Minor spoilers for Batman/Superman: World's Finest ahead!
DC Comics has unveiled a new trailer to promote its upcoming Batman vs. Robin limited series event, and it looks like Damian Wayne may be taking on a villainous role. Writer Mark Waid hints that the son of Bruce Wayne may be why the magical forces of the DC Universe are beginning to spiral out of control.
DC announced in May that, as part of its September offerings, it would be releasing Batman vs. Robin, a five-issue limited series spinning out of Batman/Superman: World's Finest. Writer Mark Waid and artist Mahmud Asrar are teaming up for the event, which features Batman and his son Damian facing off against one another in an epic fight that has implications for the entire DC Universe. The limited series will also build on the "Shadow War" crossover that took place over the Batman, Robin and Deathstroke, Inc. titles.
With just a few more weeks to go before Batman vs. Robin premieres, DC is already starting to hype up its upcoming event. DC Comics posted a trailer for the event on YouTube featuring writer Mark Waid discussing the upcoming series and what fans can expect. According to Waid, “Something is horribly wrong in the magic realm” and it seems that Batman's son Damian Wayne is the root of its various troubles. Waid isn't exaggerating when he says there's trouble for the magical side of the DCU. Zatanna is shown hanging from a noose while Constantine has merged with Swamp Thing. The assault on the magic users likely has something to do with the Devil Nezha, the antagonist from the first arc of Batman/Superman: World's Finest, who Waid says will be one of Batman vs. Robin's "Big villains."
Mark Waid stresses the importance of Batman vs. Robin and how it ties into “the future of the DC Universe”. It won’t just be Damian Wayne and his father who are affected by the events of the series. Waid guarantees that the miniseries will impact “dozens and dozens of DC characters, minor and major.” Still, with Damian Wayne possibly playing a villainous role during the assault on the magic side of DC, it raises questions as to what the future holds for the troubled Boy Wonder.
Damian was teased as discovering Nezha’s burial site at the end of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest’s first arc. It’s likely that the part for Damian that Waid hints at is that the hero may wind up possessed by Nezha, who begins a new attack on DC’s magic users and uses Bruce's son as his latest vessel. Things have been rough for Damian as of late, especially now that he's seemingly lost his standing as Robin in favor of Tim Drake, who's now headlining his own Robin title. It seems like whatever the future holds for Damian Wayne will be determined by what happens to him as a result of Batman vs. Robin's climactic finale.