Official Description: Hidden atop a secret mountain stronghold lies the League of Shadows and its fearless leader, Ra’s al Ghul. Together with his equally dangerous daughter Talia, he oversees a trained army of assassins with plans for global domination. But an uprising from within the league now threatens to shift the balance of power and sends Talia and her young son, Damian, fleeing to Gotham City. With assassins on their trail, Talia seeks the protection of Batman, who, unbeknownst to him, is the boy’s father. With his son in tow, Batman wages war against the villain Deathstroke and the League of Shadows, all while teaching his headstrong boy that one can’t fight crime by becoming a criminal. With help from Gotham’s finest, including Commissioner Gordon and Nightwing, Batman will soon discover that his son and most trusted ally are one and the same!
Unofficial Description: Well. I haven’t exactly hidden my dislike for Damian Wayne. The character doesn’t work for me on many levels.
So I went into this animated movie with reservations. Actually, I’ve gone into a lot of the more recent DC Animated movies with reservations. They’ve moved into more stories from recent comics where, in my humble opinion, a lot of things have gone off the rails.
This movie feels like a decent adaptation of the Damian story. But inherently that story of flawed. The idea of Damian Wayne, to my mind, is flawed. Batman is drugged, Talia al Ghul has sex with him, and nine months later, has Damian, who is raised among the League of Assassins. Batman’s power as a superhero is his intelligence, his doggedness, his determination and perseverance. But this story, strips that power away. I’ve absolutely no doubt in my mind that Grant Morrison intended this to redefine the character in a meaningful way, and perhaps for other readers, it did. But for me, it didn’t hit anywhere near the mark.
Back to the movie. When the League is attacked, Talia takes Damian to Batman for his own protection. Damian is such a shit throughout it. He is a spoiled brat and no one seems to want to do anything about it. Bent on revenge, he repeatedly goes out on his own and causes trouble.
I don’t know.
If you like Damian from the comics, you’ll probably like this. If, like me, you’re not a fan, you can pass.
