The Boy Wonder (2024) #1

The Boy Wonder (2024) #1

by Juni Ba (Writer/Illustrator), Chris O'Halloran (Colorist), Aditya Bidikar (Letterer)

The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins—to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon’s Head himself, his grandfather Ra’s al Ghul. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City. As Robin, young Damian suddenly discovered he was merely one of a number of princes, preceded in the role by his “brothers” Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin…and Damian doesn’t care to be merely anything. But when his father is forced to leave the city on urgent business, and a rash of abductions is accompanied by whispers of a demon stalking Gotham’s dark alleys, Damian will find himself battling alongside his adoptive brothers—and in the process, learning what the mantle of Robin really means!Visionary writer/artist Juni Ba makes his mark on the timeless story of Batman and Robin, synthesizing the characters’ complex history into an accessible and heartrending fairy tale!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Comic Book, Fiction

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2024

About the author

Juni is an illustrator and writer hailing from Senegal and France. His current works include the Kayin and Abeni mini series and the Monkey Meat stories both published by Kugali. He’s also a cover artist with works for Skybound and IDW. His artistic fuel is mostly based on orange juice.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(A-) 83% | Very Good
Notes: Read in trade paperback. Collective review for issues #1-5 can be found here: The Boy Wonder.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A visual delight that delves into Damian, the cartoon-style approach may deprive it from any real depth, but it still delivers a decent experience that has potential to impress.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great!

Really loved the way it was written and the artwork is perfect for the story.

It summarises the familiar stories in a new and unique way, refreshing the old.

I was hooked, and I'm looking forward to the second issue.

[ShilehaChurchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely!!

It's already one issue and I can tell this will be a Damian Wayne classic. I love art too. I hope we get more Dick and Damian as well their relationship is important.

[Jadyn❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible start demonstrating a deep understanding of the characters, their relationships, and their history. I can’t wait to keep reading.

[Bella Morrissette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best comic series I’ve read all year

[James B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh yes. A Damian comic is always gonna be a plus. Great first issue, look8ng forward to the next one.

[paulita · Rating 5 out of 5]

buenísimo, nada más que no me gusta que dick y bárbara sean pareja

[rima · Rating 5 out of 5]

see, THIS is what i mean when i say i want more content about the robins being brothers

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This actually made me cry the whole way through. I love Damian 😭

[Stephanie Shpirt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juni Ba’s characterization of Damian in this issue was phenomenal.

[sara ۫ ꃋ◡ꃋ .˳⁺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’ve seen many people hating on this comic, and even though its not perfect i think it’s a funny and cute story about damian finding his place in his new family, learning from his mistakes and reasoning with his past.
+ the artstyle is adorable, such a unique redesign of all the characters

[Cybernex007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren’t many series that make me cry right from the first issue, but this one did it so well. I love the art style of this as well it was completely unexpected. It almost seems like a cartoon strip but the color work and the depth of shadows elevated it to a completely new level and the expressions they are able to provide the characters remains so vast. It helps to come into this knowing the story of Damian, but even if you don’t he helps to lag it out while being kidnapped himself at the start of this issue by a robber from a robbery gone bad. Batman had had many young knights to pick up the mantle of Robin and move on each with their own personalities. And then comes along a boy of the same blood as the Batman, but has spent his entire life preparing to take the mantle demon’s head from his grandfather. As such this has turned him into a bloodthirsty and accurate killer that immediately made a mark by killing a thief when he was first brought under his father’s care. This left an immediate mark and impact that Damian did not fully understand the weight of, and restricted him from progressing how he would like to. As such when the day came that Batman left Gotham on urgent business and left it in the care of the other Robin’s…Damian saw it as his chance to head out into the world and make the mark he desperately wanted to. And when there were reports of demons harassing people…that was the perfect first opportunity for Damian to take.

But of course Alfred can be a bit worried when a young lad like Robin goes out into the world, especially Gotham and the way it has of swallowing and crushing everything it can, so he called and asked Dick to follow and look after Damian. Damian followed the clues and cornered to a building where the demon sightings are and sure enough he found the demons…alongside Nightwing and Batgirl already fighting them. Damian still saw this as his chance to make his mark and busted in through the window to start fighting them, only to watch as the demons he smashed formed together to form a larger one. Once again Damian ran into the fray to fight them, even with Nightwing trying to call him back…only to realize once the “demon” started transforming that it was really clayface using the facade of demons to commit burglaries. Nightwing works quick to pull Damian out of the fray before clayface can smash them, and then Damian stands off to the side and he watches something he never saw expressed from the league of assassins: teamwork, love, and compassion between Nightwing and batgirl. They worked and moved in perfect unison as they defeated clayface and used a device to turn him into a goop that they can clean up. When the pair turned around and realized Damian was gone they thought “like father like son” but I starkly disagree. Damian was quite embarrassed to see how well this worked compared to everything he has been taught. Damian knows the story of Dick Grayson, the boy who experienced the same hardship as Bruce and was brought under his wing to be the first boy wonder. But instead of a son he was treated more like a soldier and eventually flew the coop. In Damian’s eyes he sees this abandonment of the mission as a weakness, but then again everything he is seeing contradicts the ideologies instilled by the league of assassins.

After Damian left the scene he ended up coming across a street mugging. He quickly took care and tied up the mugger…but then he saw the older would be victim struggling. Remembering a lesson from Dick when he came up to help him, Damian went over to help her up. And this is what really made me cry, seeing her thank him for being in the city be then seeing the expression of glee from Damian doing a good job made me feel so good. Unfortunately it doesn’t take long after Damian rounded the corner for the woman to yell out for help once again, once a real demon swooped in and picked up the older woman. Damian has truly found a demon he con hunt now, and that older woman needs help. But there is one quick detail that interested me quite a bit. Damian made reference to a mugger that he sliced the head off of when he first got to the city, right before the woman wad taken as Damian walked past an alley the image of the mugger holding his head stood there in the shadows. I believe this is a great metaphor for Damian’s rising guilt and conscious that he is developing working and growing alongside the rest of the bat family and I can’t wait for him to really confront it.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 5 out of 5]

En su momento de "presentarse en sociedad", Damian Wayne resultaba un elemento integrador demasiado disruptivo en el Batverso. Además de que las primeras historias se enfocaban en aprovechar el planteamiento de llegar adoctrinado por los Al Ghul para buscar una solución definitiva y mortal ante el mal que produce la humanidad. Por lo que con la tutela de su padre biológico y esas intenciones de que Damian asumiese el manto de Robin, el conflicto estaba servido de entrada. Actualmente el personaje ya ha evolucionado y demostrado un arco de personaje estupendo y del que se pueda "discutir" si es mejor que cualquiera de los "Robins" previos. Pero parece que Juni Ba tampoco le convenció tanto la presentación editorial del personaje. Y en esta nueva obra del sello Black Label, nos traslada otra vez a los primeros días de Damian arribando en Gotham y buscando el apoyo de su recién conocido padre en su cruzada contra el crimen. Pero Juni Ba parece que hará más inciso en los "hermanos" de esta Batfamilia, quienes asumieron previamente el rol del sidekick de Batman superando sus propios problemas personales y convirtiéndose en grandes ejemplos en gran medida de lo que debe ser un héroe.

Puede que en las primeras páginas choque algo el estilo particular en el dibujo del artista. Pero la propuesta argumental también se plantea como una especie de fábula por lo que acaba siendo un gran hallazgo este estilo tan propio para lo que debe ser esta oportunidad editorial que supone Black Label.

Queda por comprobar lo que resta de miniserie, pero se agradece mucho esta propuesta.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I knew I would when I saw the ad for it in another book and caught that gorgeous cover art but also the fact that Ba both writes and illustrates this limited series. It's so different when an author illustrates his or her own work. Anyway, I enjoyed the artwork immensely, and I like the tone and style of the writing, too. For some reason, this book kept reminding me of Black Bolt by Saladin Ahmed. I think at least part of it is the illustration style, and another part of it is that a lot of the story is told in a frame narrative rather than through dialogue, like most comics that I've read are. All in all, I'm excited to read issue #2 and see what comes next for this series about Batman's biological child!

[Daniel Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin por Juni Bá é uma aula de narrativa, o artista mistura a tradição da oralidade africana com o frescor de um arte totalmente moderna e convidativa até certo ponto um tanto cartunesca.
Damian Wayne é reapresentado de uma maneira didática e divertida como um gen z que tem dificuldade em entender o mundo do seus pais mesmo que tente de várias formas se conectar a eles .
Grata surpresa a obra transita entre aventura com os outros membros da bat familia e o drama de ser neto do vilã e filho do herói , tudo com páginas que exploraram novas possibilidades e perceptivas que nos mostram quão versátil uma hq de super heroi pode ser

[azz · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have not been this excited for a comic and it did not disappoint at all!! the art is GORGEOUS!! and I know I say that about all comics, but this one wheww I was just looking at the panels for a bit the colors and the stylized character design..so so amazing. i love the Arabian-esque cover sheets.. so so amazing. the fighting sequences were engaging, when usually I would find my eyes glazing over when trying to follow. i love this setup, I cannot wait for the whole run, I love the fairytale storytelling. I'm saying love a lot but that's how I feel about this love love love!!!!

[r7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this comic a few days ago, and it truly is such a delight to read. Narration-wise it's brilliant, but more than that, I love Juni Ba's illustration style to bits. The way they draw in such a dynamic yet simplified style is super refreshing, as well as just plain fun to look at. I also really love that in some panels Damian is just a shape with eyes, almost like a black cat. If you're able, read this comic. If not for the story, then definitely for the art! ^^

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damian Wayne’s coming of age retold in the vein of a fairy tale. Ended up liking this a lot more than I expected. The art is wistful and vibrant and the narration is quite charming, this issue focuses on Damian’s relationship with Dick Grayson and it was funny to see the narrator mirror Damian’s attitude when the two come together. Overall this was a cozy, somewhat wholesome read that left me wanting to read issue 2

[Vijay Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the storybook style and the throwback to this era of Damian's arc.

Poor Damian is trying his best and he just can't win even when he thinks he does. I need Bruce to stop showing tough love and support his son!

[d★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

primer comic que leo!¡ amé todo, el dibujo, las péquelas notas que había, e incluso lo fácil que fue sentir empatía por damian (y si, este es mi primer acercamiento a cualquier cómic de dami y de cualquier cosa relacionada a dc, así que me pareció muy acertado) (๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)

[Melvin Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin fan

if you are a Robin fan then you will enjoy this read, simple as that. solid first issue in my opinion.

[connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this made me cry :(

[Hassanchop · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

What a first issue. More please Juni Ba. A home run. So so so so good
Highest recommendation. Thank you Juni

[Anthony Crabtree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing first start to the series. I love the art, and the writing hits certain timing and beats that work so well.

[Ximena]

the ARTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!! I love being inside Damian’s head as he feels like an outsider in the batfam. Off to a great start :)

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for a much younger audience than I was expecting. It reminded me of like one of those Golden books telling a simple story of one of the characters.

Not bad. I’ll read the next one.

[a · Rating 5 out of 5]

no notes!!
stunning art style. ba said on the comics collective podcast that darwyn cooke is a big inspiration to him and it’s clear that cooke’s trademark simplicity also translated to ba’s illustration and o’halloran’s gorgeous colors. i really like the sharpness of the lines and character designs for damian instead of the roundness and cuteness of super sons. love super sons but this fits his character better!
the writing was whimsical, sharp, and gets the job done. love the batfam characterization wish we got more tim but YAY BATGIRL AND NIGHTWING. i truly giggled more than anyone should reading this book but i just love those two 🥹
anyways i’m sat for this run diving into issue two asap

[danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m in love with this comic completely!

[jay ‎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

if damian wayne has only 1 fan that fan is me