Warning! Spoilers ahead for Robin #3
In the latest issue of DC Comics' Robin, Damian Wayne is faced with his destiny as Heir to the Demon when he comes face to face with the great Ra's Al Ghul. With Damian being the son of Batman and Talia Al Ghul, Ra's is his grandfather, The Demon's Head, and the leader of the League of Assassins (or at least he was). It seems as though the mysterious League of Shadows has dark plans to potentially take over the League of Assassins, and it has everything to do with the Lazarus Tournament hosted by the even more enigmatic League of Lazarus.
While the League of Assassins and Shadows used to be one and the same in DC Comics, the Rebirth and Infinite Frontier continuities have seen them as separate and rival organizations. Furthermore, they're both seemingly connected to the League of Lazarus, the guardians of the largest Lazarus Pit ever discovered and its powerful waters to raise the dead. They're also a group Damian has never heard of until now (and he suspects that they were intentionally kept hidden from him.) Now, Damian has entered the Lazarus Tournament, being given three "lives" to prove himself before death becomes permanent amongst the DC Universe's greatest fighters, all while he's investigating the organization's secret activities.
While there are plenty of warriors and killers for Damian to be wary of, his greatest competition is none other than Connor Hawke, the secret son of Green Arrow, and the League of Shadows' chosen champion to fight for them in the tournament. As a result, Robin #3 from writer Josua Williamson with artist Gleb Melnikov sees Damian and Connor locked in battle, though Hawke quickly gets the upper hand and throws Robin off a cliff. However, Robin was saved before suffering any kind of serious injury. While he thought that it might have been his father Batman, it was revealed that his rescuer was Ra's Al Ghul himself, his grandfather.
Surprisingly, Ra's al Ghul is on Lazarus Island, though it certainly looks as though he's fallen from grace and no longer holds the power he usually wields as the Demon's Head. Seeing as how Damian is his potential heir, it seems logical that Ra's may have the desire to train Robin as his own lethal champion to combat the League of Shadows, turning Damian into an agent for the Assassins.
In any case, it certainly seems as though Damian and his grandfather have much to discuss, and not just about the current tournament. The former Robin is definitely at a crossroads in his life, having estranged himself from his father and wanting to forge his own path. However, will his future see him more as a Bat or as a Demon? While Ra's al Ghul will most likely be encouraging the latter in future issues, here's hoping Robin will be able to make the right choice when the time comes, whatever it may be.
