“The Boy Wonder” – Book Two
Writer and Artist: Juni Ba
Color Artist: Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
The Boy Wonder #2 has all the strengths of part one and gives us even more. We get a real look into how Damian interacts with another member of the Bat Family, all set to the most charming and approachable artwork I’ve seen in a recent issue.
Despite the reputation of Black Label setting out to tell mature and dark stories, Boy Wonder is something I’d still gladly hand to a child of 10+ years.
O’Halloran’s colors in this issue are at their strongest and really work so beautifully with Ba’s quirky art. Damian’s inner monologue, telling us about Jason Todd, is deep and striking. The pages are flooded with oranges and yellows, to feel like a story told from a scroll of legend.
The color contrast of the deep reds, and dead-center in those panels puts the character right into focus. It’s a well-handled choice of character framing by a strong understanding of comic book storytelling.
Ba’s art choices and stylized linework tell so more stories than you’d expect, particularly when you look closer. Jason Todd’s hands are a network of scars and callouses from a lifetime of violence, with a sad and vulnerable face beneath the helmet. It’s subtle story details like that that tell a great detail. The action is staccato to show the skill both characters possess, but it’s cartoonish enough to remind us it’s a flashback from the perspective of a child.
The layered animosity between Jason and Damian is perfectly painted in this issue, and we get the real sense that, because they’re so similar, they’re constantly at odds. It’s made explicit in Damian’s narration to help get it over to a younger reader, but not spelled out so that mature audiences can still think it over as we watch them bicker.
It’s a masterful look at how well this writer knows the Batman family dynamics and can explore them, without Batman himself having to appear in the story.
Conclusion
The Boy Wonder #2 continues its perfect look at the life inside the mind of twisted little Damian Wayne. This second part continues us on what looks to be a complex journey through the extended relations of the Bat Family, and how badly he aggravates them all.
There will be a time for him to learn how best to manage these connections, but that’s what this title seeks to teach us. I’m endlessly eager for more.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
