WARNING: The next accommodates spoilers for Titans, streaming now on DC Universe.
From the time Titans debuted, it was obvious the collection was angling in direction of Dick Grayson abandoning life as Robin and transferring into his Nightwing persona. His “Fuck Batman!” line was the most important indicator of this, to not point out for 2 seasons he made it clear he needed to groom proteges with emotional care — completely the other of how he was educated to change into a superhero.
Season 2 kicked Dick’s destiny into overdrive. He was burdened by what he did as Robin within the struggle in opposition to Deathstroke. Bruce Wayne even haunted him as a hallucination and ghost of demons previous. Which is why after he broke out of jail, we have been desirous to see Dick reborn and completely separate from his previous. As a substitute, Titans makes a large mistake along with his Nightwing origin by as soon as extra making Batman the facilitator of this alteration.
When Dick burned the Robin costume in Season 1, it was his means of claiming he was his personal man. And as Season 2 progressed, he was following this path — effectively, aside from staying in a Wayne-powered Titans tower. However we knew when the second of his transition got here, it needed to be all about liberation and emancipation.
That is why, even when the Nightwing codename got here from a jail fable quite than a narrative a few Kandorian superhero, as DC had it within the ’80s, even the harshest of followers might let it slide. This helped Dick carve a path away from all of the superhero lore he discovered, embracing a solo future he was intent on cultivating along with his personal fingers.
However as he goes to Stu’s Handmade Footwear, which we presume is in Gotham, all of it falls aside. The sassy Stu tells him about that he did not like the best way Dick burnt his Robin gear, making it clear Stu’s the one who crafts kevlar armor for the Bat-family. A bitter Stu tells him, “Grasp Wayne mentioned you would be coming,” making it clear he’ll make Dick’s new go well with. Shockingly, Bruce is the one who supplied Stu with directions on what sort of costume Dick would require in his struggle in opposition to Deathstroke (one thing we’re shocked he had information of on condition that Bruce was an apparition in Dick’s cell).
This positively feels incorrect as a result of we needed Dick to be free emotionally and bodily from Batman. However by sporting his new armor into battle, he is nonetheless symbolically tethered to Bruce. That is Bruce’s go well with with a distinct coloration scheme, prefer it or not. In that sense, Nightwing has been created by Bruce, which is counterintuitive and subverts Dick’s goal all through your entire collection: to be his personal self-made hero.
If Dick had crafted his personal go well with, whether or not with Stu or Lucius Fox, it might have been a significant turning level, much like the best way Spider-Man made his new costume to battle Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Dwelling. We do not thoughts if he makes use of Bruce’s instruments or folks, however to don’t have any enter and get a ready-made go well with (once more, we do not know how Bruce might know of the Nightwing image from Dick’s jail stint) looks like Nightwing’s company has been plucked from him.
Dick’s nonetheless Bruce’s pawn within the struggle on crime, and by having Bruce oversee issues, Titans walked again any progress Dick made on the present. He must be hovering with a brand new identification away from the Bat-baggage of outdated, leaving Robin behind as an afterthought. As a substitute, Nightwing is solely an upgraded Robin, a degree made even clearer when Bruce lectures him within the finale about main the Titans.
Dick would not want to listen to this. He already discovered his lesson and buried his sins in addition to his unhealthy relationship with Bruce. Nevertheless, when Bruce provides him recommendation — the person the present formed as a flawed, violent hero — we’re left questioning if Dick’s actually his personal man. Making Bruce the supply of the Nightwing go well with after which having him provide tips about charting a brand new life as a vigilante feels creatively regressive. It doesn’t matter what the way you spin it, this Nightwing is only a polished up Boy Wonder with new toys.
Streaming now on DC Universe, Titans Season 2 stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Ryan Potter as Garfield Logan, Curran Walters as Jason Todd and Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, with Minka Kelly as Daybreak Granger, Alan Ritchson as Hank Corridor, Joshua Orpin as Superboy, Chelsea Zhang as Rose Wilson, Chella Man as Jericho, Drew Van Acker as Aqualad, Esai Morales as Deathstroke and Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne.