WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the first five episodes of Young Justice: Phantoms, streaming now on HBO Max.
In Young Justice: Phantoms, the Bat-family’s getting a lot more time in the spotlight outside of Batman, Nightwing and Robin/Tim Drake. Spoiler’s now playing a key role, as is Cassandra Cain/Orphan, with a new war with the League of Shadows in sight. Interestingly, as they run afoul of Ra’s al Ghul’s institution once more, we actually see that Damian Wayne’s already a Robin, but with a much darker destiny.
Last season, Damian was seen as a baby with Talia, who made it clear he would never be offered up to Bruce for training like the comics. She felt he’s the replacement for her father as the Demon’s Head, and as we see him once more, that looks to be the case.
It happens when Cheshire comes after Sensei, looking to end the League after they and the Light used her and almost killed Artemis’ crew. Cheshire’s bitter and trying to protect her family, only for Sensei to dismantle her with ease. At this point, Talia emerges with the toddler, who’s cutely clad in red, green and yellow, clearly homaging his outfit as a Super Son.
He’s a Boy Wonder by look, as she says she’s rejigging the League to be something new and more powerful. However, Cheshire escapes, clearly taking this warning to heart, but while she and Artemis try to figure out who they can trust for the battle to come, the series could make Damian a villain off the cuff.
The Robin suit may be to taunt Bruce, with Talia set to shape him as the militant head, akin to the Batman Beyond comics, where his world view was more anti-hero than Ra’s’ warped perspective. Seeing as she’s got Sensei, who may well be more powerful than Ra’s, Damian already has the perfect tutor to become this sinister leader.
It’d definitely throw the show into major turmoil down the line, giving Batman and his ambitious charges a more personal feud, while also setting up Jon Kent to either fight or redeem the lad. The series is known for time-jumps, after all, so it can also be the perfect place to have an older Dick possibly taking up the Bat-mantle and fighting the antithesis to everything Bruce represents.
Either way, Talia’s adamant her Damian’s not going to be like her dad or beloved, hinting he’ll be much worse. Ultimately, this Robin is being set up to bring to light the vision she had but never could enact.
To see Talia’s vision for Damian, the first five episodes of Young Justice: Phantoms are streaming on HBO Max.
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