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Battle of the Week: Robin vs. Raphael

The son of Batman or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle? Who you DO think should win? Get in here and cast your vote!

These two really wouldn't get along, would they?
These two really wouldn't get along, would they?

Damian Wayne, a.k.a. Robin, has the honor of being our latest Character of the Month! Last week, we took a look at some of the little dude's best covers and he obliterated Hit-Girl, his first challenger in the Battle of the Week. He was able to overcome the lethal girl from the pages of KICK-ASS, but will he win his second fight as well? We asked the community who they'd want to see Batman's son fight next and a clear majority sided with the sai-wielding hero in a half shell, Raphael!

Would Raphael hold back upon seeing he's fighting a 10 year-old? Will his temper get the better of him as the fight progresses or will the mutant's toughness overcome? Just how much will Damian's experience and variety of gear help him out? And how much of a role do you think the DC character's arrogance will play? There's so much more to think about than just "X is better at fighting or is physically superior, so X wins!" Really use your imagination and think about how these characters would act in the fight. Once you've made up your mind, head to the poll and cast your vote. Oh, you should probably read the rules, too. They give you important little bits of information like where these two are fighting and how far apart they begin. That's mandatory stuff if you're going to give this some proper thought and not just pick a winner based on who you like more. Okay, ready for the rules and then join the discussion? Let's go!

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Match Rules

  • Combatants are in character. This means their usual set of morals apply.
  • This is a random encounter (no prep for either side) and both characters have standard gear.
  • This is IDW Raphael and pre-death Damian Wayne (obviously).
  • They're fighting in a generic downtown city setting. It's unpopulated, at night and all standard city lights remain on. Assume they start roughly 100 feet apart and visible. However, there is a good amount of cover in the location (parked vehicles, bus stops and such) and the entire area is on limits (alleys, rooftops, building interiors, the sewer, etc).
  • Incapacitation, knockout, or death all count as elimination. Making a tactical retreat counts as a loss, too. "What's a tactical retreat?" It's leaving the fight with the intention of not returning to the battle in the immediate future. Going to another spot in the environment to catch your breath for a moment or two or for a tactical advantage is not a tactical retreat.
  • Hey, you know what would be really cool? Treating everyone else in the debate with respect. If you think someone's saying something that just isn't true, go ahead and stick to the facts to point out why. There's no need at all to drop insults just because you disagree with someone. Seriously, this is just talking about a fictional fight, there's no need for immaturity and mudslinging.
  • If you think the poll isn't going how it should, making an informative post about why a character is being underestimated and spreading the word is far more useful than complaining. Just saying.
  • One more thing: you don't need to write an essay to have your post highlighted in Friday's article. Sometimes concise posts can be way more effective than a flood of paragraphs.
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If you're having trouble voting (e.g. "session expired"), refresh the page and that should fix it!

Check the homepage this Friday for an updated article with the following:

  • The results of the poll.
  • Thoughts from the staff.
  • Viner arguments for both characters.
  • If we're lucky, blurbs from industry talent.

Want to suggest a future Battle of the Week for Robin? Tell us below or share it via twitter.