Spoiler warning for Robin #15
Despite the long line of former Batman sidekicks behind him, Damian Wayne is on track to become the most powerful Robin of them all. After a brief trip home to Gotham, Damian has returned to Lazarus Island, where it seems he has taken full control of the island. After the island was used by Damian's great-grandmother, Mother Soul to host a to-the-death fighting tournament, it seems as though Damian is repurposing the land to help other lost souls find a new home.
Damian Wayne—the biological son of Bruce Wayne—might still use the "Robin" title, but he hasn't been working with Batman in Gotham for over a year. Damian's most recent Robin solo series has seen him explore the mysterious Lazarus Island, home of the deadly Lazarus Tournament. After fighting to the death—literally—and making friends along the way, Damian has learned more about his al Ghul ancestry and the seemingly-diseased Lazarus pits once controlled by the al Ghul dynasty. Now, after the events of Shadow War—in which readers saw the death of Ra's al Ghul and the eventual surrendering of Talia al Ghul—Damian has returned to Lazarus Island with his friend Connor Hawke to investigate the Lazarus Pits and the ominous Devil Nezha.
In Robin #15 by Joshua Williamson, Roger Cruz, Norm Rapmund, Luis Guerrero, and Troy Peteri, Damian reunites with the Bat-Family in Gotham (including fellow Robin Tim Drake) as well as his mother, Talia al Ghul, who at first seems to have escaped custody. After confronting both Talia and Batman about their "family," Damian decides to depart Gotham and return to Lazarus Island, over which he seems to have full ownership, calling it "my island." In a conversation with Connor Hawke, he then says "I realized what I want to do with this island… I want to turn Lazarus Island into a refuge. A sanctuary for people like us. Help people who are lost… like we were.”
Damian has come extremely far from his violent origins, when he only wanted to prove himself, as and individual, worthy of Batman’s legacy. Now his aims are to help other misfits like himself and Hawke. The language here is especially striking after Connor Hawke’s coming out story in DC Pride 2022, which is directly referenced in this conversation, implying Damian wants to create a safe haven for anyone who feels like they might not fit the norm. Unlike the previous Robins—especially Dick Grayson and Tim Drake—Damian is taking on a major leadership role; he's not just leading a single team, he's controlling an entire island of misfit "sidekicks." Damian Wayne is amassing real power in the DC Universe, and his growth as a character proves he's ready to handle—and not abuse—the responsibility.
After years of trying to prove himself, Damian Wayne might be the most powerful Robin of all, and now he has an entire island to prove it. The question remains whether Damian will be able to retain this power; the Devil Nezha appears to be a real threat, and Damian will surely confront that problem in the upcoming Batman vs. Robin series. Despite this looming threat, Damian has proved himself worthy of controlling Lazarus Island, and hopefully he, as Robin, will continue to use that power to help other "lost" kids like him.
Check out Robin #15 available now from DC Comics!