Originally Posted by
Badou
Here is what I think the problem is as far as comparisons to other heroes. There are really 3 heroes that define the "street level" superhero in comics right now. They are Batman, Spider-man and Daredevil. They all have a lot in common, but there are enough differences in their characters and stories to where they feel unique. The problem is that a solo Nightwing doesn't really bring anything to the table that those other 3 iconic heroes don't already bring.
So when you break down the Nightwing character into the traits that define him you can really see how difficult it is for him to stand out. He doesn't really have anything that is unique to him.
Detective - Batman is the greatest detective in the world
Martial artists - Batman is better than him and the others are stronger than him
No Powers - Batman has that
Not a super genius - Daredevil isn't one unlike Batman and Spider-man
Tragic past - The 3 others have that
Normal job - Daredevil is a lawyer
Lighthearted/Younger hero - Spider-man has that
Grounded/Gritty stories - Daredevil has that
Costume - The other 3 have far more iconic costumes
Escrima sticks - Daredevil has a similar weapon
Bludhaven - Daredevil has Hell's Kitchen, Spider-man NYC, and Batman Gotham
Rogues - Batman and Spider-man have the two greatest Rogue galleries in all of comics
Well liked by other heroes - Spider-man can and has joined pretty much every big Marvel team and has friends there
Leader - Batman is the more important leader
Teen Titans - Batman has the Justice League
There are basic comparisons, but the point is basically he doesn't really have anything that is unique to him. I don't really know how this changes either. I'm not saying you can't tell great Nightwing stories (though I don't think we've ever gotten one) but it is just very difficult because of how behind he is compared to these other heroes as a brand. The only thing unique to him is that he created Robin and was trained by another superhero. Of course because there are now 4 Robin in like 5 years the Robin concept is completely diluted as well. So that doesn't mean as much anymore.