Contains spoilers for Nightwing #112!
Summary
- Nightwing's emotions drive him as a hero, setting him apart from Batman's emotional detachment.
- Batman respects Nightwing's emotional connection to his work, highlighting their differences.
- Nightwing proves his ability to control his anger, choosing justice over revenge, unlike Batman's occasional emotional outbursts.
Nightwing and Batman have a lot of similarities, considering Bruce Wayne trained Dick Grayson, but a new team-up between the original Dynamic Duo confirms their one defining difference. Dick Grayson has tried to separate himself from his mentor in the past. In fact, it's part of why he went to Blüdhaven. That being said, their biggest difference becomes most apparent when they're working together.
Nightwing #112 by Tom Taylor and Sami Basri follows an investigation from the point of view of Batman, giving a unique perspective on Dick Grayson. Specifically, this issue focuses on Nightwing's emotions and motivations throughout his life, from his earliest days training as Robin to the present-day as he leads the Titans. These motivations are brought to the forefront as Nightwing works to save a young orphan from his manipulative (and murderous) uncle.
More important than this guided tour through his history is Batman's thoughts on how Dick's emotions impact him as a detective and a hero. This focus on the emotional core of his motivations is what really separates Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne — but different doesn't always mean better. Despite the heroes having different influences in their work, both of their styles serve a purpose, and this team-up proves it.
Related
DC Exposes Nightwing's Rage, Confirming His Inner Darkness Is More Intense Than You Think
In Nightwing #112, Dick Grayon's secret darkness is on full display — something he learned to manage in order to become the leader and hero he is now.
Nightwing Has Always Been Led by His Emotions
Batman Admires Nightwing's Attitude
Nightwing is an emotional person, and he and Batman confirm in this issue that his emotions fuel him as a hero. Dick is often driven by his emotions to save those he cares about. While Bruce can tell that Dick is acting due to emotions rather than logic, he admits that Dick doesn't let his anger or personal connections cloud his judgment, which is an accurate assessment. Nightwing is good at being a hero, leader, and mentor. Even when mentoring Damian Wayne during his time as Batman, Dick never let his frustration get the better of him. Nightwing is a testament to heroes being able to be emotional without being weak or irrational.
Nightwing knows better than anyone that revenge won't bring back the dead.
At the end of this issue's central fight, Batman assumes Nightwing is going to let his trauma-induced anger win; however, Nightwing proves Bruce Wayne wrong and beats his inner darkness. This triumph is a significant moment for Dick. It contrasts with the issue's flashback scene, in which he can't control his anger about the deaths of his parents. In the present day, when faced with someone who orphaned a boy he cares about, Nightwing is able to restrain himself. While understandably angry, Nightwing knows that justice is more important than anger or revenge, and he knows better than anyone that revenge won't bring back the dead.
Batman Tries to Separate His Feelings from Investigations
Nightwing's Emotional Connection to His Work Separates Him from Batman
Whereas Nightwing is fueled by his emotions, Batman tries to keep emotions an arms-length away.Bruce Wayne considers Dick Grayson his son, and Bruce is definitely as emotional as Dick, if not more so. But Batman works to keep his emotions in check. After the Joker killed Jason Todd, for example, Bruce held back — and continues to hold back — from enacting justice. However, he does fail sometimes. After Alfred Pennyworth's death, Bruce blamed Damian out of anger, proving that, while Batman tries to minimize his emotions, he's not always successful.
Jason Todd's death is featured in Batman: A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo. During this storyline, the Joker becomes the ambassador to Iran, giving him diplomatic immunity, which means he can't be prosecuted for Jason's murder.
Generally speaking, everyone in the Bat-Family is emotional, but how Batman and Nightwing handle their emotions is what sets them apart. They may acknowledge and respect these differences, but it can still cause tension between the duo. It's been established that Dick's emotions are at an all-time high, and with his new fear of heights, he's only going to get more emotional from here. As Dick continues to struggle through his fall from grace, he may get to a point where he can't hold back his emotions. If that happens, readers will have to wonder if Batman will be there to help Nightwing fight his darkness.
Nightwing #112 is available now from DC Comics!
NIGHTWING #112 (2024) | |
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Batman
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- Bob Kane , Bill Finger
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- Batman (1989)
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- The Batman
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Summary
One of the core leading characters of DC Comics, Batman is the face behind his multimedia franchise that has been in circulation for over eighty years, initially conceived by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, appearing in the 27th issue of Detective Comics at the end of the 1930s. The Caped Crusader is the alter ego of billionaire playboy philanthropist Bruce Wayne, a man tormented by the death of his parents who has dedicated his life to cleaning up the streets of Gotham. Batman's media works range from comic books to tv shows to films and video games. In the films, several actors have donned the cape and cowl, such as Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Robert Pattinson, in the most recent incarnation of the character. The franchise continues to enjoy success more than ever, especially with The Dark Knight trilogy of films and the Batman: Arkham video game trilogy. With a commanding rogue's gallery of some of the most recognizable villains in the superhero genre, Batman caters to several audiences and offers a wide variety of options to keep him at the forefront of the genre.
