Warning: contains spoilers for DC Comics' Robin #2!
As Damian Wayne, aka Robin, acclimates to the mysterious Lazarus Island in preparation for the coming tournament, the young adventurer and his fellow participants must bear witness to the League of Shadow's premier warrior in action. But this killer combatant is no villain or eager assassin - instead, it's Green Arrow's son, the formerly heroic Connor Hawke.
Considered to be the island's star combatant, Oliver Queen's son Connor Hawke has gained a reputation from his peers for being an extremely adept and proficient combatant. Following the separation from his father, Connor was taken in and trained by the League of Shadows. Under the League, Connor was trained to be a force of destruction, potentially on the same level as the Son of Batman, Damian Wayne himself. A representative of Ra's Al Ghul's secondary organization the League of Shadows, Connor was likewise deployed to take part in the Lazarus Tournament, with Robin setting 'Hawke' up as Damian's chief competition.
After a buildup to the core threat that is Connor Hawke - a hero who has himself taken on the Green Arrow name in the past - writer Joshua Williamson (Justice League Odyssey, Voodoo) and artist Gleb Melnikov (Detective Comics, Batman & The Outsiders) pit the League of Shadow's foremost champion against another skilled fighter, the Parliament of Owls' enforcer known as Raptor. Hawke and Raptor's match is viewed by Robin and several onlookers, and while Connor seems reluctant to hurt his opponent, he still brutally bests Raptor before breaking his neck.
When Hawke begins to show signs of mercy to a weakened Raptor, a proximate League of Shadows representative reminds Connor of his eternal allegiance to their movement. It's a combination of testosterone and devotion to the League of Shadows which enables Connor to finally finish off his opponent. Now that Connor has indefinitely indebted himself to the League, Hawke's own free will and moral code are thrust away in exchange for his complete loyalty to the organization. Thankfully, Lazarus Island resurrects those who perish in the tournament, so Hawke has yet to do anything that can't be taken back, but as the tournament continues, each combatant only has three 'lives' before the island claims their soul.
Damian and Connor share a personal history of being raised and trained by the League of Shadows, making each one of the most skilled killers in the DC Universe. But while the issue sees Damian go on a killing spree once he realizes he can do so guilt free, Hawke takes his deadly battle much more seriously, suggesting two very different perspectives that will clash when the two do battle. Connor Hawke's history with his father is deeply troubled, and as DC's new Infinite Frontier era unfolds, it's not yet clear what relationship the two share, or why Hawke feels so indebted to the League of Shadows if his prior career as a full-fledged hero remains intact. Robin will undoubtedly continue to explore these story elements as the son of Batman and the son of Green Arrow go head to head in coming issues.