Dick Grayson: Robin / Nightwing Appreciation 2020

[QUOTE=Rac7d*;5100552]Does a court of owls batman game mean good things for our boy?[/QUOTE]

Depends - a hefty, plot-driving role would be good for exposure. A weak "hostage" role, or tiny cameo, probably hurts. As ever, we're down to execution!

Also, I'm torn - I've always thought there was a case to really push the Owls/Dick connection, although it's been tried a *lot* and never really worked. A hugely successful game that makes that establishes that connection in the mind of a wider audience might be good - on the other hand, it's a *Batman* game. And solidifying the Owl/Dick connection in a game where the Owls are Bruce's nemeses just brings us back to square one.

Yeah, that's what I meant. In comics, Dick's role is limited to William Cobb and The Circus, so if The Court Arkham game happens, he'll be given a more sizeable playable portion compared to the rest of the family, an area in Haly's Circus for example, but it's still a Batman game and Batman's story.

So it depends on what you consider good.

Even that is only if they wanna be accurate. In the WB movie, they throw that role to Damian.

Dick barely played a role in the actual Court story. The Haley’s element was a supplementary connection to further bolster them as Batman villains, but Dick himself was hardly important. The stuff Nightwing writers did with the Court is throwaway. Pretty sure Jurgens didn’t even read the initial Court arc his interpretation was so off and generic. Not too mention a rather obvious desperate attempt to try and make up some sort of after the fact sense to Dick’s poorly thought out predicament.

Not unless they turn backhanding the molar out of Dick's mouth into a fulllength boss fight.

Should the Court even be a thing for Dick? Whether he is a talcon or not

[QUOTE=AmiMizuno;5100874]Should the Court even be a thing for Dick? Whether he is a talcon or not[/QUOTE]
What I've learned is when it comes to dick is that the questions are not what's good for dick but what about dick is good for bruce. So dick connections to the court works for batman so the connection isn't going anywhere.

You know, it occurs to me - if they ever did a Full Reboot, then the Court of Owls taking the place of HIVE in the Titans/Deathstroke history works quite neatly. Grant Wilson wants to be a Talon, the Owls let him become one as part of their lure to get Dick involved - which is why Slade blames Dick specifically.

I know others in the thread are more purist than I, but if I'm honest I wouldn't miss HIVE if they were gone.

HIVE feels like yesterdays news but I feel Court of Owls is a very Gotham thing. I prefer the Titans in New York or San Francisco.

[QUOTE=AmiMizuno;5100874]Should the Court even be a thing for Dick? Whether he is a talcon or not[/QUOTE]

The Court could be a fine addition to Dick's mythos, but not if the strings are still being pulled solely for the benefit of Bruce.

Court of Owls is a big enough concept and organization that it can operate in Batman stories *and* independent Nightwing stories without there being a ton of overlap or interconnection, allowing Dick to retain his own agency, but DC has to allow that, or the Court just becomes one more chain around Dick's neck.

The HIVE are pretty lame and always have been, but (despite debuting in a Superman comic) they purely belong to Nightwing and the Titans.

The Court is slightly less lame, but has to be shared with Batman, so it cancels out as being much of an improvement.

The only Court thing I wanted to see happen was a game that would be an adaptation of Dark Victory and Robin: Year One, but with the Owls wrapped in. I feel like that's the only way you can write a "Batman story" that's also about Dick and the Owls without it being a revamped, DickBats version of the original story.

I'm not all about the Court as a part of Dick's past for the reasons mentioned above; I don't think it really adds much to the Court of Owls story as it was written nor to Dick's character, and actively takes away from the happy childhood he had.

I like the fact that Dick came from a relatively "normal", working-class family only to have the rug pulled out from under him due to tragic circumstances and learning to adapt and cope. The Court recruiting children from Haly's taints his past; now, he never would have been a regular, happy kid if Bruce hadn't taken him in. It almost lessens the loss he had to endure if we know that this would have been the inevitable result Tony Zucco or no. I guess I prefer the juxtaposition of what could have been rather than one tragedy causing Dick to avoid another.

[QUOTE=Rac7d*;5100552]Does a court of owls batman game mean good things for our boy?[/QUOTE]

Well, he probably will have a big role there, because this game, presumably, is Batfamily oriented.

[QUOTE=Morgoth;5101551]Well, he probably will have a big role there, because this game, presumably, is Batfamily oriented.[/QUOTE]

Rumors say that the game it's called Gotham Knights and the batfamily is playable.

One more month until Ric is over!!

73 continues the level one has come to expect on this book. Jurgens continues to have a pittance of story he is just needlessly stretching. The whole issue is completely unnecessary really. The only thing this issue tells us really is that Dicky Boy is ineffective and rather weak. Which is too funny, but exactly the kind of poorly thought out writing I have come to expect from Jurgens and the Nightwing crew. So Dicky Boy is suppose to be one of Jokers new weapons in this War, Dick is on Joker’s side so watch out Batfamily and all that, and you know how Punchline is tearing through everyone to try and sell her as a credible threat, well Dicky Boy is the opposite of that. He sucks. Classic case of telling readers how dangerous he should be while simultaneously demonstrating the exact opposite.
Jugens did this a lot with his last annual too. It has become very apparent to me Jurgens thinks very little of the intelligence of his audience. This goes back with him trying to having Ric getting Dick’s pre-flashpoint memories back. It’s as if they think if they just tell readers one thing they won’t notice you showing them another. Anyway, if anyone was expecting Dicky Boy to be a threat. Don’t. He’s not. He’s the guy they are gonna use to re-pad the rep Punchline might diminish.

Another thing the art and layouts are at an all time low here too. Very rough and amateurish. This run hasn’t really seen decent art save from the odd pages they have Moore do here and there to, IMO, try and trick readers, but the art here was particularly weak.

[QUOTE=Drako;5097215]Nightwing and Starfire by Otto Schmidt
[IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Efatx3hXkAE2ti8?format=jpg&name=medium[/IMG]


[url]https://twitter.com/OttoSchmidt72/status/1294415828713123841/photo/1[/url][/QUOTE]


I love it when artists remember Kory is taller than Dick. His little smirk is killing me.

[QUOTE=Rac7d*;5100552]Does a court of owls batman game mean good things for our boy?[/QUOTE]

You could very easily excise Dick out of the story. I love the Arkham games but the stories are pretty basic and they are not really that great at character development. It would be easier to stream line it and focus it around Bruce. That would be my guess anyway

Did they ever named which elementary and middle school Dick go?

[QUOTE=Restingvoice;5101940]Did they ever named which elementary and middle school Dick go?[/QUOTE]

I know in Dixon's run, Dick went to public school because he felt more comfortable there than at a private or prep school. In Young Justice, he goes to Gotham Academy.

[QUOTE=Restingvoice;5101940]Did they ever named which elementary and middle school Dick go?[/QUOTE]In Robin Year One, he goes to the Bristol Middle School, In comics set at the beginning on his career (that gibe any indication about his age) he is usually to old for elementary school.

and he's homeschooled in Haly's since they travel a lot

Right, he was elementary-school age (8) when he was taken in by Bruce in the Golden age, but post-crisis his age was bumped up to 12. If there's anything about elementary schooling it would be during that era.

I often thought all the robins that have gone to the same school. I mean even going to public schools doesn't mean they are bad. There are specialized public schools. Even at a young age.

[QUOTE=Wingin' It;5102133]Right, he was elementary-school age (8) when he was taken in by Bruce in the Golden age[/QUOTE]Thats also pretty dubios imo, his age is never clearly stated, and imo there is stuff in his first comics that implies that he is older.

The first time age 8 is really stated is in New Teen Titans in the 1980s, and it iirc contradicted what stated in the Batman comics from that era.

And I have still yet to find a comic were Dick is clearly shown to be Robin as an elementary school kid.

Nightwing with big hair by Francis Manapul from one of those many Death Metal spin-offs, i don't know which one.

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bzqXAi9.jpg[/IMG]

[url]https://www.instagram.com/p/CEC1c9UpNjO/[/url]

That's my ideal Grayson haircut.

[QUOTE=SiegePerilous02;5101175]The HIVE are pretty lame and always have been, but (despite debuting in a Superman comic) they purely belong to Nightwing and the Titans.

The Court is slightly less lame, but has to be shared with Batman, so it cancels out as being much of an improvement.[/QUOTE]Of course, HIVE was one of several villains stolen by Arrow from Nightwing (Brother Blood and Deathstroke too).

[QUOTE=Aahz;5102275]Thats also pretty dubios imo, his age is never clearly stated, and imo there is stuff in his first comics that implies that he is older.

The first time age 8 is really stated is in New Teen Titans in the 1980s, and it iirc contradicted what stated in the Batman comics from that era.

And I have still yet to find a comic were Dick is clearly shown to be Robin as an elementary school kid.[/QUOTE]

Isn't there that Golden Age comic where Batman is spanking Dick on his birthday? And he gives him 8 or 9 spanks and one to grow. So it is implied he is 9 or 10 I think then, but that era it isn't like they paid attention to character ages that much.

Found it.

[img]https://d3dfsf9oc1ojzp.cloudfront.net/original/3X/f/3/f3ae7067ece561f5afd29121ab1f427d08a65c59.jpeg[/img]

With Deathstroke, he is a hit man for hire so. But yea it sucks. I mean can the Hive work? I mean Brotherblood and hive often worked together.

[QUOTE=Aahz;5102275]Thats also pretty dubios imo, his age is never clearly stated, and imo there is stuff in his first comics that implies that he is older.

The first time age 8 is really stated is in New Teen Titans in the 1980s, and it iirc contradicted what stated in the Batman comics from that era.

And I have still yet to find a comic were Dick is clearly shown to be Robin as an elementary school kid.[/QUOTE]

The first time I saw his school was when he's dancing at a school party and met DC's Ant-Man, and during Kathy and Bethy Kane's era, but it's not clear how old he is. He can be 12-14.

The earliest school situation was when Dick infiltrated a boy's dorm in another school. This one is before the birthday spank, but even during that time, Dick isn't shown to go to school anywhere besides this.

[QUOTE=Drako;5102330]Nightwing with big hair by Francis Manapul from one of those many Death Metal spin-offs, i don't know which one.

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bzqXAi9.jpg[/IMG]

[url]https://www.instagram.com/p/CEC1c9UpNjO/[/url][/QUOTE]

I think this is my favorite hair length for him.

Holt uploaded DC Fandome promo by Jim Lee and there are 3 Dicks in it. Teen Titans, Young Justice, and comic version
[ATTACH=CONFIG]99865[/ATTACH]

[QUOTE=Restingvoice;5102792]Holt uploaded DC Fandome promo by Jim Lee and there are 3 Dicks in it. Teen Titans, Young Justice, and comic version
[ATTACH=CONFIG]99865[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

I saw that too! Very nice. He's getting pretty good representation across DC media.

It is also possible this Robin is Dick too. His suit is similar to Dick Robin's suit in Titans (although the colors are brighter).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]99867[/ATTACH]

[QUOTE=Konja7;5102831]It is also possible this Robin is Dick too. His suit is similar to Dick Robin's suit in Titans (although the colors are brighter).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]99867[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

There was that Teen Titans Wal-Mart books that had Robin that had all of Dick's traits, friends, etc. but turned out to be Tim.

[QUOTE=Jackalope89;5102861]There was that Teen Titans Wal-Mart books that had Robin that had all of Dick's traits, friends, etc. but turned out to be Tim.[/QUOTE]

That one has exposed biceps.

[QUOTE=Badou;5102413]Isn't there that Golden Age comic where Batman is spanking Dick on his birthday? And he gives him 8 or 9 spanks and one to grow. So it is implied he is 9 or 10 I think then, but that era it isn't like they paid attention to character ages that much.

Found it.[/QUOTE]Which doesn't match the number of candles on his cake, and that he get's his own plane as a birthday present.
A few issues later you see Dicks Report card at school, and he has classes like Latin, physics and chemistry, which isn't really elementary school stuff.
And there are several issues were Dick takes up jobs as part of undercover investigations, you would probably also not give to an 8 year old.

[QUOTE=Konja7;5102831]It is also possible this Robin is Dick too. His suit is similar to Dick Robin's suit in Titans (although the colors are brighter).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]99867[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

Bigger image

[url]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfvoAhgWAAEA6eg?format=jpg&name=medium[/url]

[QUOTE=Restingvoice;5102451]The first time I saw his school was when he's dancing at a school party and met DC's Ant-Man, and during Kathy and Bethy Kane's era, but it's not clear how old he is. He can be 12-14.[/QUOTE]He was allready established to be in high school and roughly 15 in his golden age solos stories in Star-Spangled Comics.

And I think the first time we see him is his school is in "Robin Studies His Lessons" in Batman #18 (and that doesn't seem to be an elementary school).

[QUOTE=Aahz;5103010]He was already established to be in high school and roughly 15 in his golden age solos stories in Star-Spangled Comics.

And I think the first time we see him is his school is in "Robin Studies His Lessons" in Batman #18 (and that doesn't seem to be an elementary school).[/QUOTE]

Oh so he's just short

[QUOTE=Restingvoice;5103051]Oh so he's just short[/QUOTE]

Maybe, but I also think the golden age played fast and loose with continuity. They were more focused on telling one-off stories to sell to kids.