The Boy Wonder #5 – Juni Ba, Writer/Artist; Chris O’Halloran, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Juni Ba brings his unique Black Label series to a close this issue, and it certainly has been one of a kind – for one thing, it has to be the only Black Label series to focus on a child. While there has been a good deal of violence and some dark themes, it has an almost fairy-tale feel to it as Damian explores his own past through a filter he can process. The first three issues of this series explored his complex relationships with his three older brothers – Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake – while the last issue explored his troubled bond to his mother Talia Al Ghul. That leaves two key figures who have not entered the fray yet – and this issue has them covered, with Ra’s Al Ghul serving as the main villain of the series. Ba gives him a freaky, angular appearance that makes him look less human than the already stylized cast, playing on the effect that this man has defied death for so long.
And then there’s Batman, of course. Bruce Wayne has stayed in the background the entire time, serving as a strict but compassionate father figure who has been trying to shape Damian into the kind of hero he knows he should be. He benched Damian at the start of this series, but when Damian needs his help, he’s there as soon as he’s needed. It’s a great depiction of one of the more complex father-son relationships in comics, and it plays nicely into the ending as Damian starts to build a legacy of his own. I was fond of the series’ take on Ra’s as well, showing the pathetic man underneath the centuries of survival at all costs. Ba is one of the most unique talents working in comics today, and I was wondering how much of his offbeat style would work its way into this comic. The answer turned out to be a lot, with brilliant surrealist elements filling the series – and we’re all better for DC allowing him to cut loose.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
