On the Eve of Batman’s Wedding, Damian and Catwoman Bond

CBR

Catwoman Doesn’t Want To Be Robin’s Mom (And That’s A Good Thing)

By Ian Cardona

Published May 30, 2018

In Batman: Prelude to the Wedding #1, Selina Kyle spends a bit of quality time with Bruce Wayne's son Damian, aka Robin.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Batman: Prelude to the Wedding #1 by Tim Seeley and Brad Walker, in stores now.

While the spotlight has been firmly set on Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle as their nuptials approach, we haven't seen much of the effects this union will have on the immediate Bat-family. Sure, writer Tom King did devote some time to both Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne finding out about the engagement, but we didn't see anything beyond that. Dick helped Damian understand that his father had found love and that Selina was the right woman for him, but we never actually got to see how Bruce's impending marriage has further affected Damian. Which is a shame; after all, he is the one who still lives in Wayne Mansion, and who works most closely with Batman night in and night out.

Thanks to Batman: Prelude to the Wedding #1, we finally see Selina and Damian spend some quality time together on the eve of the wedding. While the brief team-up between the two starts off on shaky ground, by the end of the issue, Selina and Damian have a different kind of relationship, and it's one we hope to see a whole lot more of.

As Damian gets fitted for the ceremony, he acts as his usual bratty self, with a not-so-subtle hint of superiority towards Selina. While he may approve of the marriage, he isn't exactly one for family. He tells her that even though he was groomed to be an assassin and a villain, he has changed and is no longer in need of supervision. When they walk out, he tells Selina that he supposes she'll want him to call her mother now that she will marry her father. Clearly, Selina is taken aback by the question, and she doesn't know how to answer. However, it doesn't matter to Damian, he has criminals to fight.

However, after facing off with Ra's Al Ghul, Damian returns home with his grandfather's haunting warning that he will always be alone. It's easy to forget thanks to his attitude, but Damian is still just a kid, and sometimes, he acts exactly like a kid would. He gets afraid, and he gets emotional, and Ra's Al Ghul knows exactly how to get under his skin. But leave it to Selina Kyle to save the day -- not with her fists, but with her words.

Selina returns home to find a distraught Damian, who is afraid he might get replaced by Bruce and Selina's child. But Selina is quick to tell him that she doesn't believe she should have another child. She has a checkered past at best, and she believes she wouldn't be lucky enough to find another Damian Wayne. Then, she tells him that the two of them are more alike than he thinks. She used to be a criminal, a thief and a villain. Damian was raised by the League. Compared to the other members of the Bat-family, Selina and Damian are different. They started out as villains, only to turn good. And, for that reason, Selina believes they have to look out for one another.

"You don't ever have to call me mom,"she tells him, finally answering his question. "But, if you'll have my back, I promise I'll have yours." Selina doesn't want to be Damian's mother -- at least, not in any official capacity. She just wants to be there for the young hero when he needs someone. And, clearly, he does... sometimes. She says she's lucky to have him, but he knows he's also incredibly lucky to have her.

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