Whether it's through Comicvine's coverage, the exclusive announcement and preview on the New York Post, the advertisement that pops up on DC Comic's website, or all of the hints that have been leading up to this, most of you probably know that Damian Wayne will die this Wednesday in Batman Incorporated#8. While in the middle of my own grieving process, I can't help but wonder how the hell Batman will be able to live through this. I remember posting in an older thread that had asked what it would take to push Batman over the edge and break his no-killing rule, I thought the death of his son Damian would do it. When Jason Todd died, Bruce was broken. He still acknowledges it as his greatest failure and it almost forced him to give up his cape and cowl. Now with his biological son facing the same fate, how in the world can Bruce even begin to cope? We've all seen the solicit for Batman and Robin#20 that mentions that Batman is pushing the brink of insanity due to the tragedy that has befallen the whole family. Obviously that can't just be the end of Batman. So my question still stands, how is Bruce going to survive the death of his son?

What do you guys think? And how do you feel about Damian's death in general? (to summarize, it personally saddens me deeply, but I know Grant will do his character justice, and I'm glad he is the one killing him off because he is his creator and had planned on doing it much earlier. Here's hoping we'll see the Son of Batman return relatively soon!)

It sucks. Damain is my favorite robin and will now hate Morrison until he's brought back.

Damian is going to die in issue 8, however Morrison's run is not over until 12. Damian is just as much a member of the al ghul family as he is a Wayne. It is not outlandish to think that he will be revived in the Lazarus Pit. By the conclusion of Morrison's run on Batman Inc, if not sooner. This would also allow Tomasi's run in B&R to continue with new fuel.

After all, this won't be Damian's first brush with death. He was gravely injured in his first appearance as well as shot by Todd. His mother stepped in both times, and while her disposition toward Damian has certainly changed since then, it is not outrageous to believe that the sight of her dead son moves her motherly instincts to bring him to the pit.

Bruce Wayne will probably keep busy and manufacture more children.

@jayskee said:

It sucks. Damain is my favorite robin and will now hate Morrison until he's brought back.

yep!

Well I don't know if people have heard but Tomasi is altering the Batman and Robin title after issue 18 to a team up title, at least for the next 2 issues. 19 is supposed to star Tim and 20 is supposed to star Jason. So Batman and Robin will apparently keep going on even if he isn't brought back after issue 8 of Batman Inc. As for Batman remaining sane? Unfortunately I think he's going to recover quicker than most people are going to like. Bruce not functioning isn't going to hold people's interest for very long, and they're not going to make Batman do anything too drastic as anyone who listened to a certain podcast know after DOTF. So maybe for two or three issues he'll grieve and then I actually think things will be back to normal with references back to what happened.

@spinningbirdcake: when and where did Tomasi say that do you have a link bc you would think comicvine would have reported something like that

@havoc1201: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=43937

@spinningbirdcake: Oh god no :(

Not Damian. Fucking kill off Talia and her dad for good. But why the kid !?

Damn man that sucks lol.

@spinningbirdcake said:

@havoc1201: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=43937

DID I NOT CALL THIS PEOPLE!?

@Avenger85: Yeah I love Damian, shame to see him go. Plus, Tim and Jason are my least two favorite Robins so that doesn't exactly make me feel better.

@HushoftheWind: Nice call about it turning into a team up book. I think 18 won't be a red herring, it's actually supposed to be a silent, no text issue showing Bruce grieving, which sounds fantastic. I'm just concerned this whole "Batman's lost it!" nonsense will be just that.

@spinningbirdcake said:

@Avenger85: Yeah I love Damian, shame to see him go. Plus, Tim and Jason are my least two favorite Robins so that doesn't exactly make me feel better.

What's wrong with Tim? He's the Robin I grew up with, and I think he suits the role best.

@HushoftheWind: I know you so called him dying in Death of the Family NICE!

@JakeN7: There's nothing wrong with Tim, I just don't find him as interesting as Dick or Damian. Dick's the original, he has closer to a brotherly relationship with Bruce than the others and Damian is his own child so he's interesting for other reasons.

@spinningbirdcake: True. I've just always liked Dick as Nightwing more. I mean anyone who isn't ancient (lol) didn't read comics when Dick was still Robin. He really feels like the classic Robin to me. Tim's deductive skills, his prowess with technology, natural leadership abilities, etc. makes him the perfect Robin in my eyes. Although, Damian is a very (very) close second. Even though I grew up with Tim as Robin, Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin run is what got me back into comics. That is where I grew to love Damian.

@JakeN7: Yeah he is better as Nightwing. He's the most mature out of the Robins, probably has to do with him being the oldest, and he's the best fighter of the group as well. I saw him as the only choice during that Battle for the Cowl arc. I think I just never got the feeling there was as big a connection between Bruce and Tim, just between Batman and Robin, if that makes any sense.

Bat-scotch

Bat-whiskey

Bat-vodka

@spinningbirdcake said:

@JakeN7: Yeah he is better as Nightwing. He's the most mature out of the Robins, probably has to do with him being the oldest, and he's the best fighter of the group as well. I saw him as the only choice during that Battle for the Cowl arc. I think I just never got the feeling there was as big a connection between Bruce and Tim, just between Batman and Robin, if that makes any sense.

Actually it does make sense. I guess I've just never thought of them as different people, so when I saw the strong relationship that Batman and Robin had, I thought it the same as the relationship between Bruce and Tim. Although that may not be the case now that you mention it.

However, on the other side of it, Tim was legally adopted as Bruce's son. Until Damian came along, I thought Bruce and Tim had the strongest father/son relationship (because as you've pointed out Bruce and Dick's relationship seems more like older brother/younger brother.) Tim also changed his formal name to Tim Drake-Wayne after Bruce's "death," took over Wayne Industries, and was the only one who believed that Bruce was still alive, and spent years scouring the world for him (turns out he was right, and helped the JLA bring him back.)

But I'll admit, it's hard not to feel a lack of chemistry between the two.

@Brazen_Intellect said:

Bat-scotch

Bat-whiskey

Bat-vodka

LOL. We're talking about Bruce Wayne, the other genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

@JakeN7: There's nothing WRONG with Tim. It's just that I find Damian to be a lot more likeable character than Tim.

@Avenger85 said:

@JakeN7: There's nothing WRONG with Tim. It's just that I find Damian to be a lot more likeable character than Tim.

Totally true for the DCNU. But if you were to say that 5 years (or even less) ago, you'd be committed to Arkham.

To cope with tragedy, maybe Bruce can try younger girlfriends like Carrie Kelley.

If KILLING someone is the height of creativity in comics these days, then we need a new batch of writers!

What would be better is to actually let Batman SNAP and go on a killing spree of his own, toting guns again like he did in the early days...

Someone could EVENTUALLY reel him back in, but let him go NUTS for a while...

Panel 1 - Batman standing over a thug in the alley, the thug cowering, nose broken, arm fractured...

Thug: (words staggered) Okay...enough...take me...to...Arkham...already...

Batman: (Crazed look on his face) Arkham is all full...

Panel 2 - Show gun in a gloved hand, finger on trigger...

Panel 3 - Show blood stain on the bricks and Batman already 3/4 out of the frame after shooting Bat-Line...

It says in that interview, "The title of the series for the next several issues will change, the first being "Batman And Red Robin," the second being "Batman And Red Hood.""

I wonder what they'll call it after they run out of characters to team up with, if of course, they haven't got a new full time Robin by then.

Bruce is sane?

@gravitypress said:

Bruce is sane?

I'd say he's obsessed, paranoid and manic-depressive, but not insane...

...that came out a lot more ridiculous sounding then I had intended.

@JakeN7: I always considered him like Punisher. Broken in a good way.

@JakeN7 said:

@gravitypress said:

Bruce is sane?

I'd say he's obsessed, paranoid and manic-depressive, but not insane...

...that came out a lot more ridiculous sounding then I had intended.

how is he Manic Depressive, if he was that he would never get out of bed. Obsessed for sure, a touch of Paranoia but mostly for a good reason, But not Manic

@SavageDragon: QFT good sir

I'm so disappointed Damian will die... quite sad about it actually.

I'm not a fan of how DC spoils big events in an effort to drum up sales

One of the characters will be unveiled as gay in 2 months.

Superman and Wonder Woman will kiss next month

Damian is going to die this week.

I like to read the stories and see how they develop. All the suspense is gone once you state your intentions. As bad as AVX was, it didn't say. Charles Xavier will perish at the hands of Cyclops in two weeks. It was an important part of the story that received a lot of attention after it happened as not to spoil the whole thing.

F*CK!!! Batman inc and Batman and robin are the only books i buy from DC after the crapfest that is new52 and now they kill Damian!

he is my favorite robin along with John Blake and i never liked the other robin cos dick jason tim suck.

I think this'll heavily effect him emotionally. I don't know how he'd find the drive to continue on being Batman. I don't think he'll break his kill rule, but I wouldn't really mind if he uses it on Talia. I don't want to see him going the Punisher route, though, and he definitely won't.

I don't want to see him picking up another Robin either (lookin' at you Harper Row), that would be the most distasteful and idiotic thing ever. If he just lost his son (who was basically trained since birth to be an assassin), I don't see how on earth he would see it as a good idea to bring in some random street kid with no skills to become Robin.

Hopefully, (and since it is comics) he'll pick up the pieces and move on.

They better bring Damian back or I'm gonna collect the dragonballs and wish that sales tank.

Maybe Harper will become a Robin but more on the Oracle side of things. So she is Batman's info and recon, but Batman does the most action.

I do like how they will have Tim go in first to deal with Batman cause lets be honest, who took Batman out of his stump after Jason...there is some poetry in it. And obviously afterwords it makes total sense for Jason to talk to Batman since he also died before Batman could save him.

I want Batman to recline for an issue or two from everyone. I dont want him to go angry like after Jason. I want him to blame himself and self punish himself by pushing people away since he just went through Death of the Family and now losing his son.

@mbembet: Watch the language please. Censor next time if you have to.

@batshrine said:

I do like how they will have Tim go in first to deal with Batman cause lets be honest, who took Batman out of his stump after Jason...there is some poetry in it. And obviously afterwords it makes total sense for Jason to talk to Batman since he also died before Batman could save him.

Definitely. Don't forget though, before the team-up issue with Tim, Batman and Robin #18 will be a completely silent issue with no dialogue as a sort of tribute to Damian. I would assume it deals with the family's initial reaction to Damian's death (maybe a funeral is in order?) Then we will have the team-up issues.

In Tomasi we trust.

Man, damian dying sucks big time...

But i cant wait to see the fallout in batman and robin, sounds interesting

Young boys with dark hair and athletic ability are a dime a dozen in Gotham.

@JakeN7 said:

@batshrine said:

I do like how they will have Tim go in first to deal with Batman cause lets be honest, who took Batman out of his stump after Jason...there is some poetry in it. And obviously afterwords it makes total sense for Jason to talk to Batman since he also died before Batman could save him.

Definitely. Don't forget though, before the team-up issue with Tim, Batman and Robin #18 will be a completely silent issue with no dialogue as a sort of tribute to Damian. I would assume it deals with the family's initial reaction to Damian's death (maybe a funeral is in order?) Then we will have the team-up issues.

In Tomasi we trust.

I agree 100%, which is funny cause even though this is happening in Morrison's story, I personally am most excited to see the writing in Batman and Robin.