an ode to dick and damian in masterpost form

I admit, when Damian was first introduced in comics back in 2006 I really, really hated him. I thought he was unnecessary and one dimensional and rude and terrible but THEN he appeared in Nightwing #138/139 for the Return of Ra’s al Ghul tie in.

It was the first time I adored Damian, specifically because of his interaction with Dick

There’s so much to be said and so much to adore about the two of them. But one of my favorite things is that Damian’s growth is so visible and well done. Look at him in Batman and Robin #1/#2 (no one ask me what issues these are from….):

“What about your detective skills?"

TWENTY-ISH ISSUES LATER, DAMIAN IS SOLVING MYSTERIOUS AND LOOK HOW PROUD DICK IS LOOK AT THAT FACE

"what about learning how to obey a direct order?"

damn right he got that boy in line and all Dick had to do was smile and respect him wow no emotional abuse and mind games how about that, wonder what that’s like huh broose

"batman and robin isn’t about being alone and thinking with your fists”

THE TEAMWORK I CAN GO ON AND ON ABOUT IT

finishing each other’s silly sentences

where are the flaws

they have each other’s backs, necks, jugulars, you name it, they’ve protected it

and it’s not only the physical I’d-never-let-anything-hurt-you sense that’s so touching about them, but the emotional you-can-talk-to-me stuff is great too

they’ve got so many compelling stories. you see Damian go from:

“you can have my respect if you EARN it that’s ALL I’m saying"

to:

I think that’s one of the first pieces of positive reinforcement and validation that Damian had ever gotten and of course it was from Dick

"you’re wrong. dick grayson is…” IS THE GREATEST THING THATS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU, THE BIG BRO YOU ALWAYS DREAMED OF, THE MENTOR OF THE GODS, THE MOST WONDERFUL KIND PRSN YOU’VE EVER COME ACROSS IN YOUR LIFE, A BIG DORK, COME ON DAMIAN WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SAY sigh

damian’s :c face. this whole issue, man

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t listen” IM SORRY IM GONNA PUKE RAINBOWS and Dick’s nonchalant w/e it’s cool we can handle nbd sigh what a dreamboat

so remember when Damian threw a fit because he didn’t want to leave Dick and Bruce was a jerk

bruce was all WE ARE NEVER EVER EVER GONNA WORK TOGETHER, LIKE EVER and dick was like hey!!! communication!!! giving people chances!!!! patience!!!

if you followed Dick and Damian throughout their series (or any one they appeared in actually), you got the sense that Dick knew exactly how to speak to Damian from the get go. he never talked down at him or was disrespectful (bruce) but he also didn’t take him too seriously and he never lied to him (timothy).

Damian’s lil “it’s not fair” was the sweetest, saddest thing ever because he tries SO HARD and it’s never enough for some people. that red robin issue is the same one where Dick goes “he practically bleeds the need to be accepted.” he really does and of course Dick is the one who accepts him instantly and whole heartedly and he loves Damian so much man

and of course Damian loves Dick too. he’s a little tsundere grumpy kitten child about it but he couldn’t resist for long I mean

(I don’t want to talk about it………….)

I know thousands of ways to kill you grayson is I love you in Damian speak.

they’re genuinely a glorious combination to read too because they bounce off of each other amazingly, not just in physical fighting but in their banter and personalities. it’s classic batman and robin except robin is batman and batman is robin. basically what I’m saying is, robin is >:| and batman is :D and subversion yay

sigh I’m so sad, I honestly don’t think I’ll ever get over Damian’s death. it was so cruel and pointless and such a transparent tool to further bruce’s manpain and simplify the still convoluted timeline and be edgy. damian was a strong character and he grew SO much and became so complex and layered. he had the potential for at least twenty years worth of more stories and narratives centered around his adventures and growth before a surprise~ death so it’s upsetting that his life was cut so short.

with that being said, this is a dick blog so while I do love damian in his own right, I’m ultimately all about this dynamic duo

they had fun and enjoyed learning from and teaching each other

and the double punches!!!

iconic

I honestly believe that the Dick/Damian partnership was the strongest connection, chemistry and bond that a batman and a robin has had since Bruce and Dick themselves and yes, I am including Bruce/Tim in this. I give major props to every writer and artist who ever worked on Dick/Damian because that relationship was so well crafted and organic and unique that it honestly blows my mind that dc didn’t capitalize on it further.

WHAT IS DICK GOING TO DO WITHOUT HIM

Dick taught Damian to be a hero. he’s the one who took the risk, the time, the patience, the mentoring, the skill and gave Damian the Robin title against everyone’s advice. Dick was the major factor in helping damian overcome ten years of abuse and truama and brainwashing and he singlehandedly (okay alfred helped a little too) turned that child’s life around for the better. that’s why that first arc of Batman and Robin volume 2 is bullshit to me because it questions damian’s worth as a hero and puts him to the test. no, Damian proved himself over and over again in volume 1 and showed that he was capable and willing to fight for the greater good and it was because of his own strength of character and because of the influences of Dick Grayson.

it’s sort of beautiful to me because for Damian, there were no beads of pearls in an alley way or a broken trampeze in a circus tent. his motivation is literally centered around Dick Grayson, from his robin origin story, to his redemption story, to his ultimate “superhero time” moment of truth which culminates in Batman and Robin #16.

it’s an interesting juxtaposition because when you think about Dick and Bruce’s origins, their parents are their moral compasses and the most vital impacts to their positive character traits. but for Damian, everything that ever fucked him up and made him a bad person, from his pride to his anger to his self doubt, was a direct result of his parents, Bruce and Talia. the best thing Bruce did for Damian was die, and yes I am including the panel where bruce finally tells damian he’s proud of him. because when Bruce died, that’s when Dick stepped in and took over and turned that bratty little demon spawn into the goddamn hero we’ve all come to know and love.

so RIP Damian Wayne, you precious little darling you. we’ll see you again in like ten or twenty years when writers get lazy and want to be edgy again