“The Boy Wonder” – Book Three
Writer and Artist: Juni Ba
Color Artist: Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Once again, Juni Ba’s take on the origins of the smallest and most violent member of the Bat Family has left me enchanted. The Boy Wonder #3 is the next chapter of what’s sure to become the definitive, easy access, Damian Wayne origin story.
The consistency between issues has been what’s drawn me in. The quality of Damian’s eloquence, and comparing Gotham to a feudal state has been resonated throughout the story, and it’s been a delight to see. It makes total sense for Damian at this stage in his life, angry and new to being a non-murderous crime fighter in Gotham. He’s sizing up each of the other Robins, issue by issue, and his contempt for each of them is resolved, making each resolution the moral of each issue. This adds a level of storybook quality that’s rare in modern comics.
When you pair that with the art style, which I will sing the praises of again in the next paragraph, it adds to the readability of the saga. Black Label doesn’t usually lend itself to these kinds of tales; they’re usually dark, ambitious, thoughtful pieces for mature readers. I genuinely believe that this definitive look at Damian Wayne will be fun reading for fans of all ages.
You’d think that Juni Ba’s probably done with the ambitious takes on what a story could be in Black Label comics, but here’s a take on what more can be achieved by the medium. The sense of scale of the hall with the heroic statues and the playful, side-scroller video game look at Damian in the ventilation shafts is wonderful.
We have to give credit to the entire team, though. Chris O’Halloran’s colors add to the welcome and friendly look of this series. They’re light and almost pastel, adding to the age-friendly, storybook feeling and adding to the themes. The yellow of gold and greed whenever the Penguin takes the page exhibits just such strong symbolism, and we’ve associated neon lime green with Ra’s al Ghul for as long as the character has existed.
Aditya Bidikar’s letters take the reader across pages that really play with perspectives. The scratchy style of letters used for Damian’s frustration, and the fonts from tiny to dramatic really get us in the mindset of a young and violent assassin boy.
Conclusion
Boy Wonder #3 truly deserves to be a Black Label title, whilst it’s also deeply and utterly unlike anything the imprint has ever published. We get a layered story with strong due diligence to the character’s origins, but all framed in a light and digestible way accessible to younger readers.
Boy Wonder is fast becoming one of my comic highlights of 2024.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
