Dick Grayson: Robin, Nightwing, Batman, Agent of Spyral Appreciation 2019

[Tzigone]

I absolutely love 70s/80s era Dick. Greatly underrated.

What's your favorite story or writer for '70s Dick? I read some Batman Family (often silver-agish in stories, but fun, and great art in one issue) and Detective Comics. I didn't really like the resolution on Lori, since I have a annoyance with characters being narrative "punished" for dumping main characters by having crappy things happen to them and evil replacement love interests. I tried later (original) Teen Titans, but wasn't too into the stories, and disliked the Wally-jealous-of-Roy bits.

[Pohzee]

What's your favorite story or writer for '70s Dick? I read some Batman Family (often silver-agish in stories, but fun, and great art in one issue) and Detective Comics. I didn't really like the resolution on Lori, since I have a annoyance with characters being narrative "punished" for dumping main characters by having crappy things happen to them and evil replacement love interests. I tried later (original) Teen Titans, but wasn't too into the stories, and disliked the Wally-jealous-of-Roy bits.

I really enjoyed Mike Friedrich's run with Dick. He started writing Dick with a couple of backups before Dick even left before Hudson University which had the most fleshed out look we ever got at how Dick's time as a crimefighter impacted his social life as a high school student. Then he penned the first stint of Dick's time at Hudson University. I thought he did a pretty good job of building up a supporting cast. His Dick is socially conscious and rather averse to conflict and violence for a superhero. He mostly volunteered in the community and solved local mysteries rather than fighting supervillains. And his run culminates in a finale bringing together characters from Hudson as well as a few Titans like Roy and Lilith. IIRC he started writing when he was 16 or 17 so he was writing for the character while as the same age. I also appreciate the look into the era, with the "long hairs" and war protestors. I was sad that the next writer tossed most of these characters and threads truth be told. By the time Lori came around it seemed as though her and her Uncle were the only two recurring characters at Hudson U.

[Tzigone]

And his run culminates in a finale bringing together characters from Hudson as well as a few Titans like Roy and Lilith. IIRC he started writing when he was 16 or 17 so he was writing for the character while as the same age. I also appreciate the look into the era, with the "long hairs" and war protestors. I was sad that the next writer tossed most of these characters and threads truth be told.

I do recall some recurring characters of the era. I kinda got bored the repeated theme on protestors students v. town or students v. adults - kinda like when I listen to the radio shows (Superman or Green Hornet) from the early 40s and it's Nazi spies over and over and over again.

I'd have like to have seen the characters continue, but I can understand why the stories may have stopped - contemporary culture changed. It would be dated to keep up with the same story types that were topical a few years ago. From The Mod Squad (tv show from 1968 to 1973) you see a similar shift in stories from the earlier to later stories. I wonder if the timing is roughly the same as Robin in than shift. I think the last conscription for military was late 1972? I guess that would effect public perception. Especially once US pulled out of Vietnam and draft ended altogether. Not so much need for war protestors, then.

Also, it seem seems like a bit of a transitional period in the latter part of 60s and early 70s. There's a lot of "youth v. adults" (pops up in original Teen Titans in the 1960s) in the comics. By the mid (and probably early) 70s, it seems even the "parents" (Bruce, Barry, etc.) had long hair - same for all the adults in the background. Counter culture became culture (at least visually), or maybe it was just DC appealing to young readers. Still hit some race-and-poverty issues, but war protests and the youth-v-adult aspect seems to have ceased being a major component sometime in the early 1970s. But I wasn't born yet, and haven't studied it, so am only just assuming the comics were reflecting a change in society from early '70s to mid instead of just switching to a writer who didn't like that kind of stories.

[nhienphan2808]

Hate Robbins characterization of him (I can post panels for why, if anyone likes).

Please do. Frank Robbins stuff didn't draw me into it enough to notice anything wrong.

[Restingvoice]

So the Dick Grayson YA Lost Carnival GN is about meeting a new mysterious carnival and a girl called Lucinda or something.

[Tzigone]

Please do. Frank Robbins stuff didn't draw me into it enough to notice anything wrong.

Well, he had Dick quit in a unreasonable huff and move out. And roommate with a syndicate kingpin's son, who then kicked Dick's butt and held a gun on him. Thought it would be con, but no, he really did write Dick that incompetent.
RobinIdiot1.jpg

And he better not think he's competent
RobinIdiot2.jpg

In addition to being unreasonable and incompetent any time he disagrees with Batman, he's a bit of jerk
Robinjerk.jpg

[nhienphan2808]

Well, he had Dick quit in a unreasonable huff and move out. And roommate with a syndicate kingpin's son, who then kicked Dick's butt and held a gun on him. Thought it would be con, but no, he really did write Dick that incompetent.
RobinIdiot1.jpg

And he better not think he's competent
RobinIdiot2.jpg

In addition to being unreasonable and incompetent any time he disagrees with Batman, he's a bit of jerk
Robinjerk.jpg

Now i remember those. Robbins did write Dick some. Yeah these are annoying. I dislike most the third cos since when did Dick use pun to sass at strangers? he Only did that with enemies.

I seem to remember one or two main Batman and Tec stories around this time too that have him jump to conclusion with feelings and no critical or detective skills despite being trained, wouldnt be surprised if it was Robbin. Though i think every writer both old and modern had their share of idiot Robin/Nightwing to make Batman and everyone else look better. I'm just sad that it's always stupid versions of Dick that got immortalised - this annoying teen boy stuff is in the new52 too and it's even worse because he was Robin for 1 year. Really damaged Dick as a character.

I love NTT Dick as well. I love Golden Age Dick, and the little distinction he has to other kid sidekicks is he got the marks of a leader and a independent rebel. He was the coolest kid. DC has lied and stereotyped Dick to only the punny and happy go lucky Robin because it simply isn't true even in an era of little characterisation. Like Batman got his Golden Age dark detective root back during the 70s, I always think NTT Dick is the return of Golden Age Dick Grayson after years of camp and lightening, however different the circumtances. DC just never let Wolfman-Peres tell you that.

I feel angry Post Crisis Dick of 87-94 is really underappreciated. That was the difficult but defining era of drama for him regarding his family. Bruce was ugly, but Dick has gone through so much (NTT leave, Jason's death and getting over it to pass Robin to Tim) that I'm angry Dixon and later writers pretend this period - Prodigal he wrote himself - never happened. This set light into when he took Robin from Tim years later. i disagree it was a Batman-lite move or that Dick was doing the same thing Bruce did. I ranted a little about this before.

1. that he had to understand that tim’s situation is like his, that he should have learned from that time he was lost bc bruce fired him. but it’s not quite black and white like tim thinks. in dickÂ’s perspective, it’s becos he left and bruce acted that way that people died. jason was beyond saving. he’s trying to keep everyone alive this time. he has to save another of bruce’s son and maybe tim too. what he doesn’t understand is maybe he had nothing when bruce took him in , while tim was a normal kid who just lost everyone he loved in months. but dick told him straight out back in 94 that he couldn’t understand they are different (”be grateful for your parents at least they lived”)

2. that this is some fault/some conflict that has to be resolved. it was never a conflict. the real conflict is bruce firing him and making jason die. this is a years later resolution to that conflict. dickÂ’s silence (bless him) dissolves any conflict tim might have had with him. tim understood, or at least saw no point in arguing , thatÂ’s why he said no more about this.

3. that he could just have a talk with him before making a decision. again, the ‘talk” that resolves this is also more complicated than one think. people forgot that tim never knew the exact circumtances that led to jason's death and bruce and dick's fall out. dick hid being fired from tim all these years, which enabled tim to remove himself emotionally, to be good as robin and save bruce. dick could have said “he fired and replaced me too tim and a son literally died and when he didn’t die he’s wrecking **** up let me try with this one” but his secret of being fired and replaced is the bane of tim’s entire career as robin. he kept it safe for years so why not now. letting it out now is letting out all of bruce’s mistakes to tim. i dont think he could risk that while tim is in his mental low. maybe sit him down and have a LONG talk later, but not at that time when everything was so messy. the talk would be about why he even was robin - not even red robin.

[Rac7d*]

YJ was dissapointing

[Grayson - The Dark Heir]

His intro scene in Hush looks pretty good though .

I only just came across that, and I have to agree. Starting to see a cool pattern in these movies, they really like to give Dick the cool opening sequences lmao. I just hope they don't waste their own potential like they did with the very ending of Bad Blood. They spent the entire movie getting us to side with Dick and then robbing us of a satisfying conclusion to the fight with Bruce (I say this as someone who still loves Bad Blood to this day lol). If Hush goes the way of the other previous movies, we'll get the one or two good action scenes and Dick being mostly absent or useless for the rest of it. But here's hoping they do better.

[RickWJ324]

Having dropped this title recently due to it being an absolute s**t-fest starring Ric Grayson I'd like to ask (if spoilers please tag it): Has anything happened to give us an inkling as to when/if we can expect Dick to return? I think I've only missed 2 issues so far, so I seriously doubt it. Just curious if there are any signs of the sun rising again on this title?

[Godlike13]

No, nothing in the issues themselves so far. Just more of the same.

[Drako]

I only just came across that, and I have to agree. Starting to see a cool pattern in these movies, they really like to give Dick the cool opening sequences lmao. I just hope they don't waste their own potential like they did with the very ending of Bad Blood. They spent the entire movie getting us to side with Dick and then robbing us of a satisfying conclusion to the fight with Bruce (I say this as someone who still loves Bad Blood to this day lol). If Hush goes the way of the other previous movies, we'll get the one or two good action scenes and Dick being mostly absent or useless for the rest of it. But here's hoping they do better.

Can you provide a link, please? I can't find it.

[BloodOps]

Can you provide a link, please? I can't find it.

On the Itunes preview page.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/ba...h/id1462976676

[Drako]

On the Itunes preview page.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/ba...h/id1462976676

Thank you.

[bearman]

If Dick ever returns, intact, I would like to see him take a page from the YJ series, and head up the Justice League Espionage Squad.