DC Comics' DCeased is full of surprises, especially when it comes to Damian Wayne and Cassandra “Cassie” Sandsmark’s new romance. The new Batman and Wonder Woman, who inherited the titles and responsibilities from their mentors when they fell to the Anti-Life Virus, shared a tender kiss in DCeased: Dead Planet #2. Whether it was an action meant to comfort, or confirmation of a private relationship between the two young superheroes, it’s a moment that DC fans of either character have been getting hints at for years.
Appearing in Wonder Woman #105 , Cassie Sandsmark met Wonder Woman through her mother and later assisted the famous Amazon superhero with borrowed artifacts which she used to fight crime as Diana’s sidekick Wonder Girl until Zeus granted her superpowers. Damian Wayne first appeared in Batman #656 as the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul who was trained by the League of Assassins to eventually kill and replace his father, and later be used as the host body for his grandfather Ra’s Al Ghul. Damian defied these expectations by joining his father as the latest Robin and later proved himself as a worthy addition to the Bat Family, in and out of the field. Cassie and Damian would eventually work together on the Teen Titans and their relationship to each other was altered due to the changes made to the DC Universe during the 2011 New 52 reboot, with both characters working on separate incarnations of the Titans but usually not alongside each other.
In DCeased, Damian Wayne inherits the role of Batman as per his father’s dying wish before Bruce succumbed to the Anti-Life equation and was killed by his confidant and surrogate father Alfred. Although traumatized by the sudden loss, Damian followed through with his father’s request and suited up as the new Batman as the Earth’s heroes combatted the Anti-Living’s forces and worked on a contingency plan in the Fortress of Solitude. Cassandra was among those present at the fortress and the honorary Amazon was at Themyscira when hordes of infected Atlanteans stormed the island. Fighting alongside the dwindling Amazons while the remaining survivors boarded spaceships set to leave Earth, Cassie was forced to leave the battlefield by Queen Hippolyta, who gave her her crown and a message for her daughter Diana. Already traumatized by the bloodshed and sacrifice, Cassie experienced further loss when her mentor Diana was infected by Superman before Cassie, Damian and other surviving heroes left Earth to find a new home world.
In Dead Planet, the sequel which takes place five years later, Cassie is the current Wonder Woman alongside Damian’s Batman and Jonathan Kent’s Superman. When the Justice League returns to Earth following a distress beacon, they are shocked to not only encounter a still-infected Wonder Woman, but also by the knowledge from Cyborg that there has been a cure all along. After carrying an injured Superman to Poison Ivy’s sanctuary in Gotham City, an upset Wonder Woman ducks away to deal with everything. Cassie is approached by Damian who senses she is not alright. As Cassie talks about the reality of facing and losing Diana again after having accepted the loss years ago, Damian unmasks as a sincere form of solidarity before both young heroes’ kiss via silhouette.
Although Damian and Cassie have never shown any sort of romantic feelings toward each other before, a Batman/Wonder Woman romance has been suggested time and time again in both comics and television. Although she has been paired with Superman more than once, there have been moments in battle, parallel dimensions, or near death that the Justice League members have shared a kiss or hint that their affection may go deeper than friendship. Regarding Cassie and Damian’s relationship, its amusing considering there was a time the former Wonder Girl objected to Damian’s place among the Teen Titans and in another world and place, they’re locking lips. Both heroes have been through so much during these last five years and finding someone who truly understands the pain and responsibility is rare so it may not be as surprising they got together when you consider the situation and how much they have in common. However considering how writer Tom Taylor has put other fan-favorite relationships to the test in DCeased, this teen romance between Batman and Wonder Woman could go from the honeymoon to the cemetery faster than you can say bad romance.