DC has revealed its first Black Label series to be fronted by the youngest of the Robins, Damian Wayne. The Boy Wonder, a five-issue series from acclaimed writer/artist Juni Ba, will debut in comic book stores in May 2024.
Ba makes his mark on the timeless story of Batman and Robin, synthesizing the characters’ complex history into an accessible and heartrending fairy tale. The debut is lettered by Aditya Bidikar with Chris O’Halloran providing colors.
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 several 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!
“There is in Robin, something quintessentially fun and superheroic” says Ba. “To me, he is the epitome of childlike adventure and wonder. Coming from the generation of fans that loved Batman: The Animated Series, I want The Boy Wonder to capture the fun of episodic adventure, and the compelling characters in an accessible book that anyone can enjoy regardless of prior history,” Ba continues. “And I chose to do this with my favorite little gremlin Damian, for who better to teach us about heroism and family, than someone who, deep down, fears he’s not a good enough person to deserve either? The story will be fun, but tug at your heartstrings, too.”
In addition to the story and art, Ba also provides the main cover for this debut issue, with an additional variant cover by Cliff Chiang. The Boy Wonder #1 arrives in participating comic book shops Tuesday, May 7, and is available to pre-order Friday, February 16.
