#also if they make bruce right and bashar is from the league i will be mad

[unfairfistfights]

Everyone is talking about Damian quitting Robin to pursue medicine but no one’s talking about the everything else that’s happening and being said while this is going on.

Like, for the most part, yes this is absolutely Damian’s own wants and dreams and him figuring out his place in the world of helping people. A lot of this Batman and Robin run has been about Damian figuring out his own identity and the struggles with that.

But, also, this is Damian wanting to be valued, wanted, and to not feel like a burden.

Jason says it outright when he says “We [Robins] did it…because we thought it would make you love us.” The carried over implication being that Damian being Robin isn’t for Gotham, it’s to be Batman’s sidekick and Bruce’s son (which has also been a carried theme throughout this run).

Damian is also hurt and shocked when he overhears Bruce say that he believes Dr. Bashar is from the League of Assassins and that’s why he’s so interested in Damian. Not because of Damian’s skill or interest in the medical field but rather just because Bashar is out to get him.

And when Damian goes up to Bruce to confront him about what he heard, his opener is, “I’m going to show you you’re wrong about me, Father. Dr. Bashar does see value in me.”

This isn’t Damian quitting Robin just because he doesn’t want to be Robin anymore. His struggles with the Robin identity are definitely a part of it (not discounting that at all), but it’s really more Damian putting distance between himself and Bruce because he’s hurt and frustrated that Bruce either can’t or doesn’t see him the way he wants to be seen.

tl;dr - Damian wants to be valued as a partner, but Bruce is a little too busy going insane with paranoia to fully see that and it may have just cost him a Robin.