Unfortunately, the current Bruce Wayne is likely to shrug this off like a bad lunch order. Most of Damien's career as Robin, which is to say most of his known existence, took place while Bruce was dead, lost in time, or otherwise away. He has little to no resonance as "Bruce Wayne's son" and really only counts as one Robin amongst all too many by this point.

Based on comments he's made, I believe Morrison is doing this to a large extent to congratulate himself on having made Damien a "likeable" character in the eyes of so many fans, after having endured their ire when the character was introduced. Now he can bask in the emotional tumult of having made and then killed a "fan favorite" from what most deemed a sow's ear. Isn't he clever? Hasn't he expertly played upon everyone's emotions? Why, yes he has! Yes! He has! (Claps!)

Will Damien be back? Probably. All it will take is the next Scott Snyder running low on ideas to stir the pot, and faster than you can say "Cloned in a Lazarus Pit" Damien will be up and killing people right and left once again.

Originally, Damien was supposed to be the child Talia gave up for adoption in the "Son of the Batman" graphic novel. Once the current creative staff realized that meant sharing the cash with Mike W. Barr, Damien's origin became something different, just with the same parents.

When he had some connection to the past, I was mildly interested in him. Once he had none, I had none.

The current Bat titles are over-the-top brutal, monthly gore-fests for the ever-shrinking audience of violence fetishists that make up most of today's readership. As such, I'm not following any of them. The scene above doesn't strike me as being any more ugly than the line in general, simply more of the same. That doesn't make it inoffensive. Rather, it speaks to how offensive the whole line is at the moment, but it is, fortunately, a line that is easily avoided.

My concern is, "Did they do this now because we have yet ANOTHER idea for a Robin waiting in the wings...?" Seriously, by this point we should be giving them all flight rings and a time bubble...