The primary Robin might now be recognized finest as DC Comics’ Nightwing, however the unique Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson, wore one different mantle higher than anybody else when he took over as Batman for Bruce Wayne. Many heroes all through the DC Comics Omniverse have taken over the mantle of the Bat over the course of its decades-long historical past. However few have ever come near reaching the heights of the Batman id’s originator, Bruce Wayne.
Thankfully for followers, if there’s one factor Dick Grayson is aware of, it’s heights. And having donned his adoptive father’s cowl on a couple of event, Nightwing has greater than confirmed he has what it takes to be the last word Dark Knight, regardless of Bruce Wayne’s overwhelming legacy. However simply because Grayson was the most effective at being Batman doesn’t imply that being Batman was the most effective for Nightwing.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Regardless of establishing his personal id as his personal hero, Nightwing has needed to fill in as Batman on a couple of event. Following the occasions of the enduring “Knightfall” storyline, he quickly took over the function throughout the occasions of Batman: Prodigal by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, Alan Grant, Graham Nolan, Lee Weeks, Phil Jimenez, Bret Blevins, Ron Wagner, and Mike Gustovich earlier than Bruce Wayne returned to the function full-time. He wouldn’t totally undertake the Batman id till years later after Bruce Wayne’s obvious demise by the hands of Darkseid in Closing Crisis by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones, and extra. Throughout this time, he skilled Damian Wayne as the brand new Robin, fashioned a brand new model of the Justice League, and took on Gotham rogues like Two-Face and Professor Pyg. Even after Bruce’s return, Dick stayed on because the Batman of Gotham throughout Bruce’s formation of Batman, Integrated. And although he later left the mantle voluntarily, he’s quickly stuffed in for Bruce greater than as soon as within the years since.
Although Nightwing’s stints within the function didn’t final so long as these of fellow legacy heroes like Wally West, he nonetheless stuffed the function admirably. Many followers argue over whether or not Batman is the true masks or if Bruce Wayne is, however with Dick it was by no means in query. Whereas Dick did really feel like he needed to reside as much as Bruce’s legacy, in the end, he had nothing to show as he’d lengthy been an completed hero with expertise that surpass even the unique Batman.
Nightwing handled the function with the reverence it deserved, however he didn’t let it eat him the best way it did along with his mentor. Bruce has repeatedly mentioned that Dick is a clearer model of what Batman is meant to be, and his time behind the cowl proved this. Different Batmen like Jean-Paul Valley and even Commissioner Gordon himself ended their tenures recognizing they may by no means be the true Batman, however Dick voluntarily gave up the function to return to his true calling as Nightwing – regardless of Bruce’s insistence that they may share the mantle.
Grayson often is the final Batman, however being the Dark Knight in the end isn’t good for him. For the Dick’s total historical past, he’s been inexorably linked to Batman, and each inside continuity and in DC Comics’ publishing historical past, Nightwing has often fought to make his means out of Batman’s shadow as his personal hero. Whereas the Batman mantle uplifts Gotham’s residents as an emblem of hope, it weighs Dick Grayson down as an emblem of all the pieces he fought to flee.
Dick Grayson is a world class hero, and as Gotham’s Dark Knight, he wore the cape and cowl higher than Bruce Wayne or any of his different successors. However simply because the unique Robin is DC Comics’ finest man for the job doesn’t imply that it’s the most effective job for him. On the finish of the day, Nightwing is his personal man – one which simply occurs to be higher than Batman.