Originally Posted by
Dzetoun
But it just didn't work out like that. After all, is Nightwing really independent of Batman? The origin of the character was in reaction to the Bat's shadow, and Dick attempted to establish himself in a position where the solo cartoons and TV shows and movies would come. But they never did. The resonance with Batman is too strong, the shadow too deep. In the end, he was and remained a Batman variant.
Dick Grayson, super spy, however, is not a Batman variant, however strong Dick's personal ties to Bruce might be. This is something different, something rare in the DCU. As such, it has potential Nightwing simply cannot boast. Yes, the transition has been a bungled mess. Yes, parts of it might not work. Personally, I am dubious as to whether Seeley and King can make the "pretending to be dead" plotline a narrative success -- but then, that's why they get royalty checks and I don't. But I agree with what Alexander Luthor said a while back: in ten years, after all the present mess has been forgotten, this will likely be remembered as a brilliant strategic move.
With regard specifically to adapting Grayson to TV or movies, sure there are challenges. But every property has its challenges, and super spies have built-in advantages. The present arc probably is too dependent on Batman to be adapted directly, I agree. But very few comic arcs, or literary properties of any type, have ever transitioned to other media without major changes, and there is no reason a Grayson TV show, for instance, would have to use any of the comic arcs at all.
And meanwhile, Tom King announced last night that TV Guide has done a full-length article on Grayson for their Comic Con edition, including it right after their latest spread on The Vampire Diaries. That is something Dick Grayson probably hasn't seen in a long time, and Nightwing probably never saw.