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Damian Wayne Reading Order, Fifth Robin and Son of Batman

Damain Wayne Reading Order, son of Batman and Fifth Robin

Everybody knows that Batman’s sidekick is Robin. Of course, readers are familiar with the fact that there’s more than one Robin. That said, there’s only one son of Bruce Wayne, the best Robin of all (if you ask him), Damian.

So, Damian Wayne is the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and thus the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul. Grown in a laboratory, Damian was raised by his mother and the League of Assassins to make him a great warrior. It also makes him arrogant and violent.

Batman ignores his existence until Talia left his pre-adolescent son in the care of his father. Talia hasn’t grown a conscience but just uses Damian in an effort to disrupt Batman’s work. For Damian, two choices are offered to him: follow his grandfather and mother’s footsteps to become the future head of the League or embrace his father’s lifestyle and choose to be a superhero.

Where to Start with Damian Wayne? the Omnibus Edition

To learn more about Damian Wayne or to revisit his history, you can explore his essential stories in omnibus or deluxe editions. These collections feature the works of Grant Morrison, Peter J. Tomasi, and Patrick Gleason.

Robin Letter Icon Reading Order Damian Wayne

Damian Wayne Complete Reading Order: The Menu

Following is a menu to navigate in this reading order, and going directly to the era of your choice

Robin Letter Icon Reading Order Damian Wayne

What to read before?

The graphic novel 1987 Batman: Son of the Demon by writer Mike W. Barr and artist Jerry Bingham was considered out of continuity for a long time. As Grant Morrison built his run with the concept that “the entire publishing history was part of Batman’s life story”, he used this particular story as an inspiration. While optional reading, this is where it all begins for the completionist out there! 

The story has been republished in several collected editions such as Batman: The Demon Trilogy, Batman: Arkham – Talia al Ghul and soon in DC Finest: Batman – The Killing Joke and Other Stories.

Robin Letter Icon Reading Order Damian Wayne

I. The Introduction of Damian Wayne by Grant Morrison

Damian Wayne made his first official appearance at the end of Batman #655 (September 2006). This is the beginning of Grant Morrison’s Batman epic saga, which was launched during the post-Crisis era. Morrison’s run is as much about Bruce Wayne as it is about Damian. Although Damian does not appear in every issue, we recommend reading the entire run.

Also, as one of the most popular runs on Batman out there, DC Comics has reprinted these stories in several editions, including Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 1. We won’t list everything here, so for more options, check out our Batman Reading Order by Grant Morrison.

Batman Icon Reading Order

Optional Reading. The entire Multiverse is put at risk during Final Crisis, a DC Comics event by Grant Morrison. Damian Wayne doesn’t appear in it, and Batman’s presence is limited. But the story has major ramifications for both characters. The conclusion plunges Gotham City into chaos, a situation explored in the 2009 Batman: Battle for the Cowl storyline by Tony Daniel. 

None of these stories are essential or will significantly affect your understanding of the upcoming events.

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II. The (New) Batman and Robin

Morrison’s era continues with a new Batman. Dick Grayson steps into the role of the Bat and has chosen Damian Wayne as his Robin. Their partnership is filled with tension but is set to evolve into a respectful and sincere brotherly relationship. This is where the magic unfolds between the two of them. This part is collected in Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 2

Grant Morrison leaves Batman & Robin in other writers’ hands. Specifically, Paul Cornell, Peter Tomasi, and Judd Winick continued the series while Morrison launched the third part of his run, Batman Incorporated, which will continue into the New 52 era.

Robin Letter Icon Reading Order Damian Wayne

More Reading. In parallel to reading  Batman & Robin, you might want to check out  Streets of Gotham. While Damian’s presence in it is mixed, it is a good choice if you want more stories featuring the best dynamic duo. Beware, some context is needed. It serves as a follow-up to Paul Dini’s Heart of Hush and is in line with his run on Detective Comics (#821-850), which is set just before the Grant Morrison era.

Robin Letter Icon Reading Order Damian Wayne

Optional Reads. Taking place before Batman & Robin Vol. 3 are the following stories featuring Damian that you can also check out. You have a story connected to the event Blackest Night, but also a Halloween special and a fun team-up with Batgirl.

Batgirl (2009) #6

Next are the stories set after Batman & Robin Vol. 3. He continues to work with Dick, team up with The Teen Titans, and annoys Stephanie Brown during her first sanctioned Batman Incorporated assignment.

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III. Damian Wayne during New 52

After the events of Flashpoint (Reading Order), DC rebooted its universe and gave us the New 52. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo took on the creative duties for the main Batman title. But, Grant Morrison was not finished yet, and his storyline will deeply impact the Bat-family. During this era, our favorite Robin appears in Batman Incorporated and in the new volume of Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason.

New Oversized softcover Collection

New! Tomasi & Gleason’s run on Batman and Robin is being reprinted right now by DC Comics into oversized softcover:

Classic Trade Paperbacks Reading Guide

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We reach the conclusion of Grant Morrison’s epic Batman saga with Batman Incorporated. We recommend reading the entire arc in one sitting, as it is self-contained and not influenced by other events. It will have a major impact on the Bat-family once over.

Robin Letter Icon Reading Order Damian Wayne

During this period, Damian made a few not-worthy appearances in different titles. Honestly, there are not a lot of good stories with Damian outside the two big titles above. Following are still a few suggestions:

Robin Letter Icon Reading Order Damian Wayne

IV. Convergence and DC You

Convergence was a two-month event that took place from April to May 2015. It replaced DC Comics’ regular line of comics while the publisher moved its offices from New York City to Burbank California. The event tries to answer the question, “Where do worlds go when they die?” Spinning out of Convergence was DC You, marking the end of the New 52 branding. The DC You era was relatively short, lasting about one year, bridging the gap between the conclusion of the New 52 and the beginning of DC Rebirth. Its is generally treated as part of New 52.

During this period, Damian Wayne stars in his first solo series, which has recently been collected in full in Robin: Son of Batman by Patrick Gleason – The Deluxe Edition.

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V. Damian Wayne Rebirth Comics

We are now entering the Rebirth Era! This period begins with Damian Wayne celebrating his birthday and becoming the leader of the Teen Titans. While Damian has a major role in this run, his characterization is a mess, and simply put, Robin doesn’t shine in this title.

For great stories with our favorite brat, look no further than his adventures with Jon Kent, the young son of Superman, in the fun Super Sons title. This popular comic series written by Tomasi has been collected in omnibus (several times!) and is currently being reprinted in the complete Collection edition. For more information, be sure to check out our Super Sons Reading Order.

Finally, you can also catch Damian in Nightwing, especially at the beginning of the era.

Batman Icon Reading Order

This is where you can read the Dark Nights: Metal Event – in both Dark Nights: Metal and Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance. There’s a little bit of Damian in this DC Comics event written by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, but nothing that justifies reading the whole event if it’s not your cup of tea. And this is where you’ll find Teen Titans #12. For more details, go to the Dark Nights Metal Reading Order page.

At this point, the Super Sons enter a kind of temporal bubble. This means that Jon and Damian live new adventures, still written by Tomasi, but set before Super Sons #16 and the Superman Special #1, which marks Bendis’s arrival on Superman– despite being published later. Those stories have been reprinted in the latest Super Sons Omnibus, the Super Duper Edition.

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Bane, the supervillain famous for breaking Batman’s back, has taken control in the City of Bane story, during Tom King’s run. Damian appears in just a few issues, although the events wille be used later to explain some of his decisions in the last Teen Titans arc.

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More Reading. Following are mostly optional stories that feature Damian Wayne during this era, variable quality-wise and not that withstanding for Damian.

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VI. Damian in the Infinite Frontier/Dawn of DC era

After the Future State event came the new relaunch named Infinite Frontier, followed by the short-lived Dawn of DC era. The two periods are interconnected and there is no real rupture or interruption from one to the other. During those years, Damian headlined his own series, written by Joshua Williamson and penciled by Gleb Melnikov and appeared in several events.

In Justice League #75, Batman and the other members of the Justice League are “killed.” It is how the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths began to lead us to the end of the Infinite Frontier era. See our Dark Crisis Reading Order for more information. Damian occupies the spotlight only in Dark Crisis: The Dark Army #1.

Following the conclusion of his own solo series and before the conclusion of Infinite Frontier, Damian unearths dark forces that unleash super-charged magic across the globe. Batman must battle his son to save the planet and put a stop to the chaos! From this story, a magical crisis follows with the Lazarus Planet event! As always, check out our reading guide to know more!

  • Batman Vs. Robin 
    Collects Batman Vs. Robin #1-5.
  • Lazarus Planet
    Collects Lazarus Planet: Alpha, Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton, Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods, Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn, Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution, Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate, and Lazarus Planet: Omega! To read between Issues  #4 & 5 of Batman Vs. Robin

A new initiative starts here! Following those recent events, A New Future is written, with Joshua Williamson still the main writer for Damian Wayne. It begins with our favorite Robin helping Deadman/Batman in Knight Terrors, before the Bat-family is put to the test in Gotham War and a new Batman and Robin series is launched!

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More Reading. As this era approaches its conclusion, here are a few optional (but still enjoyable) reads: Damian meets Bat-Mite during the Christmas season and is affected by the events of Beast World.

The DC Universe is shaken to its core when Amanda Waller enters into direct conflict with the superhero community and all the metahumans in Absolute Power! As she has taken control and is reaching her goal, our heroes still standing make a last standing. And you guessed it, Damian is among them! Our Robin goes on a secret mission with Wonder Woman. While Damian doesn’t do a lot in the main event, it’s a good way to conclude this period (and better for comprehension if you read the WW issues). For more information, check out our Absolute Power Reading Order Guide.

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VII. Robin All In!

New! After the events of Absolute Power, a new status quo emerged in the DC Universe, as presented in the DC All In Special! There is not a lot of change for Damian as he continues to work with his father in Batman and Robin under the new creative team of Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javier Fernandez and celebrates once again Christmas.

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6 thoughts on “Damian Wayne Reading Order, Fifth Robin and Son of Batman”

    1. Carole
      Reply

      if I’m not mistaken, this story takes place 15 years in the future (or something like that). It’s not really in continuity, and I haven’t yet taken the time to make a listing about those stories yet. That’s why it’s not listed.

  3. Mari
    Reply

    I don’t think this paragraph is correct:
    “This is where the story-arc City of Bane more or less takes place. It will have a big impact on Damian. He’s present in just a few issues, but the events happening here will be used to explain some of his actions on Teen Titans.”
    Alfred was still alive when Adam Glass started to destroy Damian´s character during his TT´s run…

    1. Carole
      Reply

      I agree, Alfred was still alive in most Adam Glass’s run on Teen Titans. That comment is mostly only about the last Teen Titans story (co-written with Robbie Thompson) as they used the death of Alfred to justify some of his latest actions. It took me by surprise at the time, as it came out of nowhere.

      It doesn’t explain the character assassination made before, but if my memory serves me right, they referenced the events in City of Bane in the last arc, and used it to explain why he chooses to leave the Teen Titans. Not that it is well done or anything.

      I hope it made my note a little clearer. Tell me if you still think it’s ambiguous, and I’ll make a change.

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