WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Detective Comics #1032 by Peter J. Tomasi, Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, Dave McCaig and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
Damian Wayne's walking an emotional line in the mainstream DC Universe right now as he tries to fight crime on his own terms. You can tell it's torturing him on the inside but no matter what, he just can't go back to Batman's ways, especially the no-kill policy that lets the likes of Joker, Punchline and Deathstroke go free. It didn't work well for him leading the Titans either and as a result, he cut free from everyone, left the Robin mantle behind and is now flying solo.
However, after Detective Comics #1032 has him reuniting with Bruce in a temporary truce to fight Hush and rescue the Bat-family, it's clear Damian needs to embrace his other legacy as the Demon's Head.
Damian fought that destiny hard in the past and even his mom, Talia, was concerned it'd consume him and turn him into a monster. She wanted a weapon at first, ergo why they had clones, but bit by bit, she felt maybe Bruce was the right choice. That hasn't exactly worked out and while we don't endorse Damian going on a killing spree, there is credence to perhaps a more aggressive approach.
The thing is, he's not totally lost to the darkness as seen here in "Head Wounds," as he cares about old allies and still has that light in him. It's just that he can't abide by the rules anymore so he should embrace the path laid out in the current Batman Beyond comics where he took over the League of Assassins. Having him come back as Robin honestly feels like a predictable and boring outcome, so we don't want that will-he-won't-he dance. We need a fresh Damian and something that fits his character, which this direction does.
He's destined for darkness eventually, a la Batman #666, so why not have him leading the League, toeing the line and wrestling with these demons himself? That would take the attention away from his role with the Bat and give him more agency with his heritage. The dynasty of Ra's al Ghul and the legacy he wanted to leave his grandson is very important, and we could see Damian repurposing the League to the point it becomes the army or Batman Inc. Bruce wanted. This is a great way to stick it to Bruce, and it'd help Damian grow as a leader, intimidating his enemies and becoming his own man.
He'd be more an antihero than anything else and using precepts from his dad and Ra's, we'd get a legion unlike any other. Who knows, maybe someday Talia could imprint her stamp on them too, but what's for certain is this is the best way to help Damian define his identity similar to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.
What's intriguing is that he already has like-minded individuals to help on this mission with Lady Shiva and Babylon ditching the Outsiders and wanting to purge Ra's from the planet. They're the perfect colleagues and Shiva can even return as a teacher in the League, knowing that an iron fist and blood being spilled is the best way to replace chaos with order. Damian needs kindred spirits and this approach gives him just that, plus it's a chance to redeem his family. It'd foreshadow the future and by making the League a middle-ground between vigilantes and assassins, we could see Damian's truest and best self emerge.