Batman's Original Robin Gets New Role in "Robin War" Finale

The conclusion of the Batman-centric story arc "Robin War" hit comic shops this week, and everything changed for one of Batman's allies. In Robin War #2, written by Tom King, featuring art by Khary Randolph and a slew of other artists, former and current heroes who went under the guise of "Robin" are taking on the Court of Owls, a secret society that runs Gotham and uses assassins called Talons to enforce their reign. This massive "Talons vs Robins" battle has spilled over into numerous series starring both DC heroes new and old.

In part six of this crossover event, Damian Wayne, the current Robin and son of Bruce Wayne, has declared he is no longer Robin and now works for the Court of Owls.

Damian's biggest fight during this story is with Duke Thomas, the leader of the We Are Robin movement, which follows in the footsteps of other heroic vigilantes in order to clean up the streets of Gotham.

However, Damian also finds himself taking on heroes who once considered him to be a friend, like Tim Drake. Damian proves that while he may be the youngest in battle, he can hold his own.

Damian has joined the Court of Owls because he sees no alternative. However, Dick Grayson, the first Robin, has his own battle with the Court of Owls with Lincoln March, who also happens to be Bruce Wayne's younger brother. March has a backup plan and an explosive in Damian Wayne's mask, in case Damian doesn't go along with the Court's plans.

After the Court is seamlessly defeated, Duke Thomas persuades Damian to become Robin again. Everything seems like it has gone back to normal until it is revealed that normality comes with a big price and that price is Dick Grayson's allegiance to the Parliment of Owls.

What does this mean for Dick Grayson? In 2013, Grayson, under the name Nightwing, was "killed off" in the "Forever Evil" event, only to return as a spy for the group Spyral. It's been a little over a year since Grayson stepped into that role and now he's working with one of the most infamous groups in the DC Universe.

In earlier issues of Batman, it was revealed that the Court of Owls originally wanted Grayson to be one of their assassins, under the Talon name, but the death of his parents and his adoption put a wrench into that plan. However, the Court of Owls has always wanted Grayson under their wing and now, they finally have him.