The Boy Wonder #3: Sibling Rivalry

The cunning Tim Drake has always been the smartest of Batman’s sons… and the most comfortable matching wits with the most sinister geniuses on Earth.

Damian Wayne doesn’t like feeling outsmarted — to him, no smugly-written insult could ever be sharper than his sword — so when he’s forced to infiltrate a super-villain gala alongside the sneaky Red Robin, the biggest danger the two of them face might not be Lex Luthor but Damian’s own temper!

In the third installment of this Black Label Fairytale-esque story, Damian is forced to work with his other brother Tim Drake as they infiltrate a gala attended by known villains such a Lex Luthor, Mayor Cobblepot aka The Penguin, and Maxwell Lord. The two Robin’s goal is not to be the three to justice, much to Damian’s dismay, but to protect Bruce’s interests and reputation. Showing the net worth of the three villains was also a nice comedic touch.

Ba does an excellent job of showing the tension and rivalry between them, capturing both of their personalities well, which makes the story enjoyable as part of the larger story and as a standalone.  He also has some stunning panels throughout the issue such as the shot looking out of Penguin’s mouth and the full page of Damian crawling through the ductwork. The interpretation of Tim’s Red Robin suit, at first glance, was comical but given the context of the story, being told like a fairytale, works in the end and is an interesting interpretation of the costume.

The opening also finds the narrator (possibly Carrie Kelly?) once again framing the story while offering insight into her captor and motives. This short introduction continues to be a nice touch that frames the main story while leaving the reader wanting to know more about the situation.