Review: The Boy Prodigy #3

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“The Young Prodigy” – Volume 2

Author and artist: Juni Ba
Color Artist: Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar

Once again, Juni Ba’s take on the origins of the smallest and most violent member of the Bat Family left me enchanted. The boy prodigy Issue #3 is the next chapter in what will surely become the definitive, easy-to-access Damian Wayne origin story.

It was the consistency between issues that drew me in. The quality of Damian’s oratory and the comparison of Gotham to a feudal state resonated throughout the story, and it was a pleasure to see it. It makes perfect sense for Damian at this point in his life, angry and new to the role of non-murderous crime fighter in Gotham. He assesses each of the other Robins, issue by issue, and his contempt for each of them is resolute, making each resolution the moral of each issue. It adds a level of storybook quality that is rare in modern comics.

When you couple that with the art style, which I’ll sing the praises of again in the next paragraph, it adds to the readability of the series. Black Label doesn’t usually lend itself to these kinds of stories; they’re usually dark, ambitious, and thoughtful pieces aimed at mature readers. I truly believe that this definitive look at Damian Wayne will be a fun read for fans of all ages.

You might think that Juni Ba is probably done with ambitious interpretations of what a story could be in Black Label comics, but here’s a glimpse of what the medium can still accomplish. The sense of scale of the room with the heroic statues and Damian’s playful, side-scrolling gaze into the ventilation ducts is wonderful.

Credit to the entire team, though. Chris O’Halloran’s colors contribute to the welcoming and friendly feel of this series. They are light and almost pastel, which adds to the friendly atmosphere and themes. The golden yellow and greed whenever the Penguin takes the page has a very strong symbolism, and we’ve associated the neon lime green with Ra’s al Ghul for as long as the character has been around.

Aditya Bidikar’s letters take the reader through pages that really play with perspective. The rough style of the letters used to express Damian’s frustration and the fonts, from the smallest to the most dramatic, really immerse us in the mindset of a young, violent assassin.

Conclusion

Boy prodigy #3 truly deserves to be a Black Label title, while being profoundly and utterly different from anything the label has previously released. We get a multi-layered story with a great deal of due diligence on the character’s origins, but all framed in a light and digestible way that is accessible to younger readers.

Boy prodigy is quickly becoming one of my comic book highlights of 2024.

Images courtesy of DC Entertainment