Summary

• DC All In introduces a new era for Damian Wayne's Robin under Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javier Fernández direction.
• Batman and Robin #14 marks the start of a new direction for the Dynamic Duo in the DC Universe.
• Johnson's past work on Superman and Green Lantern has proven he's the right choice to lead Damian Wayne's story.

He's been around for nearly two decades and now my favorite what's next for Damian Wayne.

Damian Wayne is possibly the most hardcore Boy Wonder ever to work at Batman's side and it's been great watching him grow as a character over the last several years. Now, as DC Comics prepares for its All In initiative, the publisher is about to push Robin in a new direction, and I'm extremely optimistic.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javier Fernández Take Over Batman and Robin This October

In case you missed it, DC Comics made a huge announcement that gave us our first look at DC All In, one of the biggest storytelling initiatives the publisher has done in years. The biggest news to come out of the announcement was the confirmation that the Absolute Universe was coming, starting with Absolute Batman in October. And while I’m cautiously hopeful about this new line of comics, I was more interested to see what was planned for the Prime DC Universe.

The solicitation says “You are not ready for what’s in store”, but believe me, I am.

While the Absolute Universe reinvents classic heroes in unexpected ways, many ongoing titles set in the Prime DC Universe are getting new directions and in some cases, new creative teams. Thankfully, some of my favorites weren’t affected (I’m loving what Jeremy Adams has going on in Green Lantern). Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Batman and Robin, which is losing Joshua Williamson and Simone Di Meo. However, once I saw who was replacing them, I was over the moon and, frankly, excited about this new direction for Batman and Robin.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson, writer behind the “Warworld Saga” of Action Comics and Green Lantern: War Journal is teaming up with Javier Fernández to work on the ongoing's new era starting with Batman and Robin #14. The solicited text for their first issue got me extremely hyped as it put the focus on Damian Wayne, highlighting the growth he’s been through and the challenges that are ahead for Robin. The solicitation says “You are not ready for what’s in store”, but believe me, I am.

Batman and Robin's New Direction Combines Two of My Favorite Things

I first got into comics when I was in high school and back then, Grant Morrison was still working on their sprawling Bat-Epic, which introduced Damian Wayne to the world. I still going to get a copy of Batman and Robin #1 (the original volume) and loving the dynamic between Dick Grayson’s Batman and this violent punk calling himself the Boy Wonder. I was devastated when he died in Batman Incorporated and I was overjoyed when he eventually returned. I don’t know when it happened, but at some point, Damian became my favorite Robin and that’s never changed.

I’ll it I did kind of fall out of comics for a bit before I started working at Screen Rant. Not enough to not know what was going on, I just wasn’t reading the books themselves. But when I became a staff writer, I dove back in to reacclimate myself to the current happenings of the DC Universe. At the suggestion of a friend, I sought out Action Comics, which was nearing the end of the “Warworld Saga”. After spending a day catching up with Action Comics, I was hungry for whatever Phillip Kennedy Johnson had next.

Superman: The Warworld Saga (2023) is the collected story and a phenomenal read!

Thankfully, 2023 was a good year. Johnson’s work in Action Comics was continuing, even as the book was shifted into an anthology during the Dawn of DC. And later that year, Johnson started working on Green Lantern: War Journal, a book focused on John Stewart. I was already impressed by Johnson’s caliber of writing, but I truly started to appreciate what he was doing with War Journal when he incorporated and expanded plot points he’d developed in Action Comics. Unfortunately. Johnson’s time on Action Comics came to an end and War Journal is ending soon as well.

I Can't Wait to See What's Next For Damian Wayne

The last few years have seen a lot of drama injected into Damian Wayne’s life. He witnessed Alfred dying, left the Robin role, watched his grandfather die, was possessed by a demon, and actually went to war with his father. But what I liked about Batman and Robin when it first came out was that it massively hit the brakes on all that chaos and finally gave Damian time to grow and bond with his father (which was especially refreshing as “Gotham War” was happening around the same time).

DC All In sounds promising, but I’m not going to lie. When I first heard Batman and Robin was getting a new creative team, I got nervous. I’ve got no problem with shake-ups, but I’m also of the opinion of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. So I was nervous when the October solicitations dropped. Thankfully, the moment I saw Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s name attached to the comic, every fear I had was alleviated. Johnson was great writing at Superman. He was great writing at Green Lantern. I have no doubt Johnson will be just as great at writing Robin.

Granted, I have no idea what Johnson has planned when he takes over the title. But based on what I’ve read and enjoyed from him in the past, I believe he’s a great choice to take over a character like Damian. Robin has been through a lot for someone his age and I think Johnson is a nuanced enough writer to build on Damian’s past and carve out a future for the young hero. Based on what I’ve seen, I’ve got no reason to be skeptical. I think Robin is in great hands.

Robin's In for a Great New Era

Yeah, there’s always a bit of uncertainty with new initiatives like that. Sometimes writers, though great with some characters, miss the mark with others. But I’m not worried. Both the “Warworld Saga” and Green Lantern: War Journal showed me Phillip Kennedy Johnson understands the DC Universe at large, as well as protagonists who carry heavy burdens. And no Robin has ever had the weight of the world on his shoulders as much as Damian. I welcome this new chapter in Damian’s life and look forward to seeing what Batman and Robin’s new creative team can do.

Batman and Robin #14 is available on October 9th.