Batman is an icon of modern culture and as a result his stories have taken on a sort-of mythic quality; there are seemingly endless permutations of the same set of characters and tropes so that while there is no one “true” version, certain elements become fundamental. Cartoonist Juni Ba’s The Boy Wonder leans into that meta-knowledge of these characters and their frameworks to present a genuinely iconic take on one of the relatively recent additions to Batman canon: Damian Wayne.
The Boy Wonder #1 introduces readers to its narrative via a framing device in which a woebegone criminal is told a story by their hostage in Sheherazade-like fashion. What unfolds is instantly recognizable as the superhero origins of Damian Wayne, but its visual and prose style are bound in the tropes of fables and myths. Damian is shown to be the youngest child in a powerful dynasty seemingly in competition with adopted elder brothers, and it all rings true to the core mythos of Damian Wayne across media. This origin presents a young man of great potential riven with conflicts, internal and external, every bit the star character presented across Morrison’s astonishing Batman run. And it seats that version of Damian—haunted by his past, striving for impossible standards—into a new adventure staged to reflect his essential relationships and nature. It’s an outstanding premise for any reader fond of Batman’s biological son.
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The first issue also showcases how far-ranging this miniseries seeks to be, delivering a wide array of supporting Bat-friends and multiple engaging villains. There’s plenty of action and humor amidst the unfolding mystery and chase that will bind this miniseries together. Which is simply to say that The Boy Wonder possesses the special blend of entertainment and wisdom that mark great fables.
Juni Ba’s artwork is essential to this experience. He deftly shifts perspectives and scale to economically recap backstory and provide plenty of detail and space to the critical junctures of Damian’s current story. There’s a deft use of iconography in how Ba delivers the core of Dick Grayson’s character in two brilliant pages. What makes these compressed sequences all the more impressive is how they are reflected back into the current narrative, as shown when Damian takes a lesson from who Dick is.
The story remixes itself as superhero adventure, feudal legend, and supernatural thriller at the turn of a page; Ba is more than capable of delivering all of these. All of the characters who appear in this first issue are instantly recognizable as they are composed with striking silhouettes with costume designs that are as close to evergreen as Batman fans might ever agree upon. Ba capably delivers emotionality with only a few well selected lines and expressive figures. Every page possesses an undeniable vitality with such lively compositions.
The Boy Wonder #1 is a special comic book as it tells a moving minor adventure unto itself while framing a grander hero’s journey for Damian Wayne in the miniseries to come. Its framing of Damian expresses the clearest understanding of what makes the character resonate with readers and threatens to define the young hero for years to come.
Published by DC Comics
On May 7, 2024
Written by Juni Ba
Art by Juni Ba
Colors by Chris O’Halloran
Letters by Aditya Bidikar
Cover by Juni Ba
