It has been a few years since a AAA DC Comics game made its way to consoles and fans are definitely getting restless. Every year rumors of a new Rocksteady Studios property float around, but so far we still have no new Batman, Superman, or Suicide Squad game to take home. Most DC fans would even settle for an Aquaman title at this point. Despite the lack of official announcements, Batman hype was yet again in the air yesterday as some leaked art starting making the rounds. The original poster claims the materials were concept art for a cancelled Batman game that was set to take place in the near future and feature Damian Wayne beneath the cape and cowl.
Damian Wayne may be a household name for many comic book readers, but if the live-action films and the Batman cartoons of the 90s and early 2000s are your main source of Batman lore, this piece of news may have been a bit confusing. Damian Wayne was first introduced in the Batman comics (technically Batman and Robin Vol 2) only eight years ago, but since then he has skyrocketed to popularity in the unofficial Robin rankings and has even been the co-star of a few very well-received animated Batman films.
Note: Yes, the true origin of Damian may date back to Son of the Demon (1987), but the modern version of the son of Batman is the one that most comic fans are currently interested in.
"I'm not like Tim, or Jason, or even Dick. I'm light-years ahead of all the past Robins in skill and training. I'm either your partner in this or I'm not."
As his last name and the title of his first story arc may have hinted, Damian Wayne is the son of Batman. In the DC Comics universe, Damian is the lovechild of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul. Yes, that al Ghul family. This means that Damian has both hero and villain blood running through his veins, thanks to his terrifying grandfather Ra's al Ghul. For anyone shouting "Batman doesn't have any children!" we assure you this is all canon in the comics. Batman really did father a son and that has remained in continuity for almost a decade at this point.
For about the first decade of his life, Damian remained a secret to his father and lived with his mother. During that time, he trained relentlessly with the League of Assassins and became an incredibly skilled fighter with a bit of a dark edge. After meeting his father and experiencing some shared trauma (we won't spoil the exact details of the comic), Damian eventually bails on the League and joins forces with Batman. At this point Bruce embraces Damian as a member for the Bat-family and passes on the mantle of Robin to his son.
The early years of Damian as Robin are incredibly interesting comics and deal a lot with Batman trying to temper Damian's aggression and help him unlearn a lot of the nefarious habits that he picked up by training with the League of Assassin's since birth. At some point Bruce Wayne disappears for a while (again, we won't spoil why, so read Final Crisis if you're interested) and Dick Grayson returns to take over the Batman mantle. During this period of time, Damian remains as Robin and Dick and Damian have a few story arcs worth of adventures and bickering together.
Outside of the main Batman series of books, Damian has also appeared in Teen Titans, Super Sons, and a handful of other stand alone issues and crossovers. Fans who find themselves enjoying the character have tons of comics that they can dive into to learn more about the son of Batman. In addition to the books, there is also a series of animated films that are well worth checking out. The series kicks off with Son of Batman (2014). Fans who enjoy this introduction to the characters can continue on to Batman vs Robin and Batman: Bad Blood. A fourth film, based on the iconic Hush storyline, also released just a few weeks ago.
Although there may not be an official Damian Wayne video game to play just yet, fans should keep their fingers crossed that one might arrive in the near future. It's been four years since Batman: Arkham Knight released and fans are definitely ready for the next chapter in Batman's video game story.
Be sure to check back in the near future for more details on other Batman and DC Comics games.
Project Sabbath is a rumored Batman projected that was never confirmed and is supposedly cancelled.