Analytical Otaku

Grant Morrison is batshit insane. Everyone knows it. And in his latest flight of insanity, he killed one of my favorite characters: Damian Wayne. Yes, it’s official. Damian dies in Batman, Inc. #8. But I will bet good money that he isn’t going to stay dead. In fact, if you pay close attention, hints at his resurrection are everywhere. Read on, and dry those tears, you big baby.

I’m a huge fan of Grant Morrison. He’s one of the most brilliant writers in the comic industry. Heck, he wrote a story where the Doom Patrol defeated the fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse with Dadaism. Anyone who does that is solid gold in my book. And something you have to understand about him is that he loves playing with expectation. He understands not just the medium of comic books, but the fan culture surrounding it. Remember Batman R.I.P.? Where it was clearly set up that Bruce was going to die, but then didn’t, but then died immediately after in Final Crisis when everyone was off guard? He likes to take people by surprise. And Damian’s death was not surprising.

 And it doesn’t matter how gruesome Damian’s death was. Grant Morrison isn’t afraid to embrace the kookiness of comics. In fact, he relishes in absurdity. He wouldn’t be above writing some crazy plot arc or resurrection story to bring Damian back.

And I think he will. Why? Well, back during the Batman and Son arc, there was a mini-arc about three false Batmen. In an interview, Grant Morrison talked about his inspiration, and how hard it was to come up with new ideas for comics. He wanted to do an arc with imposter Batmen, but found out that it had already been done way back in the Silver Age. No one remembered or cared about that story, so he could have just retold it. But noooooo. He had to reinvent it, adding in some drugs and guns and some sort of apocalypse.

How does this relate to Damian? Easy. The story of Batman losing a Robin has already been told (thanks, Jason). In fact, not only has it been told, but pretty much a decade after that was spent on Bruce angsting over not being there in time for Jason. The story has been done to death. I highly doubt a writer as original as Grant Morrison would be content to rehash the same tale.

No, he has bigger plans. He’s been planning on killing Damian since day one. Ever since he started Batman, Inc. he wanted the story to focus on Damian and Bruce’s relationship, culminating in Damian’s death. Keyword culminating. Damian dies in issue eight, but the series is supposed to last twelve issues. There is still much more story to be told. And really, if he did want Damain’s death to be his great message, his lasting contribution to comics, then he would have saved it for the climax. But he didn’t, which means that he still has plans. There are only four issues left, so the plot isn’t going to shift away to some other struggle. No, the focus needs to stay on Bruce and Talia and their son.

Also according to Grant Morrison, this whole arc is supposed to have divorce undertones. Talia may be an uncaring bitch, but the second after Damian dies, she starts crying. Obviously she is already rethinking her decision. Gee, what’s a woman with access to a Lazarus Pit going to do over the loss of her child? Beats me.

On the other end of the writing spectrum, Peter J. Tomasi, the current writer for Batman and Robin, talked about his future plans for the series. To sum it up, they don’t intend to bring back Tim as Robin. They don’t want to do another “Batman needs a Robin” story. And they refused to comment on any long-term plans, but he did have this to say: “there's a big, epic picture in view over the horizon, but there's plenty of lightning storms and hurricanes for myself, Pat Gleason and our partners in crime Mick Gray and John Kalisz to still fly through before it all becomes clear.” Yeah, it’s vague, and yeah, I shouldn’t read too much into it. However, the Batfamily has been going through quite a few shakeups recently. I’d like to think the writers aren’t stupid enough to throw a new character into the mix while the waters are still muddy. So I don’t think it’s likely that they’ll introduce a new Robin. And Tim is not coming back as Robin. And the title Batman and Robin is not being cancelled.

This is all speculation based, so let me wrap this up with the cold hard facts: Damian makes money. Right now the character is growing in popularity. Popularity sells books. You know what sells even more books? Media hype. Just check out ebay and see how much an issue of Batman, Inc. #8 is going for. The only reason DC would slaughter the golden goose is if they had a way to bring it back laying more eggs than ever. *coughLazurusPitscough*

 So like I said, I am willing to bet good money that Damian makes a comeback within a year. In the meantime, don’t panic. Just enjoy these coming issues for the emotional issues they explore. Don’t be upset over Damian’s death. Instead, enjoy the (hopefully) psychologically complex stories coming out. And try to act a little surprised when they decide to bring Damian back. It makes the writers feel good. 

If you like this article, make sure to check out my other stuff!

I Demand Stephanie Brown: How bringing Steph back could improve all of the Bat-comics

Don't Cry For Young Justice: Why Young Justice being cancelled isn't the end of the world

Your Objective is Anarchy: How video games encourage rebellion.

DC is stupid. That’s not news. From their convoluted crossover events to their asinine editorial decisions, they’ve stuck their foot in their mouth more than once. The most recent offender is the New 52. The New 52 isn’t all bad (only about 90% of it), but it’s been over a year and some much needed corrections still haven’t been made. My biggest pet peeve: the absence of Stephanie Brown. Here are five reasons Stephanie Brown should be brought back.

Reason 1: Anchor for Tim

Tim’s been down a slippery slope these past few years. With the New 52 it’s a bit unclear exactly who he’s lost and when (thanks for clearing that up, DC). However, he is not a happy-camper. The cheerful chipmunk from days of yore (the 90s) is gone, replaced with a constantly scowling grump. Stephanie’s presence could fix this. Even if they weren’t officially a couple, she could be his emotional anchor. It would allow the writers to continue to develop this new, darker side of Tim (in the hope that it one day goes somewhere) while using Steph to occasionally pull him back to the good old days.

Reason 2: DC needs more girls in their line-up

I hate to play the gender card, but it needs to be said: female superheroes need help. Even existing female icons like Wonder Woman and Black Canary are played up for their sexuality. Fine, whatever, I won’t write a ten-page rant on how impractical Starfire’s costume is. I just think that the equation needs to be balanced. The comic world needs more characters like Stephanie Brown, younger women who aren’t played up for their sexuality. DCverse needs Steph precisely because she isn’t defined by her gender. She is a well-rounded character with a lot to offer. And she just so happens to be to be female in a genre that needs more strong female characters.

Reason 3: Foil for Damian

Damian is an obnoxious little fart with all the social graces of a roasted peanut. Stephanie is everything Damian is not. She was a great socializing force for him, putting him in situations outside of his comfort zone. It both humanized him and forced him to grow as a character. Their banter was hilarious, but more than that, they had a great dynamic. Steph was a great “rival” for Damian, providing someone on his level that he could treat as a peer, and vice-versa. Without her, Damian’s become the DC equivalent of a crazy cat person. Okay, his menagerie is freaking adorable, but Steph was giving him skills that could help him be a functioning human being.

Reason 4: An emotional counter-point for the whole Bat-clan

As far as pseudo-families go, the Bats are as morose as a pack of timber wolves. Even characters who used to be shining paragons of go-lucky have slipped deeper into the darkside (Tim, I’m looking at you). I’m not accusing them of being a one-note angst-fest (they are a symphony, thank you very much), but Stephanie provided an excellent contrast. Her wide-eyed optimism provided a much needed balance. It allowed the family to have its dark, somber moments while still being 3-dimensional.

Reason 5: Hope vs cynicism

Gotham is a rotten dumping-grounds where gross things go to die. You won’t find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy in all of comic books. In a city as corrupt and unlikable as Gotham, it’s occasionally hard to see why the heroes bother saving it. Why exactly is Batman dedicating his life to preserving an already rotten corpse? Stephanie Brown is a beacon of light. She is a naturally bright and hopeful (and even shown as a Blue Lantern in the last issue). Her outlook on life allows the audience to see the good in Gotham. It’s a perspective that more cynical, world-weary characters like Bruce and Jason can’t bring to the table. Allowing Stephanie to infuse the city with hope enriches all of the Batfamily books, because it gives the audience a reason to care.

So there you have it. Bringing Stephanie Brown back wouldn’t just appease angry fans; it would make a wealth of other books better. The world needs more Steph. DC, feel free to redeem yourself at any time. Until then, I’ll just be over here. Complaining.

Leave some love in the comments if you want Stephanie Brown back, too!

And check out my article about Young Justice being cancelled. This blog is a cornucopia of nerdiness.