Warning: This text incorporates SPOILERS for Harley Quinn season 3, episode 2.
Content material Warning: The next article incorporates discussions of sexual violence.
An episode of Harley Quinn season 3 concurrently launched the character of Dick Grayson and confirmed that the occasions of a horrible Nightwing story from the comics involving the vigilante Tarantula additionally occurred throughout the present’s continuity. The HBO Max present is infamous for its darkish humor and for making deep cuts into the lore of DC Comics. Regardless of this, it was nonetheless shocking to see the present reference one of the notorious Nightwing storylines of all time, though it properly didn’t try to mine that story for humor.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Harley Quinn season 3, episode 2, “There’s No Ivy In Staff,” discovered the primary Robin, Dick Grayson, returning to Gotham Metropolis after a number of years away. The Protector of Blüdhaven claimed to have performed this to assist his mentor with cleansing up his metropolis, as issues in Gotham had been even worse than typical following the occasions of the Harley Quinn season 2 ending. Nevertheless, it was revealed that Nightwing had an ulterior motive for his homecoming, after he had an emotional breakdown whereas trapped in a lethal escape room with Poison Ivy. Nightwing privately confessed that he “let Tarantula kill Blockbuster” and that he got here house as a result of he was afraid he could not lower it as a superhero with out Batman’s assist.
This was a direct reference to 2004’s Nightwing #93 by Devin Grayson, Patrick Zircher and Andy Owens, which closed out a long-running storyline. Curiously, this reference to the villain Tarantula was modified from the Harley Quinn season 3, episode 2 screeners launched to the press earlier than the season. The episode launched on HBO Max has Nightwing saying he “let Vigilante kill Blockbuster,” however the closed captioning for the episode nonetheless mentions Tarantula. Given the controversial nature of Nightwing #93 and Tarantula, it is smart that the showrunners and DC Comics might need thought higher of a direct reference. Nevertheless, with Harley Quinn season 3, episode 2 nonetheless making reference to the dying of Blockbuster, Nightwing nonetheless cannot escape his worst story from the unique Nightwing comics.
Why Nightwing’s Tarantula Story Is His Worst (& Why Harley Quinn Modified The Reference)
The problems main as much as Nightwing #93 discovered Dick Grayson’s life slowly being dismantled by the crime boss Blockbuster. Tarantula was a rival vigilante who helped Blockbuster as a result of Nightwing tried to have her arrested for the murders she dedicated as a part of her personal violent warfare on crime. Nevertheless, when Tarantula discovered that her beloved brother was being blackmailed into working for Blockbuster, she took issues into her personal arms and killed the crime boss whereas an emotionally and bodily exhausted Nightwing watched helplessly. Left in a state of shock by what he had seen, it took Nightwing a number of points to comprehend that Tarantula had raped him after murdering Blockbuster.
The Nightwing storyline drew criticism for a number of causes, starting from how by-product the story appeared of Daredevil: Born Once more to the informal use of sexual assault for shock worth. The response was so destructive that the run containing it stays one of many few on the month-to-month Nightwing comedian to not be collected in trade-paperback format. Provided that, it is simple to see why all reference to Tarantula was faraway from the audio monitor, if not the closed captioning. It’s stunning that Nightwing in Harley Quinn season 3 would reference such a regrettable storyline, however it’s much more shocking that the comedic animated collection treats the topic of Dick Grayson’s trauma with way more respect and delicacy than the unique comics.
Harley Quinn season 3 airs Thursdays on HBO Max.