Written and illustrated by Juni Ba, with colors by Chris O’Halloran and lettering by Aditya Bidikar, The Boy Wonder #1 follows Damian as he attempts to prove he can protect Gotham when Batman leaves for another mission. Soon rumors of demons patrolling the street reach Damian’s ears…and lead him into conflict with Batman’s foes, as well as his attempts to outshine the other members of the Bat-Family.
Ba described The Boy Wonder as a fairy tale of sorts; that approach colors the approach to his writing. Damian’s described as a “prince”, with the appropriate narration to match – Gotham is a “kingdom” and it even begins with the quote “Once upon a time.” This approach is perfect for Damian; he could be considered a prince, given who he’s related to. Ba also deserves credit for digging deep into Damian’s psyche, revealing that underneath his desire to prove himself is a deeper desire to be accepted in his father’s eyes (even though the Bat-family has welcomed him into their folds.)
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Ba’s artwork makes The Boy Wonder a wonderful cross between the Batman: The Animated Series’ aesthetic and a fairy tale storybook. The first page opens with a rich woman dropping her glass of champagne; it then tumbles through the skyscrapers of Gotham until it clatters into the more shadowy parts of the city. A fight scene pitting Damian, Nightwing and Batgirl against Clayface is full of equal parts horrific (Clayface is a rolling mass of mud with multiple faces) and heroic (Nightwing’s acrobatic prowess is on full display here.) A recurring motif features an elaborate demon’s face, which is painted over Ra’s Al Ghul’s face and even makes it to Damian’s face at one point.
The coloring and lettering have a big hand in shaping how dynamic Ba’s artwork and writing is. O’Halloran contrasts bright lights with dark shadows. There’s also plenty of red, green and yellow to complement Damian’s costume. Bidikar’s letters take the form of parchment and titles similar to a coat of arms, which further underline the “royal” aspect Ba is going for. The Boy Wonder #1 is a carefully crafted fairy tale that puts Damian Wayne in a new light – both for his longtime fans and those who might not be a fan of him in the first place.
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