Real Name: Richard John “Dick” Grayson
Other aliases: Robin Occupation: Police officer Former
Occupations: Private detective, circus acrobat
Known Relatives: John and Mary Grayson (parents, deceased)
Base of Operations: Blüdhaven Group
Affiliation: Outsiders
Past Group Affiliation: Titans (founding member), The Flying Graysons
First Appearance: (as Robin) Detective Comics # 38, 1940; (as Nightwing) Tales of the Teen Titans#44,July1984
Young Dick Grayson, circus performer with The Flying Graysons, watched in horror as his parents fell to their deaths from a sabotaged trapeze. The boy was taken in by Bruce Wayne, who turned out to be Batman, Gotham’s Dark Knight. Dick insisted on becoming his partner, and after intensive training became Robin, Boy Wonder.
Robin was a founding member of the Teen Titans, most of whom were originally the teenage sidekicks of older heroes: Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl. Robin was the leader of the Titans through most of its incarnations. Over the years, his relationship with the Batman became strained. He kept pushing himself to be as good as Batman, but knew he never could be. Finally, concluding that Robin would “always be the back half of ‘Batman and...’” he decided to complete the break and forge a new identity as Nightwing.
Nightwing eventually left the Titans. Returning to Gotham, he was called upon to be Batman while Bruce recovered from a debilitating spine injury. After Bruce’s recovery, Nightwing worked sporadically with Batman and the new Robin, eventually graduating to become a solo costumed hero with a city of his own.
On the left you have the Flying Graysons made up of Dick Grayson and his parents. The elder Graysons died during a trapeze mishap leading to Dick Grayson becoming the ward of Bruce Wayne and joining him in his battle against crime as Robin to Bruce's Batman.
You can see from the left that Dick's first pre-Flashpoint Robin costume is modeled on his parents' costumes.
On the right you have images from Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows' New 52′s Nightwing #3. On the first image we see imagery of Dick's parents in bluish costumes with his father's costume, lapel and all, inspiring Dick’s first Nightwing costume (see opening image of this column for the pre-Flashpoint evolution of Dick’s costume including his leisure suit Nightwing costume that seems to still be “in” New 52 continuity).
The second image on the right seems to also show Dick, I think, in a Robin costume falling from a zip line. Now, I think that may be Dick during his tenure as Robin, but perhaps it is him in a Flying Grayson's costume? The latter seems unlikely since that costume is such a departure from his parents' blue threads. So, if in fact that is Dick Grayson-as-Robin's new originating costume he has taken a page from Tim Drake’s pre-Flashpoint black and yellow cape get-up in the New 52. You'll notice no short pants here either; some kind of gray trunks and matching boots now. Peter Pan has been exorcised from the New 52!
In any event, looks like Dick's original Robin costume has be retailored and we also now know the origin or inspiration for Nightwing’s original lapeled costume. Project Runway DC Universe?
I'm loving the New 52, and particularly its ex-Robin books, even if Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans run is no longer in continuity.
Even though he's not under the Batman cape and cowl anymore, Nightwing is still soaring in the DC Comics Universe of heroes.
And Dick Grayson is going to be playing a major role not just in his monthly series Nightwing, written by Kyle D. Higgins, but also soon in the "Night of the Owls" crossover that will run through most of DC's family of Bat-books.
While it's Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel's run on the old Nightwing series in the 1990s that is still his "gold standard" for the character, Higgins is making his mark on Dick Grayson's life by bringing his past, present and future all together in one big story arc.
In Higgins' book, Haly's Circus has returned to Gotham City— the same traveling group that featured a trapeze act with him and his parents as the Flying Graysons, before his mom and dad were tragically killed and Dick was taken in by Bruce Wayne, becoming Robin to Bruce's Batman.
When owner C.C. Haly is killed, Grayson inherits the circus, which reunites him with a long-ago crush named Raya. But, as he learns when he goes on the road, the circus has a lot of secrets, and they might be connected to an assassin named Saiko and his accusations that Nightwing is a cold-blooded killer.
Illustrated by Eddy Barrows and available Wednesday digitally and in comic shops, Nightwing issue 5 takes Grayson and the circus down to New Orleans as he continues to investigate the mysteries, but it's also going a little out of the norm, according to Higgins.
Editor Bobbie Chase thought it'd be cool to do something with voodoo since they're down in the Big Easy, so Higgins ran with the idea of introducing a voodoo demon monster that speaks in iambic pentameter "as all good demons should," says Higgins, referencing the classic DC demon, Etrigan.
Although unconventional, the writer promises the issue is "actually more relevant and thematically connected to Nightwing's arc in this storyline than you may think."
Readers will see the end of the Haly's mystery by issue 7, but the circus will be sticking around Gotham City "in a much different capacity," Higgins says.
Meanwhile, Nightwing will be sucked into the drama that writer Scott Snyder began in his Batman series with the Court of Owls, a Gotham secret society that has been around for decades and is determined to destroy the Dark Knight both physically and emotionally.
Some of the villains that Nightwing has defeated so far in Higgins' series may be circling back seeking revenge as the hero returns to Gotham, which is where every part of his life connects. It stems back to what Snyder started in Detective Comics before and continued in his and Higgins' Gates of Gotham miniseries: that Gotham City takes the things its protectors love and twists them and tries to use them against them.
Will Nightwing be somehow a part of the Court of Owls? Higgins will only say that he has known about Snyder's story for more than a year and that the writers have an affinity for Dick Grayson and his future in Gotham. "Both as Dick Grayson and as Nightwing, the Court of Owls is going to affect him but perhaps not in a way that anyone thinks.
"It all comes back to Gotham City," he adds. "Before you can really embrace your future, you have to confront your past."
After the two-part "Night of the Owls" story that begins in issue 8 — the other Batman books start in their ninth issues — Higgins says the next arc will be titled "Prince of Gotham," as Nightwing will be taking a different approach to fighting for Gotham's future, especially focusing on the worst areas of the city, and realizes that there are no hopeful places in the city for its saviors.
"The difference between Dick and Bruce has always been that Bruce does what he does out of this sense of guilt and this feeling he has to," Higgins explains. "And Dick Grayson does what he does because he genuinely enjoys helping people. He's a much more empathetic character and he's someone who enjoys people and interaction.
"That ability to both care about people and want to help the individual is something that is both an asset and a weakness, depending on how you look at it. It's definitely something that separates him from Bruce, made him a different Batman, but also makes him a much different Nightwing."
Prior to DC's "The New 52" relaunch, when the presumed-dead Bruce Wayne was trying to fight his way back through history (as told in Grant Morrison's The Return of Bruce Wayne), Dick Grayson took on the mantle of Batman — with Bruce's son, Damian, as his sidekick.
Those fans who enjoyed his stint as the Caped Crusader might have been miffed at Nightwing going from being Gotham's biggest player to traveling with carnies. However, Higgins never saw it as a "demotion," and there has been a concerted effort within DC to keep him as a major force in its books — even switching up his costume colors, from blue and black to red and black, to highlight this fresh start.
"We look at our favorite characters, and we want them all to be A-list," Higgins says. "But the characters don't think like that. Dick Grayson's not sitting there going, 'My superhero career would just skyrocket if I were Batman!' Nightwing is his mantle at this point. It's just the uniform he uses to help people, and he's very different from Batman.
Nightwing Suit: Nightwing's current costume is made of a version of the Nomex fire-resistant, triple-weave Kevlar-lined material. It is an excellent protection against damage, and it's also electrically insulated. Instead of a black cape for stealthing, the suit is light sensitive, darkening when there is more light in the area. The current costume, a stylized blue "wing" across his shoulders and extending to his hands, coloring his two middle fingers, over a black torso and legs. Nightwing's costume is tailored specifically to his unique style of crime-fighting. As such, his costume has fewer body-armor inlays than Batman's, anticipating a decreased need for shock-absorption and an increased capacity for motion. ("Move more, get hit less.") A caveat of this configuration can be exploited by capable fighters who are both fast and strong, such as Superman. Should Nightwing need to engage an enemy who is capable of exploiting this weakness, he has supplemental body-armor overlays which he can attach to his gauntlets, his mask, his shoulders, and boots.
Nightwing Mask: The mask, in the form of his symbol, is fixed in place with spirit gum, and includes a built-in radio transmitter/receiver and Starlite night-vision lenses.
His gauntlets and boots each contain eight compartments in which he can store items. They have a self-destruct feature built into them, similar to the ones in Batman's utility belt, and, as another security measure (especially when the hero is unconscious), the suit contains a one-use-only taser charge, which automatically emits a high-voltage electrical shock when someone attempts to tamper with either the boots or gauntlets.
Nightwing Gauntlets: Each gauntlet's sections can contain a wide array of equipment, such as:
sonic or smoke pellets,
modified batarangs ("Wing-Dings"),
knockout gas capsules and throwing tracers.
The right gauntlet is also equipped with a:
100,000-volt stun gun.
Nightwing Boots: Like the gauntlets, his boots can carry vital elements like:
flares,
a rebreather as protection against any airborne noncontact toxins,
a mini-computer equipped with fax, modem, GPS and a minidisk rewritable drive.
Other items are lock picks, a first aid kit, a mini-cellphone, flexi-cuffs, antitoxin assortment, signal flares, wireless listening devices and a small halogen flashlight.
Held in spring-loaded pouches in the back of his costume, Nightwing carries a pair of Escrima sticks made from an unbreakable polymer that are wielded as both offensive and defensive weapons. Some depictions have displayed these tools with the mechanism to shoot a grappling hook attached to a swing line (like Daredevil's billy clubs), while, in other instances, he is seen using a "line gun" like the one Batman currently uses.
Direct from DC vault: yes his suit is bullet proof enough to stop Armor piercing rounds, but a depleted uranium round will shoot right through him.
The Bat-utility belt is ridiculous, and Nightwing's costume/compartments only marginally less so. I think it has long been a fan joke that Batman's belt is contiguous to hammerspace; in fact, I'm pretty sure that was the previous Batman's superpower over at capeandcowl. In striking a balance between ludicrous canonical interpretation and ... sanity ... here's a description of PostHumans!Nightwing's costume and what he carries, mostly taken from Wikipedia and the DC Comics Database.
"Nightwing's costume is tailored specifically to his unique style of crime-fighting. As such, his costume has fewer body-armor inlays than Batman's, anticipating a decreased need for shock-absorption and an increased capacity for motion. A caveat of this configuration can be exploited by capable fighters who are both fast and strong."
The Suit:
Nomex
triple weave kevlar
insulated against electricity
light sensitive (turns darker in the light) (how does this help??)
mask: built-in radio transmitter/receiver
mask: starlite lenses (night vision)
steel-inlaid collar
one use only taser charge - automatically emits a high-voltage electrical shock when someone attempts to tamper with his suit
Inventory (stored in gauntlets and boots):
sonic or smoke pellets
modified batarangs (I am not calling them "wing-dings", Dick)
knockout gas capsules
throwing tracers
a rebreather - protection against any airborne non-contact toxins
lock picks
small halogen flashlight
wireless listening devices
flexi-cuffs or zip-strips - made of a lightweight diamond-impregnated nylon overlaying a banded steel core; they slide closed and have to be cut off with a diamond-edged cutting utensil
line-gun or grappling gun - uses a strong clamp attached to a high-tensile wire for scaling surfaces and/or traversing gaps; can be recovered by releasing the clamp and rewinding the cable, based from one that is designed as compact climbing gear for commando units, and can lift several hundred pounds
miniature camera
miniature cellphone
some money
small evidence bags
Weapons:
two escrima sticks made of unbreakable polymer
completely normal not bizarrely named batarangs
regurgitant gas pellets - tear gas with an additive to make you throw up
100,000 volt stun gun in his right gauntlet
When deciding that Grayson/ Robin/ Nightwing is indeed my favorite comic book character, I had to ask myself a few questions. What makes a great comic book character, and what makes him a hero? Does the character have an appropriate amount of costume changes to make multiple action figures? Could he/she beat up Batman/ Not lose to Batman too bad? The following glowing traits of Nightwing are the results of these questions, and my personal feelings on why he is my favorite comic book character. Plus I have a deep seated desire to stress the sheer awesome power of Batman and his Robins across the DC Universe. This will be covering a lot from the pre-New 52 era, which still mostly applies to the Batman family after the events of Flashpoint.
Confidence – You just have to look at Dick Grayson’s first costume for proof of this. The kid was wearing green scale underoos and pixie boots for years around criminals, who were a superstitious and cowardly lot. Many fans and haters over the years have questioned this particular choice of costume, considering the length Batman goes to protect himself while Robin stands beside him as a clearly lit, unprotected target. The New 52 has obviously retconned this initial costume, but fans of Grayson know that he owned the hell out of that suit because he was just that damn good.
Camaraderie – Batman has made a career of being a loner, and has never been one to spend unnecessary time among his peers. Nightwing may have learned everything he knows from Batman, but he never lost his ability to connect with the outside world. With numerous relationships and friendships among the superhero community, Nightwing is the buddy every hero wants to have, especially if you are getting into some trouble. In a sad fact of the New 52, Dick’s best friends Wally West (Flash III) and Donna Troy (Wonder Girl I) appear to no longer exist, leaving the hero seemingly without his friends that influenced this all important trait.
Respectful – Grayson’s relationship with his mentor and father figure has more often than not been strained almost to the point of breaking, but has persevered over the years because of a deep rooted sense of respect. As Bruce Wayne’s first ward and Batman’s first sidekick, Dick grew up affected by two very distinct lifestyles and personalities from the same man, which may have kept him at a distance for most of his life. Despite dealing with this hardship, the respect and love between the father and the son has been an endearing trait of both men.
Inspiring – Dick has always been someone to look up to, with a strong of moral code and a desire to do the right thing. This has proven a valuable trait over the years as he has faithfully served the big brother archetype for the Robins that followed in his footsteps. Possibly the best big brother in comics, Nightwing has done his fair share of mentoring with each of the Robins save one (Stephanie Brown didn’t receive much brotherly love from Grayson as her career as Robin was fairly short lived), and while Batman is clearly the father of the family, Grayson plays the cool oldest brother role perfectly.
Romantic – Nightwing is a smooth talker. No doubt about it, he ranks up near Daredevil status as a premier player of the DC Universe. Of course, he does it in a way that reflects his morals and is less sleazy than some of his comrades, notably Roy Harper (Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow). With that being said he has an impressive list of ex’s dotting his resume that include the alien princess Starfire, Gotham vigilante Huntress (pre-new 52), the on-again off-again relationship with Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl, and more recently his connection with the daughter of the man who murdered his parents, Sonia Zucco.
Leadership – Blessed with the tutelage of Batman and his own finely honed strategy skills, mixed in with his camaraderie and ability to interact with his fellow heroes has evolved into a respected skill for leadership. As one of the founders and leaders of the Teen Titans, he honed his skills as both Robin and Nightwing, growing with the team into the leader of the Titans and the eventual leader of the Outsiders. He has led the Justice League on two occasions, as both Nightwing and Batman. Much of what defined his life over the years has stemmed from his role as a leader of heroes. In the New 52, he remains unattached to any group and free of the burden of leadership, despite unofficially serving as ‘second-in-command’ of the Bat family.
Experience – We again have to move outside the New 52 here, as their current 5 year timeline doesn’t account very well for all the Robins, especially the historic career of Dick Grayson. He first donned the tights between the ages of 9 and 13, and lived the life into presumably his early/late 20′s, although comics aren’t known to be specific on age due to an expanding timeline that spans decades for us and years in the comic. The first of the sidekicks, he has been operating as a costumed crime-fighter longer than almost any character in the DC Universe, and has been a fixture of comics since the dawn of the superhero age. He has been involved in a large way in almost every DC event, and his seniority is recognized by his peers.
Dependability – Dick is a man who can be relied on without question. As his relationships with the rest of the DCU continued to grow, so too did his reputation, even among the bigwigs like Superman. Dick Grayson rode along with batman as Bat and Supes developed a friendship, and has earned his spot as a trusted friend of big blue. An assemblage of heroes wouldn’t think twice about following an order from Nightwing, especially when both Superman and Batman would be the first to get behind it. As this is pre-New 52, it’s hard to determine how much of that reputation follows him across this shortened DC timeline, but I would imagine he still stands tall as one of the most trusted heroes of the DC Universe.
Worthiness – As the only man to successfully wear the mantle of the bat, Dick Grayson grew into his mentor’s cape and accepted the role he had been following (and trying to escape) for the better part of his life. Not only did he accept the mantle as well as the burden of being Batman, he did it in a way that didn’t change who he was as a person. This new life as Batman really showed the differences between Dick and Bruce, from fighting style to personality. Taking Bruce’s son Damian under his wing as the new Robin was the feather in the cap that really sold the idea that Dick Grayson had legitimately grown into the role. The stories involving Dick and Damian as Batman and Robin were some of the best, and one of the few reasons I accepted Damian as the new Robin. Dick’s acceptance of the cape and cowl and his new role as Batman was a momentous moment in the life of Grayson, and proved just how worthy he was to fill the shoes of Gotham’s protector.
Adaptability – Something I have always loved about Dick Grayson is the growth his character has taken over the years, which is due to his ability to adapt to change. His beginning as a victim evolved into a defender of the same, he has grown from sidekick to successor, and adapted to every situation that came along accordingly. He effectively took over a new city away from Batman and prospered there, until it was destroyed completely during Infinite Crisis, of course. Every event of Nightwing’s storied career has improved him and made him a better person, crime-fighter, and a lasting character that I have enjoyed reading my entire life. When he made the biggest change of his life and took over as Batman, the next step of his life was a time of hardship and loss, but he embraced the change and excelled in his new role.
So now you are realizing that this week’s Bats and Birds was mainly a reason for me to gush about Nightwing. Which I feel little to no shame for, because Dick Grayson AKA Nightwing is my favorite hero.
When Robin was dismissed from his role of a Batman sidekick, Nightwing was "born". The most memorable is the Dick Grayson Nightwing costume, the one you will have the chance to wear on Halloween!
You can simply buy an amazing nightwing costume for the lowest price on the market, or you can just make a suit of your own, more authentic depending on your skill. Nightwing costume is actually very simple. It is not a complicated piece of cloth, it doesn’t have many accessories all you need to care is the choice of a quality material. The first thing you need is a black bodysuit, then draw a Nightwing emblem on a blue spandex fabric and get it cut, finally attach the blue emblem to the black spandex bodysuit using fabric glue. You can complete your nightwing look by cutting a black paper mask and wearing black boots.
