Dick Grayson: Robin/Batman/Nightwing/Agent 37 Appreciation 2022

[JackJustMetMartin]

On Dick Grayson and body image, here's a good thread regarding that

[Frontier]

I think it's quite a smart fix, to be honest - when Bruce was "dad", you'd have years and years of "Bruce is so damaged, how can he possibly have been a good dad - Dick must have been traumatised!" takes. If the day to day Dad Stuff is taken over by Alfred, then Bruce is free to take the credit/blame for what he actually does - rather than what fandom can't imagine him doing.

(Personally, between the three Dick, Bruce and Alfred, I don't buy that there is a conventional "dad" role - that seems a bit cutesy and simplistic. What makes Bruce growing up being looked after by a loving Butler, and then then both taking in another child, interesting is that it's messy and awkward. Alfred wasn't Dick's (Or Bruce's!) Dad, he was his Butler - he dressed as a butler, spoke to him like a butler, and took a wage as a butler. It's a very unlikely and weird situation - which always felt like the point!)

To be honest it still feels like throwing Bruce under the bus or diminishes the positive impact he has on the kids. Because it feels like most people don't give him much in the way of beneficial credit for taking them in and being a father figure to them rather as just an excuse for how screwed up they became.

I mean, really, thinking on it I would still think Dick would spend most of his time with Bruce as Robin rather than just waiting at the Manor unless it was like after school or before he comes back from Wayne Enterprises

[Rac7d*]

To be honest it still feels like throwing Bruce under the bus or diminishes the positive impact he has on the kids. Because it feels like most people don't give him much in the way of beneficial credit for taking them in and being a father figure to them rather as just an excuse for how screwed up they became.

I mean, really, thinking on it I would still think Dick would spend most of his time with Bruce as Robin rather than just waiting at the Manor unless it was like after school or before he comes back from Wayne Enterprises

He has to many kids at this point honestly

[Badou]

It feels like we are in such a golden era of art for Dick Grayson at the moment. He's appearing in so many different books with a lot of great artist that every week there is something new. Not sure it has been better since I've been reading.

[WonderNight]

It feels like we are in such a golden era of art for Dick Grayson at the moment. He's appearing in so many different books with a lot of great artist that every week there is something new. Not sure it has been better since I've been reading.

Yeah nightwing is almost an A lister finally!!

[Mantis-Ray]

He has to many kids at this point honestly

We could just give him a favorite at this point

Hell I always thought Tim was the devoted son of the Robins

[Rac7d*]

We could just give him a favorite at this point

Hell I always thought Tim was the devoted son of the Robins

Tim is the lost middle child that didnt need to be there

[Avi]

I think it's quite a smart fix, to be honest - when Bruce was "dad", you'd have years and years of "Bruce is so damaged, how can he possibly have been a good dad - Dick must have been traumatised!" takes. If the day to day Dad Stuff is taken over by Alfred, then Bruce is free to take the credit/blame for what he actually does - rather than what fandom can't imagine him doing.

(Personally, between the three Dick, Bruce and Alfred, I don't buy that there is a conventional "dad" role - that seems a bit cutesy and simplistic. What makes Bruce growing up being looked after by a loving Butler, and then then both taking in another child, interesting is that it's messy and awkward. Alfred wasn't Dick's (Or Bruce's!) Dad, he was his Butler - he dressed as a butler, spoke to him like a butler, and took a wage as a butler. It's a very unlikely and weird situation - which always felt like the point!)

I think so too. There should be complications because neither are a good dad stereotype, especially not while Dick is young when they are figuring out for the first time how a dynamic between (foster) father/guardian—ward/adoptee—butler/guardian works.

I agree with @Mantis-Ray that making Alfred the perfect father takes away from Bruce. Bruce shouldn't be perfect, but he still had the bigger connection to Dick.

I also think making Alfred perfect does a disservice to his character. No edges are boring. I'm a lot more interested in the Alfred who sees himself as more servant than father.

[haru1234]

I still wanted a Nightwing movie and waited a long time for that. ong ruot ga loi thep

[Rac7d*]

I think so too. There should be complications because neither are a good dad stereotype, especially not while Dick is young when they are figuring out for the first time how a dynamic between (foster) father/guardian—ward/adoptee—butler/guardian works.

I agree with @Mantis-Ray that making Alfred the perfect father takes away from Bruce. Bruce shouldn't be perfect, but he still had the bigger connection to Dick.

I also think making Alfred perfect does a disservice to his character. No edges are boring. I'm a lot more interested in the Alfred who sees himself as more servant than father.

How can he have the bigger connection, when Alfred is the one doing most of the parenting. When they are hungry, when they are sick, when school calls. His role can never be diminished, Bruce is the one figuring out the balance of Batman and himself, then takes in a child and has to juggle that as well. And he’s not the best at it, he’ll 4 kids later he’s still not

[OOPS]

I don't know that this is a Nightwing discussion so much, but I don't see Alfred as a great father. Alfred raised the Dark Knight, Bruce raised Dick Grayson. One has complex relationships with his children, but when in need the return to him. One has a daughter that disappears for long periods. I think if we're judging them on who they've been presented over the years, neither is a sterling example (remember Alfred prioritizing adult Bruce over child Damian and teen Tim?)

For me, the question is why does editorial via the writers, want to deconstruct their heroes into villains. Why paint Bruce as verbally abusive? When Robin was introduced, the character was supposed to bring younger readers and humanize Batman. However, since about Snyders run, instead of humanizing Batman, its just villainized Batman.

Until this turn, the relationship of Bruce with each of his children mirrored normal family dynamics, but elevated through the lens of superhero story telling. Now, it tends to just be mean.

[WonderNight]

I don't know I feel like fans overrate how much of a family the batfan actually is. Like Dick is the only one bruce actually rised and Damian is currently being rised. Jason died early in the relationship before coming back and tim has had his family with him about all the way up to adulthood.

[redmax99]

How can he have the bigger connection, when Alfred is the one doing most of the parenting. When they are hungry, when they are sick, when school calls. His role can never be diminished, Bruce is the one figuring out the balance of Batman and himself, then takes in a child and has to juggle that as well. And he’s not the best at it, he’ll 4 kids later he’s still not

Yeah no, you forget their are panels that show Bruce was the one picking dick up from school when he got into fights or talking to Jason principal when he was falling asleep inside school or Bruce switching Tim from private to public school. Alfred counseled Bruce on how to.raise dick and Jason but Bruce put in the work for them

@wondernight Jason didn't die early they just retcon the heck out of Jason age to make it seem like Bruce only had him for a year

[Avi]

World's Finest continues to be where I get my Dick Grayson fix. He's an absolute delight. I'm so looking forward to the Titans cave tour.

As someone who has stopped caring about the mainstory of DC vs Vampires months ago, the King Dick back-up is decent enough as its own thing. It's not as great as I hoped it would be, especially the dialogue suffered a bit this time, but I really like how Haining draws Dick in action.

[Zagre]

As someone who has stopped caring about the mainstory of DC vs Vampires months ago, the King Dick back-up is decent enough as its own thing. It's not as great as I hoped it would be, especially the dialogue suffered a bit this time, but I really like how Haining draws Dick in action.

spoilers:

I appreciate they didn't try to cram the whole backstory into what basically amounts to a single issue. They went to the very basics and did them well. I specially like the little moment where he can't bring himself to stake Melinda

end of spoilers