Merry Little Batman

Merry Little Batman takes a charming and heartfelt approach, showing a version of Bruce Wayne who has given up his superhero identity to focus on being a caring father to Damian. Gotham is peacefully crime-free, and everyone is happy — except for Damian, who idolizes Batman and is eager to fight crime himself. His immature desire gets him into trouble when Bruce is tricked into leaving Gotham, allowing thieves to break into Wayne Manor. Although Damian quickly thwarts them, he loses Bruce’s utility belt, which was a Christmas gift. Driven by his desire to prove himself, Damian sneaks into the Batcave, dons a Batsuit with an A.I. voice of Bruce, and sets out to retrieve his belt, risking Christmas chaos in the process.

Damian’s actions inadvertently lead him into the Joker’s trap, especially when he visits the mall asking about his belt and faces attacks from Bane and Poison Ivy. Despite out-fighting them, Damian’s chaos causes destruction in Gotham, and he becomes a target of blame for the mayhem. His pursuit for the utility belt takes him to the Gotham Zoo and then into a chase over Christmas parade floats, where he again causes havoc, leading to him being villainized by the city and feeling lost and alone just before Christmas.

However, Damian’s journey takes a turn when he finally finds himself trapped in the Joker’s lair, which the clown prince of crime turns into a giant snow globe, trapping Damian with all the guilty villains and stolen gifts. The Joker reveals he orchestrated everything out of anger that Batman has been too focused on Damian and that crime is how he felt noticed. In a moment of temptation, Damian is offered a chance to become a villain by the villains, who equip him with a weaponized utility belt, but he chooses to destroy it instead, destroying the snow globe in the process. The villains attack Damian, and just when it seems all hope is lost, Batman arrives, saves him, and together they fight back against the villains, restoring Christmas for Gotham by distributing the gifts from the Batwing.

At the end, Damian warns Bruce about the Joker’s loneliness and his desire for attention. Though Batman hesitates, Damian’s gentle insistence persuades him to visit the Joker before he is sent to jail, showing that their bond and understanding have grown. The story concludes with Gotham celebrating a Christmas that’s been saved through the courage of a young hero and the love of a father, emphasizing that sometimes, even superheroes need to remember the importance of connection and compassion during the holidays.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 09:01