Dick Grayson: Robin, Nightwing, Agent of Spyral Appreciation 2018

[byrd156]

Ya, they explored it in Last Laugh, and then again with Block Buster. Both times sent him into a depression.

Yeah Dick is someone who can lose control but stop just short of doing the deed. I personally believe that he would never take a life. Dick is a safety net to everyone whether they deserve it or not.

[K7P5V]

Yeah Dick is someone who can lose control but stop just short of doing the deed. I personally believe that he would never take a life. Dick is a safety net to everyone whether they deserve it or not.

Believing the Joker had killed Tim, Dick was understandably upset and really let the Joker have it. When Tim showed up unharmed, Dick realized what he'd done and was remorseful.

[K7P5V]

Ya, they explored it in Last Laugh, and then again with Block Buster. Both times sent him into a depression.

The showdown between Dick and Blockbuster was truly an ordeal. Dick was so wasted, he allowed Tarantula to finish off Desmond permanently.

[dropkickjake]

The showdown between Dick and Blockbuster was truly an ordeal. Dick was so wasted, he allowed Tarantula to finish off Desmond permanently.

Maybe we just don't talk about that issue...

[Konja7]

Yeah Dick is someone who can lose control but stop just short of doing the deed. I personally believe that he would never take a life. Dick is a safety net to everyone whether they deserve it or not.

In the Death of the Family, Dick seemed quite willing to kill Joker in his comic.

[Ascended]

Man, I had totally forgotten all about the Tarantula/Blockbuster thing. Forced it out of my memory, I think.

I had never given it much thought but now I'm kind of fascinated by the idea of Dick being forced to confront lethal force.

With Bruce, I personally favor the theory that he's incapable of taking a life. He's tried, and always failed and I suspect his failing is often his own subconscious. Like, in the War of Jokes & Riddles I have a hard time buying that Bruce was so slow in attacking Riddler that the Joker, who is never really shown as being Batman's equal on a physical level, was able to stop Batman's attack. Given everything Bruce has been through and the trauma of his childhood I like the idea that he has a mental block that wouldn't let him kill someone, under any circumstances, even when he snaps and does make an attempt. It just makes more sense to me than (for example) Snyder's idea that Bruce is afraid the universe will send him worse villains if he starts killing people like Joker.

But Dick is far more healthy (mentally) and well adjusted and he's not going to have that kind of barrier. Obviously he's not a lethal force kinda guy, and even refused to use guns as an agent of Spyral, but I think he's closer to Superman in this regard than Bruce. I think Dick doesn't want to take a life and would avoid it as much as possible, but I think if he were forced into a particular situation he'd do it. And probably spiral into a depression, much as Clark did after killing the Phantom Zone criminals. And I gotta be honest, Nightwing in his own "Exile" type story holds a lot more interest for me than Ric.

Not that I want to see blood on Dick's hands or anything.

[dropkickjake]

Man, I had totally forgotten all about the Tarantula/Blockbuster thing. Forced it out of my memory, I think.

I had never given it much thought but now I'm kind of fascinated by the idea of Dick being forced to confront lethal force.

This basic concept was the foundation for my favorite Grayson issue: The Gun Goes Off.

[oasis1313]

But definitely not Tim Drake. We know how much you looovvvveee Tim, my friend!

And here I was trying to be nice !!! 'Beast definitely should have shot Timmy Wimmy because then Bruce would have just gone right out to the tallest elm tree of the grounds of his estate, and just hung himself. Besides, even if 'Beast had shot out 2/3 of Timmy Wimmy's brains, he's still smarter than Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and Moon Girl put together.

[Ascended]

This basic concept was the foundation for my favorite Grayson issue: The Gun Goes Off.

.....I really need to pull those issues out of longboxes and give them another read. Been far too long. Okay, refresh my memory on the issue?

And here I was trying to be nice !!!

Sorry brother, couldn't resist.

[dropkickjake]

.....I really need to pull those issues out of longboxes and give them another read. Been far too long. Okay, refresh my memory on the issue?

Broadest of strokes here, as its been a while, but Dick and Helena needed to deal with a fella named "the ol' Gun" or something. This fella was blind, and literally saw the world through his gun. On a rooftop, Dick tries to talk him down instead of taking him out. He just about succeeds before agent 8 snipes him from a roof top, but also "dies" herself. All of this was framed around King's famous repetition of dialogue: Dick being called Agent 37 and responding with "thats not my name." I havent read all of King's work on Batman, or much outside of Grayson really, but this really might be his best issue. Its my favorite single issue of all time. It was a great look at who Dick Grayson is and out of place he was in Spyral.

[WonderNight]

Broadest of strokes here, as its been a while, but Dick and Helena needed to deal with a fella named "the ol' Gun" or something. This fella was blind, and literally the world through his gun. On a rooftop, Dick tries to talk him down instead of taking him out. He just about succeeds before agent 8 snipes him from a roof top, but also "dies" herself. All of this was framed around King's famous repetition of dialogue: Dick being called Agent 37 and responding with "thats not my name." I havent read all of King's work on Batman, or much outside of Grayson really, but this really might be his best issue. Its my favorite single issue of all time. It was a great look at who Dick Grayson is and out of place he was in Spyral.

That couldn't have been a look at who dick grayson was! Because he wasn't in a nightwing costumeand was a superspy. At less that's what some people say.

[Ascended]

Broadest of strokes here, as its been a while, but Dick and Helena needed to deal with a fella named "the ol' Gun" or something. This fella was blind, and literally saw the world through his gun. On a rooftop, Dick tries to talk him down instead of taking him out. He just about succeeds before agent 8 snipes him from a roof top, but also "dies" herself. All of this was framed around King's famous repetition of dialogue: Dick being called Agent 37 and responding with "thats not my name." I havent read all of King's work on Batman, or much outside of Grayson really, but this really might be his best issue. Its my favorite single issue of all time. It was a great look at who Dick Grayson is and out of place he was in Spyral.

Oh yeah! I remember that issue now!

Man, that was a great series.

How the hell did we get that gem, in this age of Didio trying his best to ruin Dick Grayson?

[byrd156]

In the Death of the Family, Dick seemed quite willing to kill Joker in his comic.

Death of the Family was bad, I completely forgot about that book.

[Ascended]

In the Death of the Family, Dick seemed quite willing to kill Joker in his comic.

This is why I think villains should be a little careful around Nightwing. Sure, he's gonna try real hard not to kill you and he really doesn't want to.....but he doesn't seem to have the near-absolute inability like Bruce seems to. Dick's a "heart on his sleeve" kinda dude, and you better hope you don't push him *too* far or you just might find yourself in a "Zod" kind of situation; six feet under with a hero who "doesnt kill" standing over you wondering how he let you push him that far.

[oasis1313]

Oh yeah! I remember that issue now!

Man, that was a great series.

How the hell did we get that gem, in this age of Didio trying his best to ruin Dick Grayson?

Maybe Didio put Seeley and King off in a broom closet, well away from the nice fancy DC offices, and said, "Do what you like--just don't bother me with it." And he ignored them until the book started getting some kudos, stuck his head out of his palatial editorial suite, and said, "Hey, I could put these guys on a higher-profile book!"