Teen Titans #4 Review – No Wonder Damian Has Issues
Damian Wayne has had one messed up background. Before he moved in with his father, he was a member of the League of Assassins. In fact, he was on the road to be Ra’s al Ghul’s sole heir. He even went as far as to blind his cousin in one eye to prove he was the best and always would be. Now that he’s living with his father, he’s abandoned everything Ra’s set up for him. It’s no real surprise, then, that his cousin chose him as her target as part of the Demon’s Fist graduation rite. She’s a wee bit angry.
After kidnapping all of the other Demon’s Fist targets and urging them to become a team, Damian has abandoned them as well. Since the kid never talks out his problems, or even his thoughts, he heads for Ra’s al Ghul alone. He’s very much like his father. I’m honestly amazed he thought of forging a team in the first place. His father only kind of plays well with others.
As much as Ra’s al Ghul wants Damian to return to the fold, he’s not going to let him waltz in and return like nothing ever happened. He’s also not going to tell Mara to simply call off the Demon’s Fist hunt because the prodigal grandson has returned. He appears ecstatic when Mara proposes a trial by combat, but it’s obvious that is what he planned all along. He demands a fight to the death, and if Damian wins, the Demon’s Fist has to stop their hunt. Mara agrees to it, and her team is rather irate over her decision to speak for all of them.
Damian does have the upper hand in the fight, but because he doesn’t kill her, Mara literally stabs him in the back. All Ra’s al Ghul can say is, “Such a disappointment.” To whom is he referring? Is he disappointed that Mara stabbed him and thus won the trial? Or is he disappointed that Damian wouldn’t kill her? From Damian’s flashbacks in the last issue, surely Mara understands she is not exactly beloved by her own grandfather. Her devotion to get him to notice her borders on obsession, and it may have turned her team against her. As they toss a severely wounded Damian into a cell, they question standing by their leader. They’re especially intrigued that Damian came here and risked his life to save his new team. Would Mara do that for them? (Spoiler: no, no she wouldn’t.)
Damian and Mara’s team are about to learn that friendship is magic, and it’s more powerful than even Ra’s al Ghul’s spells. I have a feeling there will be a group hug at the end.
Our Rating: Yep
Author: Benjamin Percy
Artists: Khoi Pham, Wade von Grawbadger, and Jim Charalampidis
Publisher: DC Comics
Publish Date: 01/25/2016
Acquired via Purchase
