DC Comics is sending Robin back to the classroom in their newly announced young adult graphic novel Batman and Robin and Howard. Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce Wayne, was born into the League of Assassins, has faced off against countless supervillains, including an older, cloned version of himself, and has even become Batman himself on several occasions, but all of that pales in comparison to his next challenge: middle school.
The new title is the latest in DC’s series of standalone graphic novels aimed at middle grade readers. Recent titles have included Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime, which adapted several classic fairy tales into the Batman universe, DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science, which focused on the incarnation of Zatanna from the titular TV show and Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge, which featured a young Lois Lane learning to navigate the realm of social media. These sorts of books often focus on instilling young readers with important life lessons in the context of DC’s most famous heroes.
According to DC’s official announcement, Batman and Robin and Howard will focus on Batman suspending Damian from his duties as Robin and sending him to a new middle school, where he ignites a fiery rivalry with one of the most popular kids at school — a boy named Howard. The graphic novel will delve into Damian’s underlying insecurities both as a superhero and as a regular kid when he starts to compare himself to the well-adjusted Howard. As time goes on, their adversarial relationship will burgeon into friendship.
At the helm of the graphic novel, filling both writer and artist duties, is Jeffrey Brown, who is likely most recognizable to readers for his art in the Jedi Academy and Darth Vader and Son Star Wars children’s books. “I actually had the basic story kicking for years—two all-star teenagers who start as rivals but end up becoming friends to save homecoming,” Brown said. Brown also teased that the graphic novel will feature a new villain for Damian to face off against, though he’s keeping their identity secret for now.
In his history as a character, Damian has often remained squarely in the more mature sphere of DC media, largely due to his dark backstory, gruff demeanor and violent personality quirks. The de facto Robin for kid’s media is usually Dick Grayson, so it’s refreshing to see Damian get a shot at introducing himself to a younger audience. From the preview pages included in the press release, it also looks like they’re remaining as loyal as they can to the rebellious spirit of the character.
The middle school social scene is a challenge that many readers are all too familiar with. Younger readers and fans of Damian Wayne alike will have to find out for themselves if the world’s most famous sidekick can overcome those pressures, when Batman and Robin and Howard hits shelves on November 9, 2021.
