Dick Grayson: Robin / Nightwing Appreciation 2020

[Jackalope89]

Dick's hair from YJ season 2 on is about ideal, for me anyway.

[Ascended]

I'm a bit of a square, but I prefer Dick with the clean cut look now. The long hair works for a just graduated and rebellious Robin stepping out onto his own, but he's no longer in that place right now. With two ex-Robin's behind him, he's lost his edge and had to step into mode of a leadership role.

That said... I really dig Seeley's drawing there.

I dunno man, Dick's only like 25 or so. He's still pretty damn young. And I don't think long hair is considered edgy anymore anyway?

Is shoulder length even considered long, or just medium?

Dick's hair from YJ season 2 on is about ideal, for me anyway.

It's a tad shorter than I'd like personally, but this right here is my #2 choice. He looks great on YJ. If only the comics treated him so well!

I mean, really, all that matters is that he has fabulous hair. But if Dick's supposed to be DC's official male sex symbol I feel like they could lean into it a bit and let him change his look now and then to match what's considered fashionable at any given time.

Oh, as a totally random aside, has anyone noticed that with the YJ emblem, if you drew a line between the top corners of the wings you'd have a Superman "S" shield style shape? Subtle shout out to his uncle, or design coincidence? You decide!!!!

[Digifiend]

YJ Superman isn't even close to Conner, let alone Dick.

[Shamrock Holmes]

I dunno man, Dick's only like 25 or so. He's still pretty damn young. And I don't think long hair is considered edgy any more anyway? Is shoulder length even considered long, or just medium?

Considering that his age was given as twenty during Crisis on Infinite Earths, I'd consider that unlikely assuming that you mean post-Rebirth and not during the redicuously inconsistent deaging period of Nu52, where he was called out as being only twenty-one... that's Jason or more likely Tim based on the usual figures. I believe shoulder length hair is usually considered long for a guy and medium for a woman.

YJ Superman isn't even close to Conner, let alone Dick.

I agree that YJ!Superman isn't close to Nightwing, however him not being close to Connor only lasted through s1, by Invasion he had given Connor a personal "nickname" (Kon-El) and towards the end of Outsiders they are close enough that Conner asks him to be his best man (rather than Dick, Kaldur or one of the Harpers) which isn't something that you do for someone you're "not close too".

[Ascended]

YJ Superman isn't even close to Conner, let alone Dick.

I didn't mean in that specific continuity, just as a kind of quiet shout out to the characters' history.

Considering that his age was given as twenty during Crisis on Infinite Earths, I'd consider that unlikely assuming that you mean post-Rebirth and not during the redicuously inconsistent deaging period of Nu52, where he was called out as being only twenty-one... that's Jason or more likely Tim based on the usual figures

If we hadn't had things derailed by the New52, I'd guess Dick is around 28 or so now, give or take a year or two. I don't know if Rebirth changed Dick's age, unless we're including a ripple effect from stuff like Superman Reborn. Rebirth continuity is as messed up as New52 continuity, so I figured I'd split the difference between the 52's idiotic "Dick is only 21" crap and what I figure would be his proper age if not for reboots and Manhattan nonsense.

Either way, dude is still young.

I believe shoulder length hair is usually considered long for a guy and medium for a woman.

Could be? I'm pretty far from an expert in hair.

[Pohzee]

On the topic of logos, I find it pretty interesting that some of Wonder Woman's costumes, including the movie, feature an eagle's head on her armor, one that looks similar to Nightwing's. There's no canonical basis for it, but I do think it would be cool to add a connection to her in the formation of the Nightwing identity as well. The idea being that growing up with the Trinity led him to draw inspiration from all three of them. Rather than just Superman and Batman.

[Restingvoice]

I didn't know Seeley could draw. Nice work.

Nice to see Dick with longer hair too. That length is definitely my preferred look for him, regardless of the costume.

But what's up with the fishnets on his forearms? I don't remember that from any costume?

Actually, speaking of hair.....Dick's had a lot of haircuts over the years, short, long, medium length, clean and slick, messy....do we think Dick should have one single haircut the way Superman and most other characters do (discounting the occasional mullet), or should Dick try to stick with the times and change his 'do occasionally? I could see him rocking one of those viking style cuts that seem popular right now....long on top, shaved on the sides and back....what's it called, a undercut or something? Damian has something like that too, only it's still fairly short on top.

Obviously a modern haircut could end up looking dated after a while, but that doesn't seem like much of a hurdle if you ask me. We might shake our heads at Superman's 90's mullet, but it doesn't really ruin the reading or anything.

If we go by the usual definition that Dick is supposed to be the young and sexy one, the idealized young man that youth follows and idolize... the trendsetter, then he should do whatever trendy hair at any given era. His long hair in the 90s and the mullet was because it was trendy at that time.

That said, Jason is younger and more around that college-age where you experiment with hair, and they did give him the undercut. Not many people like that, and right now Jason fans already love Dexter Soy's depiction. Cut short, then completed with Adidas-inspired sporty clothing.

They seem to have settled for short shaggy hair for Dick, but depending on the artist's and situation it's either unkempt or styled. Barrows and whoever draws for Percy's arc gave him the unkempt look, Minkyu Jung styled more like Korean boyband, and Marcus To goes for anime, but they're pretty much the same length.

So I guess Dick should be more of a young professional age where he already has a steady look, but since he's not on the job often and he's a messy person, a shaggy look fits him well.

It can be styled for a date, arranged neatly for work, unkempt when he's on his own, and giving that windswept look when he's on rooftops to go along with his handsome face but short enough that it's not getting in the way of his eyes.

[K. Jones]

On the topic of logos, I find it pretty interesting that some of Wonder Woman's costumes, including the movie, feature an eagle's head on her armor, one that looks similar to Nightwing's. There's no canonical basis for it, but I do think it would be cool to add a connection to her in the formation of the Nightwing identity as well. The idea being that growing up with the Trinity led him to draw inspiration from all three of them. Rather than just Superman and Batman.

He is the Boy WONDER, after all.

We all know the DC Trinity is actually secretly a Quartet and Dick Grayson is that D'Artagnon.

[Ascended]

He is the Boy WONDER, after all.

We all know the DC Trinity is actually secretly a Quartet and Dick Grayson is that D'Artagnon.

Damn straight.

I'd be fine with Diana having more of an influence on young Dick's life, but at this point we can barely get DC to recognize Dick's established relationships outside of Gotham, so giving Diana extra weight seems damn unlikely.

If we go by the usual definition that Dick is supposed to be the young and sexy one, the idealized young man that youth follows and idolize... the trendsetter, then he should do whatever trendy hair at any given era. His long hair in the 90s and the mullet was because it was trendy at that time.

That said, Jason is younger and more around that college-age where you experiment with hair, and they did give him the undercut. Not many people like that, and right now Jason fans already love Dexter Soy's depiction. Cut short, then completed with Adidas-inspired sporty clothing.

It's true that Jason is closer to that "experimental college" age, but he never struck me as the kind of guy who'd pay much attention to this sort of thing.

[Rac7d*]

Damn straight.

I'd be fine with Diana having more of an influence on young Dick's life, but at this point we can barely get DC to recognize Dick's established relationships outside of Gotham, so giving Diana extra weight seems damn unlikely.



It's true that Jason is closer to that "experimental college" age, but he never struck me as the kind of guy who'd pay much attention to this sort of thing.

considering. He woke up 18 I doubt he cares

[dropkickjake]

I'm a big fan of the shaggy look for him. I think he should look like he *had* a nice haircut, but constantly needs to get back to the barber.

Saw the blue and yellow costume come up as well, so I'm gonna use that as a jumping off point for one of my controversial Nightwing opinions: His costume really SHOULD be blue and yellow still. Honestly the two tones of blue + gold from his titans day work great with his current iconography. The black and blue suit was literally an attempt to make him seem more like batman, darker and edgier. The blue and yellow feels more like something a performer would wear. I'd like the current costume in a dark blue, with a gold chevron/bird head. and lightblue mask, gloves, and boots.

[Ascended]

I've wondered if it's time to put a little more color back into Dick's costume as well. I really did love the blue-yellow one from the early 90's.

I'm not sure though; the blue-black look he's had for the last twenty-odd years is extremely well known and is the look he's had in every larger media appearance, except for one of those animated movies that did the New52 black-red, I think? If we can say that Nightwing has a "iconic" design, it's the blue-black costume, and changing that too drastically might be a step backwards for his brand recognition.

Perhaps a fusion, where we take the blue-black and add in some yellow or something, would work? But really, I think the blue-black is a good look; easy to tweak without losing the overall design sensibility, it looks good, and it's Nightwing's most well known costume.

[Godlike13]

Every new costume now more or less just illiterates his costume peaked in the 00’s. Because they’re all just variations of that basic outline. Now don’t get me wrong, I like that costume, but I’m not liking how the variations of it are getting simpler and simpler. To be just a black jump suit with a symbol in the middle. Though at the same time a costume can be too busy, like his new Robin costume. So i don't know, i guess simpler is still better than that.

[Drako]

If this costume was blue, it would be my favorite ever. He has the gauntlet that serves as a utility belt, has that spikes in his arms, reminiscing of his time as Batman, the stripes, a lot a cool details. I really like this suit.

The only bad part is the red.

[Pohzee]

I've had the same thought that the blue and yellow look would probably be a better representation of the character. But... I like the black and light blue look too much to give it up.

Personally I never think it's quite been done right in the comics, but it's getting there. The early 00's didn't have a particularly iconic logo which is why his logo from the animated show has gained such recognition with the character despite never appearing in the comics. We're moving in that direction, but the Rebirth suit still has a few unnecessary flourishes that are too detailed or not well thought out to be a truly iconic design.

For my money, the best Dick has ever looked is the Animated Series skin in the Batman Arkham City game, where he had the full black suit with the iconic blue eagle but no unnecessary detailing. (And they chopped the mullet!)