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  1. #1
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    Default Anyone else feel annoyed that Dick is pretty much expected to become Batman?

    I feel like it him constantly being attached to Batman is limiting to his character. Despite being Nightwing longer than he was Robin by now, he's still expected to succeed Bruce. It's worse when you realize that Batman has at least four other Robins that could fill the role.

  2. #2
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    But none more qualified.

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    Savior of the Universe Flash Gordon's Avatar
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    Richard Grayson is the heir to Batman. That's what he has been set up to do since day 1.

    Honestly there shouldn't be as many Robins as there are, within continuity. There should be Richard and Damien, and maybe another one in between if you want.

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    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PCN24454 View Post
    . . . Despite being Nightwing longer than he was Robin by now, . . .
    Depends on how you're counting how long he was "Robin" and how long he's been "Nightwing".

    Dick Grayson was introduced as Robin way back in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940). He first became Nightwing in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July 1984), which was forty-four years later. He only became Nightwing thirty-five years ago, and some of those years he had taken over the role of Batman.

    Now, if you're talking about in-comic-book-universe-time, has it been clearly defined how many years he spent as Robin and how many years he was Nightwing? Seems that DC is always being very wishy-washy/fuzzy on those things, changing it again from time to time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Flash Gordon View Post
    Richard Grayson is the heir to Batman. That's what he has been set up to do since day 1.

    Honestly there shouldn't be as many Robins as there are, within continuity. There should be Richard and Damien, and maybe another one in between if you want.
    So basically everyone but your favorites are redundant?

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    Quote Originally Posted by PCN24454 View Post
    I feel like it him constantly being attached to Batman is limiting to his character. Despite being Nightwing longer than he was Robin by now, he's still expected to succeed Bruce. It's worse when you realize that Batman has at least four other Robins that could fill the role.
    Most people expect Dick to someday become Batman because he's the only one of Bruce's protege who doesn't royally screw up in future timelines when the mantle is passed down.

    Jason has never been depicted as taking up the mantle in the future.

    When Tim takes over he goes full dictator and fascism.This happened twice.

    Damian is implied to destroy Gotham and sell his soul to the devil for power or something.

    Dick was a pretty good Batman the one time he took the mantle.

  7. #7
    Astonishing Member Adekis's Avatar
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    I've long felt like the concept of Dick becoming Batman someday was kind of put right to rest by the fact that he, well, stopped being Batman, in 2011. At the time, I was annoyed by this. I wanted Dick to stay Batman forever, I wanted Bruce to stay dead for, I don't know, a comparable amount of time to Hal Jordan. Actually, if I recall correctly, I wanted Bruce to turn out to be the Phantom Stranger after he died. Anyway. Since then I've come more around to the alternative perspective that Dick is just happier not being Batman or pursuing it, and to me, that's a good enough reason for him not to be.

    Tim, on the other hand...
    "You know the deal, Metropolis. Treat people right or expect a visit from me."

  8. #8
    Savior of the Universe Flash Gordon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PCN24454 View Post
    So basically everyone but your favorites are redundant?
    Did I say who my "favorites" were? Richard Grayson IS Robin, he's the OG. The Watson to Batman's Holmes.

    Damian is Batman's son and the current Robin. He's narratively compelling and is an easy sell as ROBIN, SON OF BATMAN.

    I said you can slip a second in there if you really want to, but I do very much oppose the notion of a "dead Robin". I don't think Batman, as a character, can operate with that on his hands. I also think it's needlessly grimdark.

    Richard Grayson is by far my favorite though, sure.

  9. #9
    Black Belt in Bad Ideas Robanker's Avatar
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    He's the best qualified despite his protests. I imagine that makes him particularly infuriating for, say, Damien despite their affection for one another. The latter so desperately wants to be the best Robin and become Batman, but Dick was the gold standard for Robin and abandoned it to be his own man and is also clearly the only person who can be Batman. It's that he doesn't want either and Damien does that kind of makes Dick such a strong foil for Damien. Dick has something of a problem fulfilling his potential. He's one of the DCU's best leaders and has done so on most teams, but refuses to graduate to the Justice League (I'm almost certain that would be the best day of Bruce's life) for more than five minutes. He's the clear choice to take over for Bruce, but he doesn't want to. He's the clear choice to mentor Damien and really push him into being a better person, but he seems to be a bit more aloof and wanting to let him find his own way. Let's not get started on his love life.

    Part of Dick's story does seem to imply he has some built-in problem with being at the top or committing to anything for too long.

    I think the reason Dick is constantly being pushed to the cowl is that he was great at it and the run was cut short, so nobody had time to really miss Bruce and Dick got what he and he alone wanted: to be Nightwing again. DC is determined to keep him out of that identity, but that's not really relevant to this discussion. He's got the skills, but more than anything, he's his own man and for that reason alone, his Batman wouldn't be a cover band. He'd do something all his own while still honoring Bruce's crusade, but more than anything, he'd see it as the opening act to the proper successor. He'd leave as soon as he could and, ironically, leave his own impossible act to follow.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Flash Gordon View Post
    I said you can slip a second in there if you really want to, but I do very much oppose the notion of a "dead Robin". I don't think Batman, as a character, can operate with that on his hands. I also think it's needlessly grimdark.
    Except...he has. In fact, I think Jason Todd served as a stark reminder of the cost of Bruce's war on crime, at least before he was resurrected and even after that. Tim Drake is also just an amazing character so...yeah, those Robins are more than welcome.
    Last edited by Green Goblin of Sector 2814; 04-13-2019 at 05:43 AM.

  11. #11
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    He's Nightwing. Has been since the eighties. He's already found a new top-tier, and, at best, becoming Batman would be a lateral move for Dick. (Or even a demotion of sorts, because he is *the* Nightwing, and he'd always be 'the *new* Batman' or 'the second Batman' or 'the best of the runner-ups.')

    Plus who the heck wants to be the 'heir' to someone who is never going to die? Sounds like a thankless job, to me.

    1000 years from now, the world will look *nothing* like the Legion of Super-Heroes future, and comic-book stories will probably be downloaded directly into our digitized brains, but Bruce Wayne will still be Batman and Dick Grayson will not.

  12. #12
    Incredible Member Slim Shady's Avatar
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    The only person besides Dick Grayson that should even be considered is Damian.

  13. #13
    Ultimate Member SiegePerilous02's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PCN24454 View Post
    I feel like it him constantly being attached to Batman is limiting to his character. Despite being Nightwing longer than he was Robin by now, he's still expected to succeed Bruce. It's worse when you realize that Batman has at least four other Robins that could fill the role.
    He's never going to be completely separated from Batman. That doesn't have to be as detrimental as DC allows It to be though.

    The other Robins being able to fill the role dirsnt mean they will, because there is no logical reason to pass over Dick. He's been in the franchise almost as long as Bruce himself, and has the closest relationship. He's The trail blazer all others follow. The history makes him the #1 choice. Its not in his character to WANT to be Batman, but it's also not in his character to forsake the mantle if Bruce is out of the picture. Passing him over in favor of somebody else always feels artificial and transparent. We have this stupid Ric situation because King wants another Batman stand in but there's no way that that can happen as long as Dick is around.

  14. #14
    Ultimate Member SiegePerilous02's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zeeguy91 View Post
    Except...he has. In fact, I think Jason Todd served as a stark reminder of the cost of Bruce's war on crime, at least before he was resurrected and even after that. Tim Drake is also just an amazing character so...yeah, those Robins are more than welcome.
    It also started Batman down the road of becoming an increasingly aloof and abusive father figure. He and his popularity have clearly endured it and increased, but I agree with Flash Gordon that it kind of casts a shadow on Bruce's character and history that he would be better off without IMO. At least for some of us.

  15. #15
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by king81992 View Post
    . . . Dick was a pretty good Batman the one time he took the mantle.
    He's actually served as "Batman" for longer that a day or so more than once before Morrison/"R.I.P.".

    In 1994, after Bane broke Bruce's back and after the Bat-mantle was taken back from Jean-Paul Valley, Dick took the Batman role while Bruce finished his recovery.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sutekh View Post
    He's Nightwing. Has been since the eighties. He's already found a new top-tier, and, at best, becoming Batman would be a lateral move for Dick. (Or even a demotion of sorts, because he is *the* Nightwing, and he'd always be 'the *new* Batman' or 'the second Batman' or 'the best of the runner-ups.')
    But Dick wasn't the first "Nightwing".

    Superman/Kal-El was the original Nightwing, and he was the original inspiration for Dick taking that name/identity.



    Also, in 1977 a relative of Superman (a second cousin named Van-Zee) took over the Nightwing identity in the bottle city of Kandor for a feature that ran in the Superman Family series.

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