Warning! Spoilers ahead for Robin #4!
Since joining his father as Robin, Damian Wayne has always been a deadly fighter. Having been trained by the League of Assassins since birth, the latest Robin is a prolific killer by design, yet now he is officially deadlier than his honorable grandfather, Ra’s Al Ghul, the head of the Demon.
In Robin #4 by Jorge Corona and Joshua Williamson, Robin has woken up following his brutal defeat at the hands of Hawke on Lazarus Island. Rather than waking to a watery grave, Robin awakes on a small island near Lazarus Island with his wounds tended to by none other than his grandfather, Ra’s Al Ghul. Ra’s explains that he was saved by Goliath and that Ra’s no longer has any interest in the League of Shadows, or the Lazarus League after having chosen to live in exile on the island. Robin, eager to return to Lazarus Island and continue the tournament attempts to leave but is persuaded by Ra’s to remain on his island for a bit longer to finish healing and hone his mind for the upcoming battles in the Lazarus tournament.
After Robin wakes up on Ra’s island, it doesn’t take long for him to find his grandfather and confront him. As Damian attempts to goad his calm grandfather, he earns no response from the now docile Ra’s Al Ghul. Enraged, Damian attempts to lash out and fight with his grandfather, but his injuries stop him before he can even close the distance with his grandfather. As Robin catches his breath, Ra’s tells his grandson “If you were healthy, I have no doubt you could kill me. If you were healthy.” It appears that Ra’s Al Ghul has finally recognized that Damian’s unique training under both the League of Assassins and Batman and his allies has finally paid off and equipped Damian to be one of the world’s most competent fighters!
Damian has on numerous occasions proclaimed himself one of the world’s deadliest fighter (and oftentimes, the world’s deadliest 14-year-old). While this often seems to be an ego-reinforcing exaggeration, it appears that Batman’s son is actually closing in quickly on this highly coveted title. To gain recognition from Ra’s Al Ghul, the former head of the League of Assassins, is a huge step forward as Robin asserts himself as a lethal and competent combatant. Ra’s Al Ghul is a renowned martial artist and a deadly assassin with several lifetimes worth of experience. While he recognizes that his grandson Robin has surpassed his own martial skill, Ra’s Al Ghul helps Robin refine his mind to learn the important virtues of being a deadly assassin: patience, forethought, and humility.
Robin’s lethality has never truly been in question, yet it appears that Damian Wayne is finally closing in on being DC’s deadliest fighter. To have his grandfather, Ra’s Al Ghul, recognize his awe-inspiring lethality is a huge point of personal and “professional” growth for Robin.