Summary

• Batman and Robin's relationship is evolving beyond crime-fighting to focus on their father-son dynamic, bringing them closer together.
• Damian Wayne's transition to being Batman's sidekick involved unlearning killer instincts and becoming a better hero.
• The new Batman and Robin series emphasizes lower-stakes lessons in dating, school life, and family bonding, showing a different side of their relationship.

Warning: Spoilers for Batman and Robin #7!The relationship between Bruce Wayne and Damian Wayne is finally starting to evolve beyond them just being Batman and Robin. More than 15 years ago, Damian Wayne officially became the fifth Boy Wonder to don the Robin mask. This came not long after Damian was introduced into the DC Universe, meaning that he gradually had to learn how to build a relationship with Bruce as both a sidekick and a son.

Joshua Williamson and Simone Di Meo's Batman and Robin series has tapped deeper into the duo's father-son dynamic, with Batman and Robin #7 doing so in the most overt way yet. While speaking to Flatline about his father, Damian delves into the transition of moving back in with his father and how their dynamic continues to change. "It's like we know how to be Batman and Robin ... but we are still learning how to be father and son."

That one line summarizes what has been, essentially, the mission statement of this series thus far.

Batman and Robin was Always About the Mission, Never Father and Son

Batman and Robin #7 by Joshua Williamson, Simone Di Meo, Giovanna Niro, and Steve Wands

Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert's Batman #655 in 2006 marked the on- debut of Damian Wayne, the son that Bruce Wayne never knew he had with Talia al Ghul. Damian was raised in secret by the League of Assassins to become a killer. Naturally, once Bruce does bring Damian under his roof, their arc together is all about Bruce trying to get his son to unlearn the killer instinct instilled in him at a young age. In addition, Bruce tries to get the young child to work through any other unsavory characteristics he has, along with his eagerness to reject Batman's rules.

When Damian does eventually become Batman's sidekick, their dynamic becomes more of the same, just in the field of crime-fighting. Their chemistry is all about Bruce trying to get his son to abide by the Bat-Family's no-kill rule, to watch his temper, and not to act as heartless as he's often mistaken for being. Their relationship at this time centers on Batman molding this Robin into a better fighter and a better soldier, rather than a better son. Their lessons aren't typical of what a father teaches a growing boy, but how an experienced crime fighter teaches a new ward how to be a sidekick.

That isn't to say that Bruce never offers any loving advice to Damian, but those moments are few and far between. Most of his lessons are more adjacent to being a more comionate hero. He might teach Robin the importance of not everyone can be saved, but such lessons aren't unique between a father and a son. In fact, some of these lessons are ones that Batman taught all the Robins. For years, Batman has been lacking in how he approaches Damian as a father before approaching him as a superhero.

Batman is Finally Being a Father to Robin

Everyone knows that Batman is a great superhero, but for once, he gets to show off what a great dad he is.

This new series by Joshua Williamson and Simone Di Meo seeks to change Bruce Wayne and Damian Wayne's relationship forever by adding a bigger emphasis on their dynamic as father and son. At the start of the series, Bruce enrolls Damian in Gotham City High School. On the surface, Bruce frames it as a necessary means for the Dynamic Duo to investigate the identity of the mysterious Shush. However, as the series progresses, it becomes apparent that Bruce just wants to create an opportunity for Damian to have some semblance of a normal life.

Bruce wants his son to start having new experiences, meet new friends, and commit to activities outside of anything related to stopping crime. As a result, it has allowed Bruce to be more invested in the mundanity of his son's life, such as playing soccer and an impromptu road trip. Arguably, the most pivotal point in the series comes in Batman and Robin #5, when Batman and Robin are scouring the city and the Dark Knight takes a moment to praise the Boy Wonder on his school accomplishments.

In a moment that is far rarer than it should be, Batman tells Robin how proud he is. He's not praising Damian for catching a bad guy or finding a clue, but for things that matter most to a boy in his adolescent years. Everyone knows that Batman is a great superhero, but for once, he gets to show off what father and son duo that fans deserve to see.

Batman & Robin Are The Epitome Of "Like Father Like Son"

Batman and Robin's new adventures are finally shifting away from strictly focusing on their time as heroes and leaning harder into their time as an actual family.

One thing worth noticing about this growing father-son bond is that Robin is starting to adopt Batman's characteristics. There was once a time when Damian was so unlike his father that it was scary. He was brash, cocky, hot-headed, and worst of all, had a penchant for killing. That's all in the past, though, and there are subtle hints that suggest that their new bond is making Damian more willing to take after his father, even his worst qualities. Case in point, both are proving to have an unhealthy obsession with femme fatales.

Batman's obsession with femme fatales, of course, is nothing new. Batman has notoriously been romantically linked with several women who happen to be supervillains and criminals, most frequently when they're named Catwoman. Let's not forget that the mother of Bruce's child, Talia al Ghul, also falls into this category. It's more than just a recurring pattern, as this issue acknowledges it as a running gag while Damian continues to pursue inherited his father's worst trait.

Batman acknowledges it in Batman and Robin #7, where he warns Damian to be careful around Flatline, even if Batman himself is "not one to lecture anyone on diving into the night with a known and dangerous criminal." It's another wholesome moment where Batman teaches his son important lessons about growing up from a father's perspective. It's just too bad that the issue's ending makes it clear that, despite acknowledging one of his longest-running flaws, a teased team-up with Shush suggests Batman isn't learning his lesson. Hopefully, his son is quicker to correct that bad habit than his old man.

Nonetheless, it's another example of how Batman and Robin's new adventures are finally shifting away from strictly focusing on their time as heroes and leaning harder into their time as an actual family. Readers are currently seeing a side to Damian and Bruce's relationship never before seen in the comics, one that emphasizes lower-stakes lessons in dating, school life, and all the mundanity in between. It's all about how Damian can bond with his father as a son, and how Bruce can be there for the young Robin in ways that don't demand Batman's cowl.

Batman and Robin #7 is on sale now from DC Comics.