Nerd Next Door: Who's Batman's Son?

Batman has a son! Who'da thunk???

If you want to find out more about how THAT happened, get your hand on a copy of Son of Batman, DC's latest animation feature. Go ahead, watch it. I'll wait.

...You done watching it?

...How about now?

Alright, good. Go on.

Cut from the same Bat-cloth!

Damian Wayne, a character relatively recently introduced as Batman's son, finally gets an on screen incarnation! And it could not be more spot on! He's arrogant, tactless and brash. It's not as bad as in the comics, but that's fine by me. Damian here was much more likeable/bearable.

"You have ONE servant?" Arrogant little snot!

But Damian isn't the only Robin I enjoyed seeing. Nightwing! The original Robin!

The best thing about Son of Batman - Nightwing!

In the comics, it was Tim Drake that was at odds with Damian when he first arrived. But I guess more people would know Dick Grayson, than Tim. Nightwing had such a grand entrance, I just wish there was more of him in the movie. C'mon DC, make a Nightwing-centric story already! I'm tired of seeing Nightwing play second fiddle to Batman. (Like in Under the Red Hood)

Nightwing Movie please?

I digress. Back to Damian. In this story, the League of Assassins is painted as a morally ambiguous group, instead of being overtly evil. Which worked well for the story, so it's easier to accept that Batman had an affair with someone from the group, and that Damian, despite knowing how to kill, still has the noblest intentions.

Skills of a ninja, heart of a hero.

Speaking of Talia...Man, that girl can fight! She seemed more super spy here than ninja assassin. Like a female Bond. Batman would have to be blind to not have the hots for her.

Bond. Mrs. Bond.

There's some slightly adult content here by the way. Primarily from all the bloody violence from the League, Damian and Deathstroke. It wouldn't have worked otherwise. Damian struggling between the League's conditioning and his father's new rules would have been superficial if people dying weren't actually shown.

Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with scisso...err, swords?

Now this is where a little suspension of disbelief is needed. Damian, a 10 year old, taking down foes much larger than him, being able to fight after sustaining insane injuries, and remembering things that happened when he was four years old? It's only so many things you can let go with the "he's had training" excuse.

Training. Making EVERYTHING possible.

But the movie wasn't all blood and gore. Something I particularly enjoyed as well was its fair share of humor. I loved Alfred's dry wit! And since Son of Batman was leaning towards an adult audience, the humor was a bit adult as well. (Nighting: "After ALL those lessons he gave ME about using protection." and Gordon: It's a phone se...uhh, phone chat line.")

The pacing could have been better on some parts. Batman letting Damian be Robin came out of left field (Batman literally just said Damian couldn't help a few seconds prior to him saying he can be Robin.) as well as his proclamation in the end that Damian should stay with him.

The Robin for the new era.

Aside from the pacing, and some heavy-handed voice work from Deathstroke, Son of Batman is still a fun Batmovie to watch. It's no Under the Red Hood, in terms of dramatic resonance, but its action, humor and maturity still pack some entertainment value for any Batman and Damian fans.