Damian Wayne hasn’t always gotten along with the other Robins, with his relationship with Tim Drake being famously difficult. Now it seems the two Robins might just have to put their differences aside in order to work together on an important mission. But with Damian’s need to be the smartest Robin in the room, he might not be able to work with Tim for very long, especially given their history.
As revealed in DC’s July solicits, The Boy Wonder #3 by Juni Ba promises to team up Damian Wayne and Tim Drake to infiltrate a villains’ gala. It’s not clear exactly what they’re looking for in there, but what is clear is that this mission isn’t volatile due to the number of villains, but because of the relationship between Damian and Tim. The two brothers have famously had difficulty getting along, and this new mission will test just how good their relationship is now.
While Tim does his best to get along with everyone, being friendly with Damian has always been particularly difficult for him, and the two have come to blows several times in the past, a fact that Damian often seems to welcome. Their working together on this mission could be their undoing if they can’t get past their major issues.
Tim Drake is one of the smartest characters in DC and is by far the smartest Robin — which has always been a problem for Damian Wayne, who was trained and raised by the League of Assassins. Damian was trained to rule the world and was given the absolute best education possible. Not only is he used to being the smartest person in the room, he’s also constantly trying to prove that he’s the best. This has put him at odds several times with Tim Drake, especially since Damian views himself as the true Robin. While Tim has often tried to make peace with Damian, Damian hasn’t often tried to do the same.
When Tim and Damian first met in Batman #657, Damian nearly beat Tim to death with his bare hands. He did this solely because he viewed Tim as a pretender, someone who didn’t deserve the mantle of Robin. It was a brutal and entirely unprovoked attack, and their relationship has struggled ever since. Damian has often teamed up with Dick Grayson, but his team-ups with Tim are few and far between. They’ve also gotten into several physical altercations, most recently with Damian trying to protect Batman from the Bat-Family, after they notice he’s being taken over by Zur-En-Arrh.
Damian and Tim are both immensely talented and skilled individuals. Neither one of them is “better” than the other. Despite how Damian might feel, Tim being intelligent doesn’t make Damian any less intelligent. If they’re going to finish this mission, then the two need to come together. Tim has referred to Damian as his brother in the past, which shows that Tim has some fondness for Damian. Still, infiltrating a villain gala won’t be nearly as difficult as RobinsDamian Wayne and Tim Drake trying to work together.
The Boy Wonder #3 is available July 3rd, 2024 from DC Comics!
