The Flash presents Nightwing with an upgraded look that will protect him in the field. But the new suit does nothing to protect his head.
Even though Nightwing may have a sleek new costume designed, partly by his best friend, The Flash, it has one major design flaw that Wally West should never have allowed. In a recent issue of Nightwing, Wally presents Dick Grayson with an upgraded look that will help protect him in the field while looking great. But Nightwing’s new bulletproof suit does nothing to protect his head, despite Dick’s history with near-fatal head injuries.
Dick Grayson—as Robin, Nightwing, and even Batman—has always needed a flexible costume design, given his natural abilities as an acrobat. Dick’s costume choices have always been “stylish,” too; take his classic “Discowing” look, or even the newly-returned fingerstripes, which were a staple of his costume for years and have now seen a triumphant return with Nightwing’s new Flash-provided suit. But in Batman #55 by Tom King, Tony S. Daniel, Danny Miki, Tomeu Morey and Clayton Cowles, the contract killer KGBeast shoots Nightwing in the head. Dick Grayson proceeds to lose his memories of his old life as both Dick and Nightwing, much to the intense disappointment of his family and friends. Though Dick eventually regained his memories—and shed the moniker “Ric” Grayson—few will forget how this injury severely impacted Nightwing’s life and well-being.
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Few were as distraught about Dick’s injury and amnesia as Dick’s best friend, Wally West—the current Flash. Dick and Wally have been close since their Teen Titans days, and in Nightwing #88 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas, and Andworld Designs, Wally helps his best friend by providing a new and improved suit, co-designed by one of DC’s smartest heroes, Mr. Terrific. The new suit is flexible, thin (to fit under civilian clothes), and protects against both bullets and stabbings. It’s an essential new tool in Nightwing’s crimefighting life, all thanks to the Flash and Mr. Terrific.
Despite these features, one major flaw in the suit remains—it doesn’t provide protection for Nightwing’s head. Dick will still be fighting crime in a domino mask without a cowl or helmet. After Dick’s life-changing head injury, Wally should have tried to build in more head protection, especially since he’s still intensely angry about KGBeast’s attempt on Dick’s life and Dick’s subsequent stint as “Ric Grayson.” Mr. Terrific also co-designed the new suit, and he’s one of the smartest heroes alive. Even if Dick eschewed head protection for his usual style, it’s strange that neither the Flash nor Mr. Terrific insisted on providing options with skull protection.
The Flash is, without a doubt, Nightwing’s best friend, and it’s odd that he designed Dick a new suit with such a major flaw. Hopefully readers won’t see the return of Ric Grayson and Dick’s head trauma—and it does seem like Dick’s amnesia is far in his rearview mirror. His friends and allies are still worried for him, though, and it’s touching to see Wally West as the Flash design a new bulletproof suit for Nightwing—even if it does lack a cushioned helmet.
About The Author Kate O’Donoghue (28 Articles Published)
Kate O’Donoghue is a writer and poet from Long Island. She recently earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Purdue University, where she spent a lot of time writing poems about Superman. She is a former poetry and web editor at Sycamore Review and the former assistant poetry editor of The Nation. Her creative work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Rumpus, Grist, Spoon River Poetry Review, Ninth Letter, The Normal School, and elsewhere. She is proud to be a first-generation American and a first-generation college graduate; she earned her BA at Muhlenberg College, where she also served for two years as the Assistant Director of the Writing Center. In addition to writing for Screen Rant, Kate teaches undergraduate courses on poetry and fiction at Purdue. She has been a Robin expert for 10 years and counting, but writing comic book news for Screen Rant means she gets to fulfill her high school dream of being exactly like Lois Lane. Follow her on Twitter for poem thoughts and comic book talk: @kate_odo.
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