Dick Grayson: Robin / Nightwing Appreciation 2020

[Journey]

I feel like I was supposed to care that he dropped old girl but I didn't........ Also am I the only one who doesn't care for the multiple Nightwings concept? I miss the Grayson days...

[Frontier]

I didn't like Nightwing Year One. It just felt like such a big swing and miss compared to some of the other Year One series. Robin Year One wasn't perfect but good enough and Batgirl Year One was great I thought. The two read well together, but I hate how Nightwing Year One is still the default origin in most cases and completely took the agency from Dick's character. I find the whole thing just frustrating. Judas Contract being in continuity post crisis was always a bit weird. At times it felt like it was, or some version of it at least, but then with Nightwing it wasn't. We are still dealing with it now given that Lazarus Contract was their attempt at rewriting it for Rebirth. Nightwing's whole origin is such a mess now.

Felt like the whole point of the story was Dick taking back his own agency, it just threw Bruce under the bus to do it.

I saw people advocating for him to have some yellow in his costume when this redesign by Kal Huset was circulating around on the internet and i actually agree.



About the comics today, Justice League was good, but overal this mini arc didn't do much for me. I still want Williamson writing Nightwing in some capacity.

Nightwing wasn't THAT bad, they finaly closed the arc with Bea and Dick beat KGBeast pretty easly. You can cleary see Jurgens closing the door on this stupid run. Just one more to go.

I think this could work as a modernized Discowing costume.

Red x all buff and big is weird lol

Agreed.

[Fergus]

They shoulda just saved his return for March in all honesty. Might've actually been able to do something with it instead of everybody just spinning their wheels until Future Slate starts.

The sceptic in me feels like the timing was more to gain goodwill for Tynion's Batman moreso than DC/BatOffice looking out for Dick's character.

The additional manipulation by Joker wasn't necessary and his return being tied to Joker War wasn't how I would have preferred it

[Drako]

Oh, Nightwing was also in Gotham Nights today.

[Claude]

Oh, Nightwing was also in Gotham Nights today.

Thanks of the heads-up, haven't been regularly picking that up since Russell left.

It's an interesting showing for Dick - on the one hand, it's basically a "dynamic duo" story with Dick as sidekick/partner rather than a solo hero guesting. On the other hand, he isn't made to look incompetent and in at least one area is significantly more knowledgeable than Bruce.

spoilers:

For my money, that's the real benefit of the Titans in Dick's mythology - that he would casually just know more about space and aliens than Bruce would, because one his closest friends/significant girlfriends was one.

end of spoilers

[K. Jones]

My morbid curiosity always getting the better of me because I'm a NIGHTWING fan, I did check out this KGBeast issue. And while it hit all the most dumb predictable beats, giving a full circle "unrevegengeance" moment where Nightwing beats up the Beast and cracks a joke, breaking the tension ... then proceeds to do to Bea what he's done to literally every girlfriend he's ever had in comics ... it just joins the long list of "wrapping up, moving on" stagnant runs of Nightwing, which sadly are more the norm. I feel like Nightwing spends more time as a book treading water than having inspired runs full of cool storytelling and creative choices. And that goes back ages. Hell, that goes back to Bronze Age Robin backups and New Teen Titans stories where everyone else in the gang has more interesting stories going on and Dick is just upon occasion disappearing, appearing to have changed his code of honor, but actually is just going undercover into whichever HIVE/Blood/Cult/Gang they're up against.

But the art was really nice in all three of the Nightwing appearances this week. Nice little reunion with the penciller from Tim Seeley's run, gorgeous (even with the ridiculous Metal costumes) JL art, and this was pretty pretty also.

[RedQueen]

Bea was fine, but just because the association with the Ric run, I'm not invested in the relationship. Now they closing off Ric lose threads I hope he can find a new groove somewhere.

[Blue22]

I feel like I was supposed to care that he dropped old girl but I didn't........ Also am I the only one who doesn't care for the multiple Nightwings concept? I miss the Grayson days...

I kinda figured things were about to end between them. And I didn't expect to feel bad for her...But man that was a shitty way to let her go. And a shitty reason too. Like...No, Dick. Alfred was right. Bruce was wrong. You have several heroes who could easily prove him wrong, one of whom is your best friend. Don't start with that "Heroes can't find love with normal people" bullshit. Especially when she's not that normal.

Ugggh...I wanted her to go away, and she did...But I don't like how she did lol

[Badou]

Bea was garbage. A complete nothing character that offered nothing to the story. I'll never understand why people defend her. She had no character beyond being "nice" and Dick magically fell deeply in love with her to the point where she was somehow the most important person to him in his life. It was completely unbelievable. Nothing was built up with their relationship and she has about as much depth as a spoon. At least with a Shawn she had some layers to her where she felt like an actual character but Bea had nothing. She is a textbook example of how not to create a love interest, imo.

The whole issue was just pathetic. Two fucking years of this Ric nonsense and they can't even get the return of him being Dick again right. Still not one moment where Dick is BACK and HAPPY to have his memories returned to him. It's still him just wallowing in his own misery and missing his life as Ric. Jurgens doesn't get it at all. It's been two issues now where Dick is basically sad to be Nightwing again. Is Jurgens trying to make the reader feel bittersweet about Dick's time as Ric? WHO CARES! What kind of fan wants to read that after 2 years of awful stories with Ric? Dick being back should have been a celebration not Dick being sad and crying that he can't be with the "love of his life" Bea because he is a superhero again. He was basically running around as a superhero as Ric while with her, but now it is an issue? I'm thrilled to be rid of her and the dumb Nightwings, and KGBeast was pathetic like usual, but that whole mess with Alfred was just bizarre. So the only thing Dick learned from this whole disaster is that he can't be happy and have normal relationships just like Batman? That should put the nail in the coffin for those who think Jurgens understands Dick's character at all. I guess now Dick wont ever date anyone that isn't a super powered character that can take care of themselves now, right? lol

As for Justice League it went as expected. The whole thing was just filler for the Death Metal event and had no real impact on the story. Him giving commands was nice as that was as competent as he has looked probably since the New 52 started, but it was the typical "the actual JL are gone so Dick steps in to act as a substitute" story that we've seen many times before. My big issue with it is I disliked how it made Dick seem like such a child looking up to the JL like they are adults and he is still some kid. I hate that dynamic. I want Dick to look at the JL characters and think of them as equals. That he is confident in himself and believes he is just as good as they are. It is why I want Dick to be a full JL member and have a seat at the table because he deserves it instead of only being at the table when they are gone. Hell, I'd love for him to demand a position instead of being handed it even, but it doesn't really matter as Dick will never be a full JL member. So it is a bit meaningless for me to harp on it.

[Aahz]

My morbid curiosity always getting the better of me because I'm a NIGHTWING fan, I did check out this KGBeast issue. And while it hit all the most dumb predictable beats, giving a full circle "unrevegengeance" moment where Nightwing beats up the Beast and cracks a joke, breaking the tension ...

I'm wondering if the writer even researched KGBeast, compared to "Ten Nights of the Beast" he was a total Joke in this issue.

[Blue22]

Not just this issue. KGBeast is pretty much the Batfamily's new punching bag now. First Bruce had a whack at him. Then Damian. Then Dick. Who's next? Jason? Tim? Batcow?

[Blue22]

that whole mess with Alfred was just bizarre. So the only thing Dick learned from this whole disaster is that he can't be happy and have normal relationships just like Batman? That should put the nail in the coffin for those who think Jurgens understands Dick's character at all.

Nail RIGHT on the head.

[WonderNight]

So let me get this right. Dick broke up with bea because he realized that relationships with civilians don't work for him. Is that right?

[Blue22]

So let me get this right. Dick broke up with bea because he realized that relationships with civilians don't work for him. Is that right?

That, along with some BS about how he's just like Bruce and that means he "can't be happy". The same nonsensical reason Selina left Bruce at the altar.

[Aahz]

Not just this issue. KGBeast is pretty much the Batfamily's new punching bag now. First Bruce had a whack at him. Then Damian. Then Dick.

That's of course true.

But when it comes to Dick, I think has been for a few years trend to have him overcome even pretty powerfull opponents way to easy, and that takes imo away a lot of tension from his stories.