Whereas many DC Comics followers consider the Court docket of Owls as an enemy of Batman, they actually have a stronger private connection to Nightwing.
Though Nightwing is among the hottest Bat-Relations proper under Batman, he would possibly have the ability to develop in recognition if the Dark Knight stopped stealing his villains. Many individuals take into account the Court docket of Owls to be Batman-centric villains, and it might be onerous guilty them contemplating how they have been utilized in tales currently, however the Court docket has all the time had a a lot stronger tie to Nightwing.
The Court docket of Owls first appeared within the New 52 canon of DC Comics the place they have been a painful thorn in Batman’s facet. They’re a secret society that ran Gotham by way of the shadows for hundreds of years, even taking over residence and hiding their bases in buildings owned by Wayne Enterprises. This finally culminated within the Evening of the Owls storyline, which noticed a full-on assault from the Court docket on the Bat-Household and many individuals in Gotham, equivalent to James Gordon. All of this feels like they might make an ideal villain for Bruce, however over the course of the story, readers study that they’ve such a stronger connection to Nightwing.
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In Batman #7 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, it is proven that Nightwing was initially meant to be one of many Court docket of Owls’ enforcers, often called a Talon. He learns this when Batman so helpfully exhibits him that he has a Court docket of Owls engraving on one in every of his again tooth. However that is solely the beginning of the non-public connections. The complete purpose Nightwing has this engraving is that it was presumably given to him when he was a toddler, residing at Haly’s Circus, which the Court docket of Owls had a hand in. The Court docket would decide one of the best acrobats from Haly’s Circus and practice them to be Talons, with Dick Grayson being solely one of many many chosen.
Nightwing is in want of his personal rogues’ gallery. He has a number of villains right here and there—Blockbuster, Girl Vic, Brutale, to call a number of—however he nonetheless struggles to actually discover a sturdy steady of enemies that his adopted father Batman has. Even his archrival, Deathstroke, is taken into account by many to nonetheless be a Batman villain. The Court docket of Owls has had a a lot bigger impression on Nightwing’s life. Dick’s great-grandfather, William Cobb joined the Court docket initially and was one of many causes Nightwing was lined as much as change into a Talon. Since Dick was adopted by Bruce Wayne earlier than he may very well be snatched up by the Court docket of Owls, they as a substitute selected one other younger boy, one in every of Nightwing’s greatest childhood pals, Raymond McCreary. Raymond wasn’t pretty much as good of an acrobat as Nightwing although and regardless of the brutal coaching he underwent, he was finally refused entry to the Court docket and deserted on the streets.
Batman has a powerful roster villains, a number of the greatest in comedian historical past, and all of them relate to him ultimately. Joker pushes his ethical code, Riddler challenges his mind, and Two-Face displays the duality of his identities. Nightwing does not likely have many villains who’re associated to him in any such method. Blockbuster is just some mafia boss who lives in the identical metropolis as Nightwing. Girl Vic is an murderer and there is not a lot relation between them. The Court docket of Owls, nonetheless, has as huge of a private connection to Nightwing as anybody ever might, which is why they have been all the time his villains and never Batman‘s.