Warning! Spoilers for Robin #16 ahead!
Just like his father Batman, the young Robin Damian Wayne struggles to keep his civilian and superheroes lives separate, resulting in his personal feelings affecting his mission. This is seen most recently in how his reaction to Respawn’s death and his desire to protect his love interest Flatline blind him to an enemy plotting against him.
In his recent standalone series, Robin took part in the Lazarus Tournament, a death match that revives participants up to three times using the Lazarus Pit, a pit of green water with healing and revival abilities for those who bathe in it. Flatline and Damian first met during the tournament when she literally ripped his heart out of his chest. Flatline eventually ended up in the Lazarus Pit and was healed but corrupted by it, causing her to become extremely violent. Another fighter in the tournament named Respawn is a clone made from the DNA of Deathstroke and Damian’s mother, Talia al Ghul. Considering Respawn to be his brother, Damian wanted to help him, but he died in the Shadow War crossover event.
When Respawn tells Damian in the nightmare, “You could have saved me… you left me with Slade,” it suggests Damian wanted better for Respawn but could not rescue him from Deathstroke’s grasp, resulting in Respawn experiencing pain and violence rather than a normal childhood. Furthermore, Respawn says, “Inside those pits is the key to your truth, but first, you must wake up!” This implies that Damian’s time as Robin has caused him to develop a compassionate heart that cares for his family’s wellbeing. When Respawn died, this aspect of Damian was buried deep down so he wouldn’t get hurt again, but it reemerges when he believes Flatline is in danger. Damian prioritizes his feelings for Flatline when he rushes to her instead of validating Lord Death Man’s claims, indicating that his compassionate side lives on in his romantic relationship with her. As a result, Lord Death Man is one step closer to his goal by inviting his lover and Damian’s great grandmother, Mother Soul, to join him at the end of the issue.
This issue reveals how Damian and Robin’s lives become more complicated as their responsibilities become conflicted, resulting in more trouble for the son of Batman. The Dark Knight’s training for Robin has left Damian Wayne vulnerable in Robin #16 as he struggles to balance his personal feelings for Flatline and Respawn with his mission to investigate Lord Death Man.
