Juni Ba will write and illustrate a Black Label series that chronicles Damian Wayne’s rise to becoming Robin, in The Boy Wonder.
Ba is an illustrator from Senegal and France. While he’s dabbled in drawing variant covers for DC and Marvel, he has yet to draw a full superhero comic. He says that wanted to focus on Robin because he enjoys the more innocent sense of adventure with the character.
There is in Robin, something quintessentially fun and superheroic. To me, he is the epitome of childlike adventure and wonder.
Coming from the generation of fans that loved Batman: The Animated Series, I want The Boy Wonder to capture the fun of episodic adventure, and the compelling characters in an accessible book that anyone can enjoy regardless of prior history.
I chose to do this with my favorite little gremlin Damian, for who better to teach us about heroism and family, than someone who, deep down, fears he’s not a good enough person to deserve either? The story will be fun, but tug at your heartstrings, too.”
What’s ‘The Boy Wonder’ About?
The Boy Wonder will retell the story of Damian Wayne as a child raised by the League of Assassins before he joined Batman as Robin. However, he’s also in for a surprise when he needs to compete with his “adoptive” brothers: Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin. Suddenly, Batman leaves, which forces Damian to team up with his “brothers” to stop the latest threat to Gotham.
The story is supposed to be a more streamlined version of Damian’s hero’s journey. Check out DC’s official solicitation below:
Written by JUNI BA
Art and cover by JUNI BA
Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
1:25 variant cover by JUNI BA
The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins—to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon’s Head himself, his grandfather Ra’s al Ghul. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City.
As Robin, young Damian suddenly discovered he was merely one of a number of princes, preceded in the role by his “brothers” Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin…and Damian doesn’t care to be merely anything. But when his father is forced to leave the city on urgent business, and a rash of abductions is accompanied by whispers of a demon stalking Gotham’s dark alleys, Damian will find himself battling alongside his adoptive brothers—and in the process, learning what the mantle of Robin really means!
Visionary writer/artist Juni Ba makes his mark on the timeless story of Batman and Robin, synthesizing the characters’ complex history into an accessible and heartrending fairy tale!
The Boy Wonder #1 hits comic book shops on May 7.
Source: DC.com
Images and Press Release Courtesy of DC Entertainment