Review – The Boy Wonder #3: Brothers in Arms

The Young Prodigy #3 – Juni Ba, writer/artist; Chris O’Halloran, colorist

Ray – 9.5/10

Ray: Juni Ba’s in-depth character study of Damian Wayne has so far focused on his relationship with his fellow Robins, with his team-up with Dick going very well and his partnership with Red Hood being a tense situation they barely survived. But that’s nothing compared to what’s in store for him and Tim – the sibling rivalry. The two have never gotten along, with Tim viewing Damian as a dangerous loose cannon and Damian viewing Tim as a rival and usurper. But now, with Bruce out of town, the two find themselves unlikely allies as they attend a summit for the wealthy in Bruce’s stead. That summit? Hosted by Mayor Oswald Cobblepot, and featuring the boldface names of the villainous billionaire community, including Max Lord, Lex Luthor and Veronica Cale. This is another interesting departure from continuity, and it also makes for a lighter issue with plenty of caustic humor aimed at sinister billionaires.

But Ba does an incredible job of capturing Damian’s psyche, as he struggles with the guilt of the man he killed and his struggles to rid himself of the programming he still carries from his grandfather. This leads him into a mystery at Cobblepot Tower and uncovers connections to the series’ main villain. He and Tim are separated for much of the issue, but once they’re reconnected, this issue does a great job of capturing the unique dynamic between them. Tim is naturally a schemer and a bit of a manipulator, something Damian can’t fully comprehend. Damian is so intense that most of Tim’s attempts to relate to him fail. But despite this, they feel like squabbling brothers here, not enemies. The story is about to shift dramatically from Damian’s present to his past by the end of this issue, and with two issues to go, I’m fascinated by the direction Ba plans to take it.

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GeekDad received this comic for review.

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