WARNING: The next accommodates spoilers for Detective Comics Annual #1, now on sale
Batman and Nightwing, the latter having briefly misplaced his reminiscence and residing for a time as Ric Grayson, find yourself revealing the final word distinction between them in Detective Comics Annual #1 by Mariko Tamaki, Matthew Rosenberg, David Lapham, Trish Mulvihill, Lee Loughridge and Ariana Maher. These long-simmering variations create a robust chance of a real divide between the 2 heroes and the remainder of the Bat-Household consequently.
Arkham Tower — constructed to deal with the mentally unwell of Gotham with hopefully extra care than they acquired in Arkham Asylum — has confirmed divisive as a difficulty in Gotham Metropolis. Notably, this extends to the Bat-Household as nicely. Batman has seemingly come to see the Asylum as a mandatory evil, a spot to place away the threats to town earlier than they damage others. In that respect, the failings of the hospital to rehabilitate its sufferers just isn’t his major concern.
In distinction, Nightwing has grown pissed off with the way in which the authorities merely forged apart the unwell, and is supportive of a brand new method. Throughout a pointed dialogue on the rooftops of the Gotham, Batman tries to clarify to Nightwing that their goal in Gotham is to not save lives or deliver peace to the troubled however to as an alternative shield the higher citizenry of town.
That is truly a quiet codification of the everlasting distinction between Batman and his sidekicks, notably Dick Grayson. The primary Robin and the present Nightwing, Grayson has lengthy been outlined by his dedication to serving to others and offering a extra pleasant and approachable distinction to the Dark Knight.
Whereas Batman is primarily pushed by vengeance, his associate has at all times been outlined by a want to assist others in the way in which his mother and father couldn’t be saved. All through the difficulty, this even extends to their method to suspects — with Nightwing making an attempt to speak them down whereas Batman depends on brute extreme drive. Batman largely ignores Nightwing’s issues till the top of the difficulty, when he recollects how his father’s teachings as a health care provider have been much like Dick’s motivations.
Though Bruce finally admits they need to be making an attempt to do extra (and helps prepare for the additional building of Arkham Tower), there’s nonetheless an implicit distinction in how the 2 heroes see their roles in Gotham. At its very core, they’ve completely different finish objectives: Nightwing needs to enhance the lives of everybody they work together with, whereas Batman needs to only put down the criminals and be achieved with it.
Neither choice is right and leaves the door open Gotham Metropolis’s criminals to both damage extra victims or turn into much more demented. However neither hero appears ready to again down from their imaginative and prescient for Gotham. Even Bruce’s beneficiant contribution to the Arkham Tower appears to be extra rooted in honoring the reminiscence and classes of his father reasonably than honest perception that that is the suitable path.
Batman agrees they should do extra however doesn’t appear to assume that is the suitable method to do it. With Batman poised to depart Gotham on a world journey, the dispute between the previous companions may be placed on maintain in the intervening time. However inevitably, the pair should come to phrases with the truth that they see the world via very completely different views.
With Dick Grayson typically seen because the inheritor obvious to the function of Batman ought to something occur to Bruce, it could imply the legacy of the Dark Knight won’t agree with Bruce’s imaginative and prescient for the function. This might even be seen as the start of an inside battle throughout the Bat-Household going ahead.