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The Boy Wonder (2024) #1-5
The Boy Wonder
The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City. As Robin, Damian discovered he was merely one of several princes, preceded in the role by his brothers Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin. 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 tale!
Collecting: The Boy Wonder #1-5.
Collecting: The Boy Wonder #1-5.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2025
About the author
Juni Ba
80 books58 followersJuni 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
February 23, 2026
(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: A style-excelling lore retelling (on heroes' lows and highs), wherein Robin sees his family is more than meets the eye.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issue #1 ◦ Issues #2-3 ◦ Issues #4-5
Notes: A style-excelling lore retelling (on heroes' lows and highs), wherein Robin sees his family is more than meets the eye.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issue #1 ◦ Issues #2-3 ◦ Issues #4-5
June 2, 2025
Imagine what it must be like to be Damien Wayne (DW), son of Batman (B)...but you also have to fill the 'shoes' of four 'Robins' (R)...and your grandfather, Ra's al Ghul (RaG) is one of the deadliest foes of your father...your mother, Talia al Ghul (TaG) seems to have a problem with her father...think you might have some issues to deal with?! Juni Ba does a wonderful job of looking at the relationship between all the R, the unique relationship each R has had with B, the relationship between RaG, TaG and DW - a book R fans have been waiting for!
October 20, 2024
A stylish foray into Damian Wayne and how he connects with those around him. Ba has brought his own unique spin on the characters both through his writing style and artistic talent. Despite the almost cartoon visuals, it's surprisingly deep a times, and whilst the messages aren't exactly subtle, they work well in this context. A surprise package that really delivers, Ba has set the bar high for any other DC projects he may pursue in the future.
October 11, 2024
THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU DAMIAN WAYNE 🗣️🗣️
Also the art and the colours are so so nice I love it
Also the art and the colours are so so nice I love it
February 27, 2025
The art grew on me but goddamn is that Jason design...sure something!
A really, really good Damian character study, although every time a Robin story has all of them but Steph, an angel loses its wings.
A really, really good Damian character study, although every time a Robin story has all of them but Steph, an angel loses its wings.
July 11, 2026
omg 🥺🥺🥺 i teared up so many times 🥺🥺🥺 i love damian so much, that’s son right there! 🥺🥺🥺
this comic was so exquisite for something short! just from the very first page, i already knew this was going to be a banger because of the lettering that mimicked arabic letters… i love it when writers actually write damien as brown and even more, incorporate that well in the comic. the art isn’t the typical sort - i really don’t know how to explain it but, it’s very artistic and slightly exaggerated. worked really well though. the plot was definitely some more introspective than the norm which is what i like the most in superhero comics and i love, love, love damien and he’s baby so, everything having to do with him was beautiful. i don’t have the brainpower to get into the nitty-gritty but, i like that it dealt with damien coming to terms with himself and growing as well as shedding some light on some other themes like: intergenerational trauma, capitalism, the necessity of violence and a bit more. and the characterization and focus of every other character was extremely good. i also loved that talia was actually written in a more-positive light than how she has been accepted in the dc canon now! (also, somehow made me feel sympathy for ra al’ghul which is very shocking.) obviously, i loved this and i immediately started looking to purchase it while reading the comic so…
this comic was so exquisite for something short! just from the very first page, i already knew this was going to be a banger because of the lettering that mimicked arabic letters… i love it when writers actually write damien as brown and even more, incorporate that well in the comic. the art isn’t the typical sort - i really don’t know how to explain it but, it’s very artistic and slightly exaggerated. worked really well though. the plot was definitely some more introspective than the norm which is what i like the most in superhero comics and i love, love, love damien and he’s baby so, everything having to do with him was beautiful. i don’t have the brainpower to get into the nitty-gritty but, i like that it dealt with damien coming to terms with himself and growing as well as shedding some light on some other themes like: intergenerational trauma, capitalism, the necessity of violence and a bit more. and the characterization and focus of every other character was extremely good. i also loved that talia was actually written in a more-positive light than how she has been accepted in the dc canon now! (also, somehow made me feel sympathy for ra al’ghul which is very shocking.) obviously, i loved this and i immediately started looking to purchase it while reading the comic so…
May 26, 2025
3.75 stars
This was good if a bit underwhelming. I was hoping for a more Damian focused story, but it's more of an origin retelling that explores not only Damian's story but what it means to be Robin and the legacy of this mantle. So, in the first three issues we have the older Robins appearing, mentoring in some way, teaching some lesson to Damian.
Dick, Jason and Tim. For whatever reason, Babs is also featured alongside Dick, but no Steph? (I kinda am a bit puzzled about some Batfam characters missing here or being extremely underused like Alfred.)
Anyway, the story is simple. Damian is a little boy afraid of disappointing Bruce. Afraid of loneliness and abandonment. In his mind, he was already a disappointment to his mother and grandfather. And now, after he killed a criminal, he is realising how the ways of the demon are not what Bruce believes in. And if he can't connect with his father, if his violent ways are not accepted by Batman, is he a bad guy?
Batman's absence in the first four issues is a haunting weight in the story. Damian is alone in his moral conundrum. He sees himself superior to all previous Robins, yet is his morality one of a hero? Through the team-ups, Dick shows him kindness, Jason grit and tragedy, Tim how to play the game and be resourceful. And when the enemy that has been haunting Damian, a demon that has been abducting the poor people of Gotham, leads him to confront his family, Damian has to face his inner demons and accept his place in the world. Accept and embrace his new family.
It's a really emotional story at some points. The art style, though cartoonish, is weirdly effective. I don't know if I liked Jason's design, however it is impactful to see him so scarred and hurt.
The last two issues are very introspective, and though quite revisionist regarding Talia, it's a very hopeful ending, one that made me very proud of Damian.
Wish the story was longer, wish there was more of Damian on his own.
This was good if a bit underwhelming. I was hoping for a more Damian focused story, but it's more of an origin retelling that explores not only Damian's story but what it means to be Robin and the legacy of this mantle. So, in the first three issues we have the older Robins appearing, mentoring in some way, teaching some lesson to Damian.
Dick, Jason and Tim. For whatever reason, Babs is also featured alongside Dick, but no Steph? (I kinda am a bit puzzled about some Batfam characters missing here or being extremely underused like Alfred.)
Anyway, the story is simple. Damian is a little boy afraid of disappointing Bruce. Afraid of loneliness and abandonment. In his mind, he was already a disappointment to his mother and grandfather. And now, after he killed a criminal, he is realising how the ways of the demon are not what Bruce believes in. And if he can't connect with his father, if his violent ways are not accepted by Batman, is he a bad guy?
Batman's absence in the first four issues is a haunting weight in the story. Damian is alone in his moral conundrum. He sees himself superior to all previous Robins, yet is his morality one of a hero? Through the team-ups, Dick shows him kindness, Jason grit and tragedy, Tim how to play the game and be resourceful. And when the enemy that has been haunting Damian, a demon that has been abducting the poor people of Gotham, leads him to confront his family, Damian has to face his inner demons and accept his place in the world. Accept and embrace his new family.
It's a really emotional story at some points. The art style, though cartoonish, is weirdly effective. I don't know if I liked Jason's design, however it is impactful to see him so scarred and hurt.
The last two issues are very introspective, and though quite revisionist regarding Talia, it's a very hopeful ending, one that made me very proud of Damian.
Wish the story was longer, wish there was more of Damian on his own.
October 1, 2025
Damien Wayne has a little identity crisis/coming-of-age thing as he grapples with his upbringing under Ra's and Talia al-Ghul and the bar set by previous bearers of the Robin mantle.
It's a heavy-handed but enjoyable Black Label stand-alone story where Damien spends consecutive chapters hanging out with one of the original Robins in their new identities and learning some life lessons from their experience.
Mention of "identities" does bring up a little slight built into the series against Tim Drake. Tim has cycled through a number of identities and sometimes it's hard to tell which one he is using in any given DC book. Well, Juni Ba's script never even mentions Drake's code name at all. Is he Robin? Red Robin? Drake? Who knows?!?! All the other ex-Robins get introduced with a big superhero logo splashed across the art, but not Drake, he just pops in without introduction. He is even excluded from the sketch pages in the back, where all the other Robins-gone-by (and Batgirl) get their own pages with their new code names all big and bold.
And don't even get me started on the complete deletion of Stephanie Brown . . .
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: The Boy Wonder, Chapters 1-5 / Juni Ba, writer and illustrator -- Sketch & Design Gallery / Juni Ba, illustrator -- [Covers and Variant Covers] / Juni Ba, Cliff Chiang, Chris Samnee with Matheus Lopes, Khary Randolph, Valentina Napolitano, and Lea Murawiec, illustrators
It's a heavy-handed but enjoyable Black Label stand-alone story where Damien spends consecutive chapters hanging out with one of the original Robins in their new identities and learning some life lessons from their experience.
Mention of "identities" does bring up a little slight built into the series against Tim Drake. Tim has cycled through a number of identities and sometimes it's hard to tell which one he is using in any given DC book. Well, Juni Ba's script never even mentions Drake's code name at all. Is he Robin? Red Robin? Drake? Who knows?!?! All the other ex-Robins get introduced with a big superhero logo splashed across the art, but not Drake, he just pops in without introduction. He is even excluded from the sketch pages in the back, where all the other Robins-gone-by (and Batgirl) get their own pages with their new code names all big and bold.
And don't even get me started on the complete deletion of Stephanie Brown . . .
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: The Boy Wonder, Chapters 1-5 / Juni Ba, writer and illustrator -- Sketch & Design Gallery / Juni Ba, illustrator -- [Covers and Variant Covers] / Juni Ba, Cliff Chiang, Chris Samnee with Matheus Lopes, Khary Randolph, Valentina Napolitano, and Lea Murawiec, illustrators
March 29, 2025
3.3 stars
August 20, 2025
I can't believe I almost wrote The Boy Wonder off as a weird one-off by a strange foreign author. I was so wrong! The Boy Wonder is a charming fairy tale version of Damian Wayne's life. There's delight in every panel, from the clever morals to the sharp illustrations (almost Darwyn Cooke!) to the brilliant action. I loved it from front to back.
The gist is that Damian's the new Robin, but he feels stuck behind all the previous Robins who are off doing bigger, more exciting things. Plus, on one of Damian's first times out, he killed a guy and he's feeling weird about it (especially after Bruce chastised him). So, when Bruce is out of town, Damian takes it on himself to capture a demon.
Naturally, the demon is a more complex being that requires the help of all those previous Robins (cue "lessons learned"). It also all leads back to Damian's mother and grandfather, and a big exciting battle around a Lazarus pit. Perhaps not a shocking outcome for the story, but it matches up with the fairy tale vibes - this is a story you've certainly read before, but put together in a delightful new way.
Very excited to explore Juni Ba's other works now! Will not make the same mistake twice.
The gist is that Damian's the new Robin, but he feels stuck behind all the previous Robins who are off doing bigger, more exciting things. Plus, on one of Damian's first times out, he killed a guy and he's feeling weird about it (especially after Bruce chastised him). So, when Bruce is out of town, Damian takes it on himself to capture a demon.
Naturally, the demon is a more complex being that requires the help of all those previous Robins (cue "lessons learned"). It also all leads back to Damian's mother and grandfather, and a big exciting battle around a Lazarus pit. Perhaps not a shocking outcome for the story, but it matches up with the fairy tale vibes - this is a story you've certainly read before, but put together in a delightful new way.
Very excited to explore Juni Ba's other works now! Will not make the same mistake twice.
January 25, 2025
Not so much a story about Damian as Robin as an introduction to Damian in the Bat-family and his choices of career so to speak.
It's full of good feelings, probably a bit naive, but it's very well done with a sense of conviction that commands respect.
I'd like to add Juni Ba's cartoony, highly expressive drawing - an author I recently discovered: love at first sight - and Chris O'Halloran's superb, warm colours to recommend this positive book, with a Damian - who'd have thought? - that you want to follow and support.
It's full of good feelings, probably a bit naive, but it's very well done with a sense of conviction that commands respect.
I'd like to add Juni Ba's cartoony, highly expressive drawing - an author I recently discovered: love at first sight - and Chris O'Halloran's superb, warm colours to recommend this positive book, with a Damian - who'd have thought? - that you want to follow and support.
March 14, 2025
Cute artwork, story is a fairly straight forward retelling of Damian's origin and how he interacts with the other Robins.
I always thought the "Black Label" was for more adult oriented stories but this feels more like it's directed at younger readers, which isn't a bad thing but it might not be to the usual Black Label reader's tastes.
I always thought the "Black Label" was for more adult oriented stories but this feels more like it's directed at younger readers, which isn't a bad thing but it might not be to the usual Black Label reader's tastes.
October 10, 2024
4.5 stars
Instant classic, especially book 2.
Instant classic, especially book 2.
May 12, 2025
drawn in the style of genndy tarkovsky’s hit 2001 television show samurai jack (srsly, it takes so much inspiration). the character writing here is totally off, i didn’t appreciate how all three robins preceding damian were tritely categorized. i was conflicted about talia’s depiction: the trapped princess in a world of demons and dryads i liked, the mother who didn’t deserve to have her son with her i didn’t.
March 13, 2026
GOSH! I don't think I've read a comic that made me sob quite like this one! The art style was beautiful, the message and morals wonderful, the fantasy vibe SO whimsical! The bat-siblings were wonderful and I LOVE their character designs here. I don't think any comic has captured Damian's challenges of being Robin and being a child through it all nearly as well as this one has! I genuinely need EVERYONE to read this at least once in their lives! (Plus love that the Al Ghul's are actually brown/Asian in this one!)
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July 19, 2025troptroptrop cute!!!!! l’artstyle ogmmgmg.
April 22, 2026
Very stylized [ unique ] art...which did put me off a little initially.
However the mostly Batman-less story comes through strong.
However the mostly Batman-less story comes through strong.
July 14, 2025
THE ART!!!!
the story telling vibe vibe is impressive too but
THE ART THO!!!
the story telling vibe vibe is impressive too but
THE ART THO!!!
January 21, 2025
3.5 stars
This was more so about Damian's relationship to Bruce, Talia, Ra's, Jason, Tim, and Dick than a new Robin story. It basically retells his story and goes through what seemed like a slightly changed version of events - I'll get to what I mean by that later.
The art style is very unique. Not as pretty as I'm used to, but it added some character and emphasized emotions at several points. This is one of the tellings I feel was meant to redeem Talia in a sense. Gone is the version of events where Damian's creation was a non-consensual moment, but instead this is the former version where Talia and Bruce was a love story. The ending of this is a We Are Robin messaging about anyone being able to join the cause to band together and we can redeem those who've lost their way.
My biggest confusion about this was the lack of Duke Thomas, Stephanie Brown, and Cassandra Cain. The inclusion of Babs as Batgirl and lack of Stephanie was actually revisionist - unless this is meant to be a completely different universe and I missed it. If we needed to tell a story about the Batfamily being there for Damian - why was Cass excluded? Also, this could've used more Alfred. If they wanted a Batgirl, why not use the one that actually worked with Damian and did have a positive effect on him - Stephanie? And if we're going back to the We Are Robin messaging, not sure why Duke wasn't included because he was a big part of that arc/event.
While I'm bummed Steph and Duke weren't included, not including Cass was the most baffling to me because there's a whole bit about redeeming oneself after killing and that was her whole story. Mind you, after DC rebooted itself over and over again, I don't even know if that's a part of her origin anymore, but I'll have to read her new series and see.
One thing I appreciated was an opportunity to see Tim and Damian work together again. Their relationship interests me in that we don't get a ton of moments of them together where Tim's not incredibly antagonistic or cautious around Damian. Tim's the one member of the batfamily I don't get the affection for, but he's more interesting to me when interacting with the Batfamily. So, of course I find it interesting when he interacts with Damian, my personal favorite.
This was more so about Damian's relationship to Bruce, Talia, Ra's, Jason, Tim, and Dick than a new Robin story. It basically retells his story and goes through what seemed like a slightly changed version of events - I'll get to what I mean by that later.
The art style is very unique. Not as pretty as I'm used to, but it added some character and emphasized emotions at several points. This is one of the tellings I feel was meant to redeem Talia in a sense. Gone is the version of events where Damian's creation was a non-consensual moment, but instead this is the former version where Talia and Bruce was a love story. The ending of this is a We Are Robin messaging about anyone being able to join the cause to band together and we can redeem those who've lost their way.
My biggest confusion about this was the lack of Duke Thomas, Stephanie Brown, and Cassandra Cain. The inclusion of Babs as Batgirl and lack of Stephanie was actually revisionist - unless this is meant to be a completely different universe and I missed it. If we needed to tell a story about the Batfamily being there for Damian - why was Cass excluded? Also, this could've used more Alfred. If they wanted a Batgirl, why not use the one that actually worked with Damian and did have a positive effect on him - Stephanie? And if we're going back to the We Are Robin messaging, not sure why Duke wasn't included because he was a big part of that arc/event.
While I'm bummed Steph and Duke weren't included, not including Cass was the most baffling to me because there's a whole bit about redeeming oneself after killing and that was her whole story. Mind you, after DC rebooted itself over and over again, I don't even know if that's a part of her origin anymore, but I'll have to read her new series and see.
One thing I appreciated was an opportunity to see Tim and Damian work together again. Their relationship interests me in that we don't get a ton of moments of them together where Tim's not incredibly antagonistic or cautious around Damian. Tim's the one member of the batfamily I don't get the affection for, but he's more interesting to me when interacting with the Batfamily. So, of course I find it interesting when he interacts with Damian, my personal favorite.
August 29, 2025
The first couple of issues are incredible. Perfect comics. But then Damian starts prevaricating about the lessons he's learning like a moral philosophy professor and the pace grinds to a halt to receive the lecture. Edit down about 30% of the dialogue and this would shine. Preserve the meaning but cut out the over-explanation, right? It's how I often feel reading Chris Claremont.
I'm all for pointed social critique, but despite the gorgeous art and really good intentions this comic is exactly as simple and naive as the stories it's looking down its nose at. Simple is not bad! But lack of self awareness hurts to read. Fucking beautiful though!
I'm all for pointed social critique, but despite the gorgeous art and really good intentions this comic is exactly as simple and naive as the stories it's looking down its nose at. Simple is not bad! But lack of self awareness hurts to read. Fucking beautiful though!
October 6, 2025
Não adianta, o Damian Wayne é meu Robin favorito. Me desculpem os demais, mas o Damian é o que oferece mais possibilidades de histórias e tem mais camadas. Contudo, este Robin: o Menino Prodígio de Juni Ba, parece querer oferecer uma história do Damian (um menino assassino) para um público infanto-juvenil. Pelo menos é esse o tipo de linguagem que o autor se utiliza aqui. A minissérie foi vendida sob o selo Black Label (sabendo-se lá o que significa hoje em dia), mas poderia muito bem ter saído pelo Selo Kids ou Teens (com exceção de Damian decapitar um assaltante logo na primeira história). A narrativa visual é o grande atrativo da HQ, mas o roteiro é bastante naïve e parece ter sido escrito como um cautionary tale para a juventude incauta. A forma como a história é contada, com cada edição dedicada a um Robin irmão, anteriores à fase de Damian, também se relaciona com o público infanto-juvenil, bem como os demônios relacionados com Ra's Al Ghul. É um quadrinho legal, mas poderia ser muito mais se não tivesse essa confusão de públicos-alvo.
March 17, 2025
One of the best Robin stories I’ve ever read. It is light hearted enough for a younger reader and sincere enough for any Bat fans. I loved the style, reminds me of Cartoon Network nostalgia, my childhood vibe. This is going to be one of those books I recommend to any comic fan, especially someone starting off. I really enjoyed this one.
July 19, 2025
love love loved the way damian was written here. his development from being thrown headfirst into an environment thats so different from what he had known with the league and having to adapt what he had been taught to what he can be as robin was done really really well. the art was so unique and fit in perfectly with this story. you can definitely see the complexity of damian’s relationships with bruce, talia, his upbringing, and this new family he’s been thrown into.
i loveddd talia in this its so refreshing seeing her portrayed with her own internal struggles regarding her loyalty to her father, the reality of the situation shes grown up in knowing shes stuck always trying to be more but never quite getting there, and the fierce love she has for damian (and even bruce). they can never make me hate her
only wish that steph and duke were included in this too. a story about damian realising what being robin means without steph who was robin as well or duke who started a whole movement centred around using robin as a symbol? missed opportunity.
OVERALL loved this a lot. the art is so peak
i loveddd talia in this its so refreshing seeing her portrayed with her own internal struggles regarding her loyalty to her father, the reality of the situation shes grown up in knowing shes stuck always trying to be more but never quite getting there, and the fierce love she has for damian (and even bruce). they can never make me hate her
only wish that steph and duke were included in this too. a story about damian realising what being robin means without steph who was robin as well or duke who started a whole movement centred around using robin as a symbol? missed opportunity.
OVERALL loved this a lot. the art is so peak
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May 27, 2026Made with so much heart and character, everyone should read this, Batman fan or not.
March 5, 2026
top 3 mejores comics que he leído
September 27, 2024
This was a great little book. The story does feel familiar, but Juni Ba still managed to give us an all-time mini series here. Juni’s art and storytelling framework is so complementary of each other.
The only character yet design I didn’t like more than the original was Red Hood’s, but every other art decision made here is stellar.
One of the true surprises of 2024 for me. I can’t wait to read more of Juni’s stuff.
The only character yet design I didn’t like more than the original was Red Hood’s, but every other art decision made here is stellar.
One of the true surprises of 2024 for me. I can’t wait to read more of Juni’s stuff.
June 8, 2026
This art style is so interesting to look at and beautiful!! Everyone is such a shape in this. And god, I love it!!! I love it. The storytelling feel, Damian's character growth, all the boys learning to trust each other, the parent-son angst, beautiful. All of it, beautiful.
February 18, 2026
Zacznę od tego, że nie gustuję w komiksach o superbohaterach. Jak podniosłam tę książkę nie zauważyłam, że to DC. Już siedziałam kiedy się zorientowałam i jakby...
Jakim cudem to było tak dobre??? Hellou?????????
Jakim cudem to było tak dobre??? Hellou?????????
March 26, 2026
This was a wonderful read. I love the artstyle and the creative storytelling. Finally someone who seems to understand both Damian and Jasons character well and is able to write them well too. Beyond happy to see Damian with brown skin. That poor boy gets whitewashed in every comic ever.
Some small complaints:
I'm not a big fan of Dick and Babs together and quite frankly I hate it when writers make Babs able-bodied, but considering they're on a page or two I'm just going to ignore that part. Where are the girls? you can’t write a Batfamily centered comic and exclude cass and steph… oh well.
Overall this is 100% worth the read. I loved it!
Some small complaints:
I'm not a big fan of Dick and Babs together and quite frankly I hate it when writers make Babs able-bodied, but considering they're on a page or two I'm just going to ignore that part. Where are the girls? you can’t write a Batfamily centered comic and exclude cass and steph… oh well.
Overall this is 100% worth the read. I loved it!
May 18, 2025
Very good. I did get confused in the first 2 chapters, but on a re-read, it all made sense. I don't know much about the backstory of the 4 "bat boys", but their characters seemed clear enough. The art style changes frequently, going from almost realistic to totally cartoony, and it works great.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews