Nightwing’s canine Haley (aka Bitewing) pays tribute to his identify’s origins because the costumed avenger of Kandor within the Silver Age Superman comics.
Everybody is aware of Nightwing is the previous Boy Wonder Dick Grayson, however what number of are conscious of the origins of his identify as a Kryptonian hero? In actual fact, Grayson’s current adoption of his canine Haley winds up paying tribute to the unique Nightwing in a roundabout manner.
Though Dick Grayson adopted the moniker “Nightwing” after outgrowing his little inexperienced Robin booties, the legacy of the identify goes again a lot additional than that. The primary Nightwing to seem in DC Comics goes again to 1963’s Superman #158, by which Superman and Jimmy Olsen shrink down to go to the bottle metropolis of Kandor. Whereas there, the 2 don a pair of costumes clearly impressed by Batman and Robin, and start preventing crime as Nightwing and Flamebird. When the time got here for Grayson to strike out on his personal, the previous Boy Wonder took inspiration from Superman and Olsen’s time in Kandor, and took the identify Nightwing as a tribute to the Man of Metal.
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In his personal collection, Dick Grayson’s Nightwing has not too long ago adopted a pitbull pet named Haley. Grayson’s additionally taken to calling her his sidekick, giving her the nickname of “Bitewing.” Whereas cute, this additionally pays tribute to the unique incarnation of Nightwing in a somewhat roundabout manner. The unique Nightwing and Flamebird had their very own crime-fighting pooch named Nighthound. A telepathic canine stored in a Kandorian kennel, Nighthound made his first and solely look in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #69. The story sees enemies the Superman Revenge Squad inflicting havoc in Kandor. Superman and Jimmy Olsen shrink down to research, and discover themselves up in opposition to the telepathic canine. Nevertheless, Nighthound noticed the goodness in Jimmy Olsen’s coronary heart, and finally modified sides to assist Nightwing and Flamebird foil the Superman Revenge Squad’s scheme.
Following the continuity rewrite after 1986’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superman and Jimmy Olsen’s historical past as Nightwing and Flamebird have been wiped from the DCU. Nonetheless, giving Dick Grayson his personal canine sidekick acts as a pleasant tribute to the unique legacy, whether or not intentional or not. It additionally pays tribute to the traditional trope of heroes with pet sidekicks. Superman has had a number of by way of the years, with not Krypto the Tremendous-dog and Streaky the Tremendous-cat, but additionally Comet the Tremendous-horse and Beppo the Tremendous-monkey. Giving Dick Grayson his personal canine companion is taking part in into that proud comedian e-book custom, even whether it is up to date for contemporary sensibilities.
For whereas Nightwing’s place in comedian e-book historical past could proceed to evolve and alter, right here’s hoping Haley/Bitewing stays round for a very long time to come back.