Warning! Spoilers ahead for Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution #1!The current squeeze of Batman’s son may be taking him down a dark and familiar path. The amazing new powers of Flatline could hint at the things to come for Damian Wayne and his mother’s side of the family.
Out of all the young heroes who have donned the mantle of Robin, Bruce’s biological son Damian has had one of the hardest runs. Damian was raised by birth to be a conqueror of the world and be the progeny that united the skills and prowess of Bruce Wayne and the al Ghul lineage. Though he was able to shake off Talia al Ghul’s conditioning and become a more traditional hero, Damian struggled to adhere to the same values as the rest of the Bat-Family. After the death of Alfred Pennyworth, Damian went on a journey to find himself, a journey that took him to Lazarus Island where he met his current love interest, Flatline.
Flatline Has Brought Damian’s Grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul, Back to Life
And speaking of the troubled Robin’s romantic partner, a new power of hers could accidentally spell danger for him. In Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution #1’s story “Elevation” by Brandon T. Snider and Laura Braga, the DC Universe is continuing to be inundated by a storm of Lazarus Resin as a result of King Fire Bull’s actions on Lazarus Island. Nika, aka Flatline, is being haunted by a mysterious voice that urges her to go to a secret location under the control of the al Ghul empire. Flatline evades Ra’s’ former bodyguard, Ubu, and discovers an urn that the voice beckons her to take. Nika grabs the urn, and power flows from her body, which results in the ashes of Ra’s al Ghul’s corpse reassembling into a living being.
Escaping death isn’t usually a problem for Ra’s al Ghul, but his last murder seemed impossible to come back from. Disguised as Deathstroke, the hero Geo-Force blew up Ra’s to the point that his remains couldn’t be revived using the Lazarus Point. However, the Lazarus Resin storm seems to have blessed Nika by giving her the ability to resurrect those who have shuffled off this mortal coil. This could make Flatline a valuable asset to the al Ghul empire, and in turn could be a factor in bringing Damian on the side of the al Ghuls once and for all.
Is Flatline Bringing Damian to the Dark Side?
Damian was angry at himself when he failed to save his grandfather from Geo-Force’s attack, so there’s little doubt he won’t be happy to see Ra’s al Ghul alive once more. It’s also likely that this will endear him even more to Nika, who seems to have found herself now in the al Ghul camp. While Damian has been trying to right his past wrongs, he still harbors a conflict within himself. Seeing his newly-revived grandfather and his current love interest on the same side, one that has repeatedly challenged Batman over the years, may be all it takes to lure him over for good. Fans can see what potentially awaits Batman’s son and Flatline in Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution #1, on sale now.