Warning: contains spoilers for Robin #15!
Damian Wayne is officially striking out on his own, as the boy who once declared himself the one true Tim Drake returning to the Dark Knight's side as Robin, it's the perfect time for Damian to relinquish the name, and yet the ideal replacement is one that's already being used by an existing DC villain.
Damian Wayne is the biological son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and once considered himself the heir to both the Batman mantle and the assassin syndicate known as the League of Shadows. Recently, Damian participated in the Lazarus Tournament - a brutal series of duels in which the greatest young fighters in the DC Universe fought to the death. Now, Damian is on a mission to turn Lazarus Island into a place of healing for young killers like himself, and the Robin name can only hurt him in that mission.
In Robin #15 (from Joshua Williamson and Roger Cruz), Damian Wayne officially tells his mother and father that he's on his own path, and won't be following either of them anymore. Working with Connor Hawke - the son of Green Arrow - Damian wants to create a refuge for people like him; a genius middle-ground between his two family legacies. However, as a famously brutal crime-fighter, the 'Robin' name is unlikely to inspire much trust, and Damian has long declared that the 'Robin' title belongs to the person training to take over as Batman. While he's yet to declare any intention to change his codename, it makes sense that this would be his next step, and there's one choice that immediately recommends itself: Shrike.
Batman's former sidekicks have a long history of adopting avian names, including Nightwing, Bluebird, Drake, Lark, Red Robin, the Eagle, Wingman, and Redbird. If Damian is planning to change his name, it makes sense that he'd stick to this theme, given it would allow him to retain a connection to Batman and his other mentor Nightwing. However, if Robin is going to attract damaged people to his island project, he'll likely need to play up his gritty qualifications as a former killer. Given this and his longtime fondness for bladed weapons, the perfect new name for Damian is that of the infamous 'butcher bird,' the shrike, which is known for impaling its prey on sharp objects. Adopting this name would be a genius way for Damian to combine Batman and Talia's legacies while remaining true to himself. The only problem is that the name is taken.
The major hurdle to Damian adopting this loaded codename is that it's currently being used by a DC assassin who loves blades almost as much as he hates Batman and Nightwing, however this would likely only make the moniker more attractive. Bruce's son has a long history of stealing names, from his unapproved Teen Titans team to the 'Robin' mantle itself - almost killing Tim Drake to formalize replacing him. Beating down an enemy who has frequently targeted Nightwing and then taking his codename would be a typical move for Damian.
It's likely that Damian Wayne will remain as Robin at least up until the Batman vs Robin, but it's possible this clash may push him to formalize his new independence with a codename change. Sadly, the one obstacle that may be unsurable is the brand recognition of being called Robin, but with Tim Drake back in the picture and Damian on a new path, it's the perfect time for DC to give Batman's son his own, adult codename like every Robin before him - and Shrike is the one that would suit DC's sword-swinging antihero best.
