Warning: The next comprises spoilers for Nightwing #82, on sale now from DC.
As Robin, Nightwing, and numerous different costumed aliases, Dick Grayson has remained a real hero all through his life. It appears as if heroism has come naturally for Dick, ever since he was a child. In Nightwing #82, by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Rick Leonardi, Neil Edwards, Andy Lanning, Scott Hanna, Adriano Lucas and Wes Abbott, Dick simply found that his mother and father had been simply as heroic as he’s.
Dick learns a lot about his mother and father when he is speaking to Meili Lin, the mom of his recently-discovered half-sister, Melinda Zucco. Meili explains how she was bought into marriage with Tony Zucco, which was a violent, possessive relationship. It wasn’t till the couple reached Haly’s Circus that Meili was in a position to quickly escape Zucco. It was John and Mary Grayson who stood up for Meili, hiding her and preventing off Tony Zucco. The precise motion sequence on this problem may be very Nightwing-esque, with Dick’s mother and father preventing in the identical model as their son. The way in which that John disarms Zucco, and particularly how Mary bounces off the trailer and kicks Zucco, goes to point out precisely the place Dick received his acrobatic talent and preventing model.
Furthermore, by defending Meili, the Graysons present the place Dick received his noble coronary heart. After preventing off Zucco, the Graysons gave Meili a spot to remain, befriending her. All of John and Mary’s actions on this flashback illustrate how Dick got here to be such a kind-hearted, noble younger man. Equally, 2021’s Nightwing #78, by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas and Wes Abbott, opened with a younger Dick Grayson defending one other child from a gang of bullies. Re-examining this scene, it is clear that Dick discovered to face up for others from his mother and father.
Different actions, akin to Dick saving a stray canine, feeding a gaggle of homeless individuals, defending a gaggle of children from Boss Maroni and lots of different moments, illustrate the values which Richard and Mary instilled of their son. It is true that a lot of Dick’s crime-fighting expertise and heroism had been taught by Batman as nicely. But there is no denying that Dick’s mother and father had simply as huge of an affect upon the long run Nightwing.
In Nightwing #82 it paints an image of the Graysons, contemplating their darkish household historical past unveiled in the course of the “New 52.” In 2011’s Batman #7, by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, Richard Starkings, Comicraft and Jimmy Betancourt, it was revealed that Dick Grayson’s great-grandfather, William Cobb, was a Talon for the Courtroom of Owls.
This added a complete new layer of darkness to the Grayson household by itself. As well as, the one purpose that Dick’s household was a part of Haly’s Circus was as a result of William Cobb delivered his son to the circus, so he may turn out to be a Talon. The Courtroom of Owls made a take care of Haly’s Circus, the place, each decade, they’d select one in every of their youngsters to turn out to be a brand new Talon. In truth, earlier than his mother and father had been murdered, and he was adopted by Bruce Wayne, Dick was meant to succeed his great-grandfather.
All of this secret historical past added a brand new degree of darkness which did not beforehand exist throughout the Grayson household. Now, nevertheless, it appears that evidently Dick’s household is portrayed with the identical quantity of heroism and the Aristocracy as Dick himself. These new flashbacks of the Flying Graysons go an extended approach to clarify precisely how Dick turned such a great particular person, and an all-around hero.