Robin Haters Finally Win: Damian Wayne Has Disappeared

Warning: contains spoilers for Teen Titans #45!

Damian Wayne (aka Robin) has received his fair share of hate. It’s been a long time since the youngest member of the bat family was a fan favorite, but his presence in the latest Teen Titan series has shaped the team in some pretty extreme ways. That is, until he quit as Robin and then vanished completely.

The son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne has always been one for rocky relationships, often seeking out – or becoming – the center of conflict. After Damian chose to kill in a recent storyline, the Teen Titans were forced to navigate the chaos he left behind.  This has led to a divide between him and the team, as well as his father. While a younger Batman may have used killing as a last resort, Robin has defaulted to using death to send a message, closer to Marvel’s Punisher than his heroic father. Popular opinion has sided against Damian Wayne lately, and it seems that his haters may finally have gotten their wish…

The villainous protagonist has disappeared without a trace. Thus, the search has begun for this on-the-run Titan. Teen Titans #45 features a divide in the hunt for Robin as intentions appear blurry. The team collides with a range of characters (including an army of toys) as they try to make sense of the “clues” they believe they’ve discovered. Along the way, the Titans run into the Red Hood, who suggests that Damian may be playing them, leaving behind nothing but distractions. The Titans trust for Damian was on thin ice as it is; could this detail be the end of their connection to him? The issue ends with the appearance of Superboy. Like everyone else, he too is preoccupied with finding the missing Titan. His intentions are vague, but they seem dire. After all, he doesn’t have the greatest history with the team.

The line blurs even more when it comes to the Titans themselves. This is their friend. Someone they have bonded with, yet someone who has caused them a huge amount of harm. They already felt forced to turn their backs on him. On the cover to Teen Titans #45, teammate Xiomara Rojas declares, “Robin’s gone. It’s MY team now!” Could the team get used to a Teen Titan dynamic devoid of Damian? It’s possible, but with Batman having shut down the Teen Titans, the search for Damian may be all that’s keeping the team together. It’s hard to imagine a Teen Titans without a Robin, but since Damian has made a commitment to stepping away from that role, it’s likely that even if they can find him, he won’t even return as Robin. Is this the introduction of a new alias, the start of a new team, or the last we’ll be seeing from the Boy Wonder and this iteration of the Teen Titans?

Teen Titans #45 from writer Robbie Thompson with art by Javier Fernandez is available now.

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