The DEATH Of NIGHTWING | The Ric Grayson Problem

The DC Universe was rocked when Nightwing (Dick Grayson) was dealt a devastating blow by the KGBeast. This shot originating in Tom King's Batman would send the character on a two year journey as someone else entirely...Ric Grayson. An arc that came to be much maligned by many fans, but just what was wrong with Ric? Find out here on Casually Comics.
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[@brianjauch9958]

The way he dumped that girl made me say ric move bro, ric move.

[@Yeetthebastich]

Take your like and leave

[@armoroftruth3166]

I'm actually glad he dumped her I only ever see nightwing hooking with barbara or starfire permanetly

[@antidave]

@@armoroftruth3166 nah, I want him to only be friends with them

[@pavankrishna.s396]

@@armoroftruth3166 yea

[@suicaedere7244]

To me, the hardest part is that it killed his place as "the heart of the DC Universe". Dick is well known for growing around superheroes and always been cool about. Hell, sometimes people forget that as a character, Dick Grayson is older than Wonder Woman and Captain America. He's Golden Age af.

[@MrRobot-0]

Als there the sheer flexibility of the caracther, he can go to solo street level to big space opera crosshover team seeminglessly, and do everything in between, this is a feat not even the trinity can relyably pull off.

[@tylerw8822]

He’s only a year younger than Batman himself!

[@Aristocratic13]

@@tylerw8822 That means he’s gay

[@DarthEd77]

Dick Grayson is arguably the best/most developed character in the history of DC Comics. He deserved better handling than this storyline.

[@ProjektTaku]

cough cough conner kent cough cough

[@voidcowboy4327]

I think it’s cause he’s had permanent character change, a pretty hard thing to do in comics since permanent changes are a big risk.

[@pines3326]

I noticed he gets treated worse and worse as time went by in animated adaptations. In OG Teen Titans, he was serious, portrayed as a good fighter but also caring In Young Justice, he is shown to be well trained fighter but also a bit of a mischievous guy that likes to have fun at times that grew into a serious hero as the show progressed In DC animated movies, he's shown to be a good fighter but always gets floored and gets his arm broken and dislocated, like a worf effect In Teen Titans go , he's shown to be a narcissistic prick with little to no redeeming qualities and is always treated as a joke, antagonist or an incompetent fool that rarely does anything right. In DC superhero girls, it's almost the same but his design is worse and even looks like how he acts. A privileged pampered kid that thinks he's better than someone else when he's really not. Idk if they made her like that to make Batgirl look better because all I see is "Robin bad, Batgirl good" when they don't even show him being remotely useful. He's shown to be just an arrogant brat that can't do half the things that Batgirl does but thinks otherwise It's like DC has this secret hate boner for Dick that only grew as the years went by

[@johnbockelie3899]

Isn't that defying science that Dick Grayson is aging faster than Bruce Wayne ?.

[@DarthEd77]

@@johnbockelie3899 Since Batman is stuck in his mid- to late 30s, that means Dick is mid- to late 20s. DC has periodically retconned Dick to be older when he became Robin. In the current continuity he became Robin at 15.

[@fredcampbell4066]

Dick Grayson is essentially the glue that holds the bat family together. Ric Grayson not so much.

[@SirMandokarla]

You know what the worst part is? Dick Grayson was so *needed* when Alfred died that they brought in Ric and had him give Bruce a pep talk, and the whole thing just felt sadder than ever because this was a man who didn't know Bruce or Alfred, and even without those memories he was still the closest thing to the person they needed. Everything would have been better if he hadn't been Ric, but honestly if they'd just done a better return to Nightwing with some consequences of any kind, I would have felt a lot better.

[@shmeebs387]

He's the glue that holds the whole DC universe together in a way. Without him would Superman and Batman even be friends? Probably not. Batman would be the weird broody guy that isn't invited to the Justice League hangouts.

[@lifelessons7401]

@TheVirusSoftware I kid you not, I had to think about who that Harper was until it klicked lmfao. True, true.

[@altalia07]

@@SirMandokarla😢

[@cocomouse332]

What made me initially upset about the whole Ric arc wasn't the amnesia or even the name change. What made me upset was that it felt lazy; like they didn't know what to do with Dick during the whole Bane arc so they shot him so they wouldn't have to work him into the story. Amnesia arcs, in my opinion, can be so much fun, but that was done so strangely and lazily, where you can tell that the creators behind the scenes didn't care at all for Dick as a character or his fans. There's also the entire Damian thing, which I feel like I should mention. They used KG Beast and Dick being shot by him to have an excuse to finally make Damian "snap" and become a villain. Shooting Dick and taking away Damian's most reliable source of support was one of the biggest ways to really impact Damian, and they abused that. Another thing I should mention, and I'm not sure if it's within my group of friends who like Nightwing or if it's something most fans feel, is that Nightwing coming back was in no way satisfying. One thing I saw a lot of people had issues with was how Bruce immediately claimed possession over Dick the second he had his memories back. Then, when Dick told them over and over that he didn't want to go back to Nightwing, that Nightwing isn't what makes him DICK, Bruce and Barbara and his friends wouldn't listen-eventually forcing him into the costume just to get people off his back and not allowing him to sort out HIS feelings on the matter. Dick gaining his costume back felt like a nail in the coffin that Dick *isn't* his own person, and his entire character is only around to further DCs craving for Batman angst. Hopefully this all makes sense. granted, I'm one fan and can't say that this is what all of us felt during this arc. Honestly, for me, Ric didn't even feel like Dick during the run. I only kept reading because of Travis Moore's art haha

[@mariajesuscasosayeh403]

Travis Moore’s art is beautiful 🤍

[@BigBadWolframio]

I feel pretty much the same as a Nightwing fan, so it's not only you. And the way they handled Bea was so bad. It was clear to me that she wasn't going to stick around, but why did they choose the arsehole lying and pretending like the guy know better what it's better for her?? They weren't together for very long, she could've just not been ready for such a change in her life and it would've been ok. And he could've felt like, even tho he still likes her, he isn't no longer in love with her now that he has all his memories back. And that whole monologue about how happiness isn't for heroes 🤢🤢🤢. If I wanted to read Batman I'd be reading his books, not Nightwing's. Why is also Dick not worried about Damian? He didn't even think about him. The Ric arc cove could've been meaningful in some capacity and made Dick come back stronger in his ideals and feelings of family and friendship, but it all has just been frustrating: it was lazy in execution and the ending isn't even satisfactory.

[@mpt3245]

@Megan Todd Agreed. Barbara and Bruce annoy me so much now, and Nightwing's new solo (not a fan of it personally) might as well be hers with how much she's in it.

[@Skeezer66]

What's annoying to me is, they have a set of characters (basically the original Teen Titians) that they allowed to grow up. and in the process had years of classic stories, THEN tried to take it all back. Wally, Donna, Garth, Roy, and then Dick have all been sidelined/killed/vanished completely. As bad as that is, next they tried to replace the originals (Bruce, Clark, Diana, et al.) with another new generation of characters we don't know or care about! The one thing DC has over Marvel is legacy characters, let them live!!

[@gohanson27]

Bro I've been saying that for years. Even in film. DC has the one thing Marvel doesn't have which are the legacy characters. Like why don't WB /DC use them is beyond me.

[@scottboswell6406]

@@gohanson27 Exactly!! They could do the story of when Robin chose to become Nightwing, there's a whole character arc! They're doing some of that in the Titans tv show, but he can carry his own movie! Not enough imagination.

[@gohanson27]

@@scottboswell6406 I agree man. Like just having Iris with a red head nephew name Wally hanging around his cool aunt house would be enough to introduce the character. Or like in Aquaman have Black Manta mention he left his son. Even a damn head nod would be enough at this point to give fans hope. That's the only thing I don't like about Zach's JL. Killing Dick Grayson. Like bro. You have Jason Todd. Why choose Dick? Good grief.

[@scottboswell6406]

@@gohanson27 In that case, I do understand. They have a Batman who's at least semi-retired, and the question would be, where is Robin/Nightwing, to fill that gap? I wonder if he'll get a new Robin by the end of the Snyder Cut?

[@gohanson27]

@@scottboswell6406 he did say in an interview "Would there be more Robin in future films, I don't know" with a smile on his face. So I'm not sure if he meant more flashbacks or another Robin. Fingers are heavily crossed. Lol

[@galio7741]

Ric Grayson only exists because some people are not mature enough to say the word Dick.

[@heedmywarning2792]

I want as much as I can get, as fast as I can get it! Ramming speed!

[@210SAi]

My favorite part of Joker War was Joker and his clowns calling him Dickie Boy

[@razminfox1787]

They could always just change his Name to Richard

[@gregcourtney7717]

@@razminfox1787 that is his name. Dick is a nickname.

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

Dick has been a real name longer than it's been a slang term. It's really funny that generations past the 1960s were suddenly like "haha...I know grandpa's name is dick but like, I'm also gonna make it a slang term idk why" and then it stuck and became more slang than name. 😭😂

[@Xa4t]

I don’t understand why Batman can’t age. I feel like one of the most interesting aspects of him is how unsustainable his lifestyle is and he knows it. I would love to see a storyline where he tries to scout out his replacement OR tries to figure out ways to cheat death.

[@mariacargille1396]

Absolutely! I understand that the Bat is forever, but Bruce's family carries that legacy. Seeing the consequences, really digging deep into Bruce's fear of aging, of failing, is 100% something I would want to see.

[@earlssweatyballs982]

Wouldn’t that be Batman beyond?

[@lxrdkenji]

Bruh we've already gotten that story countless times lol.

[@PuffyCloud_aka_puffeclaude]

I mean, he's Michael Keaton again so...

[@kingbeauregard]

Dick Grayson is still at DC. Dan Didio is not.

[@lifeofjeffrey2447]

Thank fucking god. Dick needs a better writer

[@Stanlos]

Thank the frelling Gods!

[@kingbeauregard]

@@Stanlos Dan Didio went down in flames like Crais's brother.

[@lucassage8820]

I dont mean to be so offtopic but does anybody know a trick to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb lost my login password. I would love any assistance you can offer me!

[@marccruz5765]

@Lucas Sage Instablaster :)

[@fiorefiore9910]

Me: I don't like Ric but Bee is a cool character *DC* : *ok* *so* *we* *need* *to* *throw* *the* *whole* *arc* *away* Me: no no no you could just turn Dick back into Nightwing and she could still be his girlfri- *DC* : *TOO* *LATE* *NOW* *THEY'RE* *JUST* *FRIENDS*

[@mattyt1961]

You missed the opportuinty for DC to say that now they will just BEE friends.... is ok.. I will show myself out

[@kingdomcomesuperman3669]

This was a fate worse than death, for those who couldn't stand it, for those who read it and wanted it matter and most importantly the fact that the Ric jokes were more prominent than the Dick jokes.

[@RonnieBarzel]

Your description of Dick’s “place” in the Bat family reminded me how much I enjoyed the role reversal when he assumed the cowl when Bruce was “dead.” For once, Batman was the optimistic, hopeful member of the partnership and Robin (Damien) was the sullen, brooding one. That combo wasn’t meant for the long haul, I admit, but it was fun for the short burst it existed.

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

It should have lasted a lot longer, it was insanely fun. Plus Dick can be perfectly serious when he wants to be, he was pretty edgy in the 90s. He's really as traumatized as the rest of them after all. 😭😂

[@calumhouston3308]

Batman has definitely gotten darker, but he is still an optimist. It depends on the writer, but anything pre-crisis Batman still tries to see the best in most people.

[@LUISPRIME]

Marvel has Peter and Mary Jane marriage, DC has Dick Grayson and both companies deal with them in the most stupid of ways.

[@manis1551]

This is as bad when Tim Drake decided that 'Drake' should be his new codename. Didio has little respect for legacy characters as they were often sidelined and like Joe Quesada it seems like he has a problem with aging when it comes to superheroes.

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

That was so insulting. 😭

[@akuaowusu-ofori2212]

I like how they just took certain personalities and key traits of Jason's story and applied them to Ric. Like the bad boy attitude, the disconnect from the family, the refusal to seek help saying that you can handle things by yourself were all things echoed by Jason as the Red Hood, whereas Dick was someone who was the polar opposite. Dick in a sense is like Alfred- they are both the lights in the Batman mythos which is often dark and gritty. We didn't need it to get darker and gritter!!! (that's what the black label is for)

[@GenerationWest]

Myself and my reviewer friends just... Blinked it out our minds, since we knew Dan Didio's treatment of legacy characters lasted awhile, cause aging is terrifying. Like with Roy Harper stagnation and stupid trucker hat, Daimien running that gulag, and Wally's character assassination (That one was malicious). We stopped reading him, and caught up occasionly going "Ah, eh". Once Didio left, it was a matter of time. As interesting as it was, it went on too damn long, especially for a well beloved, and mainly positive character. We know Dick's a funny word (as Swedish Chef: Dick! Dick! Dick!) But we both love and accept it, cause he's our sweet THICC Bubble-Butted Dick.

[@AlSidre]

I feel ya I hate what they did to poke Dick Grayson he did not deserve this bs.

[@rolandbaldwin]

I feel like they're still unravelling the Didio mess and March 2021 will tell us how that will pan out once Future State is over.

[@robanator9083]

They also ruined Jason and Tim as well

[@Blackfog14]

God do I miss Roy Harper dumbass trucker hat and all. Anyone remember how devastating it was in the Green Arrow run when he straight up died in the middle of their story especially after he finally made some peace with Oliver? At least alive he could always come back or be "fixed." Also really quite mad Alfred is dead, though you wouldn't know it with him being brought in so often in flashbacks or hallucinations.

[@craggylotus]

I quite liked stupid trucker hat Roy. The Red Hood And The Outlaws book felt a lot like a 90s throwback, with lots of style over substance, but it looked great and was at least trying some new stuff. At the time it was a welcome breath of fresh air despite Arsenal's sartorial deficiencies. Wally West got done wrong though. Like, there's some guy with a 30year country music career who has only just covered the tip of the iceberg in how bad he got done wrong.

[@wrestlerdude6955]

Not even Richard, just *R I C*

[@thatonepunkguy]

the worst part for me tbh is that it isnt even "Rick" lol... why shorten a shortening? XD

[@Tiggeralt]

The biggest missed opportunity here is that none of the Nightwings wore the disco suit.

[@thaboiinblue]

I need DC to stop messing with legacy characters we actually like and care about... especially when nine times out of ten they’ll just try to replace those legacy characters with EVEN MORE legacy characters, often with the same exact codename.

[@CrystalMAD17]

Dick is the hope of the DC universe, he should never be on the chopping block, he (and his ass) should outlive all characters! I also want to know more about Jason Todd being nightwing and a tentacle monster, cause that does seem like a fever dream.

[@saraihuber594]

I think the problem is that.... Ric could have been a great exploration of Dick's Charactercore. Or even an exploration of a hero dealing with a serious injury. All the parts that showed Ric spiraling and finding new connections were my favorite. These signs of a person struggling - but that got destroyed by the overdone "OH ist Was the Court And The Evil Psychiatrists All along" and the fact that the entire Superhero community was apparently okay with having their beloved friend with an TBI live in a cab. The second thing? This ending was the least satisfying ending they could have possibly found for Dick... where was Damian, his kid? Where were the repercussions? Why did he get blamed for his injury? And... most importantly: Why was Dick the one who constantly got claimed to belong to others? Dick Grayson's character was a sign of a character existing outside of Batman - He was the sidekick that escaped his legacy.... and now when you think about how Dick got back: His memories got rewritten by the Court, by the Joker and then Bruce claimed him as HIS... that boy no longer has any identity as himself. (also the time he says "at least as Ric i was happy"? Yeah,... break my heart sad boy)

[@CasuallyComics]

That point about ownership is a super good one, it seems like a lot of writers forget that Dick is his own person and not just an extension of Batman.

[@djpegao]

That still of Ric with the pool cue looks so early 00' that you can actually hear Liknkin Park's Crawling on the background playing.

[@AesculapiusPiranha]

Jeez yeah I can practically hear the Limp Bizkit and Eminem

[@Whymsies]

Are you sure about that? Coulda sworn I heard Last Resort by Papa Roach.

[@laragallahue7127]

I only know of Ric Grayson through this show and yeah it feels so weird to non-comic reader

[@ImCastorTroy]

Consider yourself lucky

[@laragallahue7127]

@@ImCastorTroy Very much considering I was hella confused

[@diegopansini3152]

You are so lucky, Ric was around for too long! Too long, I say!

[@merle25168]

Same

[@laragallahue7127]

@@diegopansini3152 Yup as non comic reader this would have massive turn off

[@ViccVegaa023]

Honestly the best thing for the Nightwing character would be for him to be exclusive to the Titans franchise. In the Batman franchise he's the eternal heir apparent, big bro dude but can't move past that because Batman is not going anywhere ever and Nightwing will just have to share the spotlight with at least 3 other sidekicks at this point. But in the Titans franchise he's the team leader and the only character that's popular enough to have his own book (without being a legacy). He's less likely to get punked in a book where he's the franchise face.

[@MrRobot-0]

The best thing to nightwing would be to let him do his own thing instead to being realagated to bludheaven until an batman even needs him, dick is DCs the equivalent to golden age james bond, not the castraded version they will make in the new movie, whe shark surfing with an hot chick version)

[@archer1949]

If it were up to me, Bruce would have stayed dead after Final Crisis and the Bat-Grayson/Damian Robin team would have been the permanent status quo.

[@BigBadWolframio]

Say it louder.

[@moonlightwolf8359]

That would have been awesome

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

Oh yeah. And to me, Jason still Red Hood, Babs still Oracle, Cassandra still Batgirl, Stephanie Spoiler, Tim Red Robin with the original costume or just anything but Drake, Dami Robin obviously, Duke Thomas and Luke Fox can stick around, Harper Row never existed, and yeah I think that's everyone lol. Also bring back Tam and Tiffany Fox, too. Tiffany being the future little pink Batgirl is still an idea I vibe with.

[@thaboiinblue]

Why couldn’t Dick help unite the heroes while still being alive? Why would have have to die in order to do so??? Make it make sense Didio!!!

[@theonlymatthew.l]

It's not ever going to make sense. It's a man who's desperately trying to justify his own prejudices, he does that quite often... It's as funny and as pathetic as listening to Joe Quesada try to justify 'One More Day'

[@AesculapiusPiranha]

To me the whole thing feels like the writer wanted to write Jason Todd or Damien whether the reader was there for it or not.

[@MrRobot-0]

So... Like the abomination titan tryed to pass for nightwing?

[@smoogieboogie1694]

The sad part of all of this is, like you said, it had potential on paper. Making Dick entirely lose who he is and go down a dark path only to come out stronger than ever, reminding himself and the readers who exactly he is and why he matters? Great idea. It's been done before with other characters for a reason, and it usually yields good results. Problem was...well, there were a lot of problems. Again, like you said, Bea was great. She was a great character, she had a sweet relationship, she was great. But the Nightwing books, especially recently, have a habit of giving him a girlfriend for the duration of one writer's run only for the next writer to write her out completely never to be seen again. Even fans of Bea never expected her to stick around once Dick got his memories back, and that made every bit of character building she got both tinged with sadness and ultimately pointless. The replacement Nightwings had problems. There's the bit you said about how making it so that your title character isn't the hero of the book is difficult to pull off (and they didn't really). There's the fact that they chose to have four different people all be Nightwing at once, which meant each one individually wasn't able to be fully developed to the point where you could form a sincere attachment to them as characters. And then there's the fact that readers often don't have a favorite hero because of their title, they have a favorite hero because of the character taking on the title. It's why you have people who love Wally West Flash but don't really care about Barry Allen Flash, or people who have a favorite Batgirl. They're not a fan of the Flash or Batgirl, they're a fan of Wally or Stephanie Brown. Then there was the compounding fact that a lot of the surrounding Batman universe was going through an edgy shift, and Ric wasn't helping with any of it. Jason Todd had his team of "Outlaws" sent to another dimension, and so fans who were liking the toned down edginess then found out that his book was being rebranded as "Red Hood: Outlaw" with an edgy new costume and a crowbar. Then in Teen Titans, Damian Wayne was backtracking on all his character development and becoming the next Jason Todd. And then we had Alfred dying which, to add insult to injury, had a story where Ric showed up to his funeral and basically just said "Eh I didn't know the guy," breaking the hearts of those who loved the dynamic of the two over the years. It was just kind of a shitstorm, and it went on for so long in spite of all evidence they should stop.

[@Kill3rrockstar]

Great now I'm gonna go cry in a corner repeating my mantra of "Ric Grayson isn't real it can't hurt me"

[@MrRobot-0]

He wasant, there no effort to make him an real carather.

[@Estarfigam]

Glad he's back, a friend of mine described Dick as the soul of DC, everyone's friend. The way you described Ric, he sounds like he was filling Jason Todd's role. I think of this as Dick's Mod Era. The oh that was a thing.

[@71705558a]

"People love Dick because he ages with them." Funny how no one ever thinks to apply that kind of reasoning to the rest of DC characters, or comics in general. Everything exists in such a state of stagnation, that I find it frustrating. I want to see character age, change, die, move on, and what that means for the world in their passing. Sure, Superman may be immortal, but I feel Batman would be better if he eventually aged into his Batman Beyond persona.

[@Deoxys911]

All the more reason I love the DCAU and MCU! Without change, growth, and eventual closure, everything feels much less meaningful, and it's no coincidence that greater implementations of those aspects are some of the key distinctions between many of the most successful comic adaptations of the modern era and their source material.

[@ronaldhonore3454]

You mad that Batman lives forever😂😂😂😂.

[@calumhouston3308]

Crisis in Time is why we don't bother with aging characters. It ruins the fun of what makes these characters fun and timeless.

[@blacklivesorblackvotes2985]

@@ronaldhonore3454 no he isn’t. Dumb comment.

[@crazyhorsecavdoc4916]

The only Robin Didio liked was Jason. He killed Damion, turned Tim into Drake, did the whole Rick story...

[@mageside]

granted I like Jason Todd too but not at the cost of trying to set up a horrendous new status quo for the other robins when they're well liked...

[@OdariArt]

My 10-year old son says, "Hey, she didn't say Bye Bye like she always does." The look on his face was priceless. Lol! Btw, what's hanging on the wall?

[@CasuallyComics]

It's a Starry Night inspired Joker poster of the scene from the Dark Knight where he's hanging out of the side of the cop car. Lol I wave in the next video!

[@OdariArt]

@@CasuallyComics Omg! I love that scene in the movie. Everything about that movie was good. I told my Mini-Me and he's happy dancing for the next one. Lol!

[@jameljenks2584]

I see why they threw didio away. Everytime I hear his name it is him and his mandates doing something dumb.

[@mediumjohnsilver]

So how did Dick Grayson’s memories come back? Did Queen Hippolyta restore them from a backup tape? That would be clumsy, ham-handed, and yet would be an homage that would make me laugh my ass off.

[@roseprevost8081]

A magic memory crystal. Really.

[@Harleyxjokerforever]

I feel bad for Bea. They really just toss her away. 😞

[@IllMatic97]

C'mon, even I knew she wasn't gonna stick around. Richard dropped her like a bad habit.

[@amandak.5967]

Same thing happened to his last girlfriend Shaun Tsang :( but at least their break up felt more natural.

[@BigBadWolframio]

@@IllMatic97 The way in which it happens matters, tho. Yes, we knew she wasn't going to stick around. No, we don't like it happened because Dick acted like an effing idiot.

[@diegodreossi1458]

Poor girl 😔

[@Captain8ball]

Nightwing = the Spider-man of the Dc Universe

[@holynightwingfan4510]

sigh... sadly your r right

[@ezravizcarra9555]

Yes, and both are my favorite go figure

[@captainbeastwinger4940]

Yes because he also keeps regressing he was a teacher an about to have a kid But made him a manchild who still lives with aunt may

[@galactic85]

If DC was smart it would be Jaime Reyes or Virgil Hawkins.

[@anonsmith3459]

ROBIN CAME BEFORE SPIDERMAN - SO FLIP THAT SHT. #YOUREWELCOME

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

Fortunately, it's over now. Btw, artist need to settle on how Dick and Jason look. They're so similar too often. Can't we have green eyes for Jason or something?

[@Basketcase12]

You uttered the name "Tarantula" and I felt like my mind went numb and fell out the back of my head into the ether... Needless to say, you have a point.

[@arpitpatel2781]

Please do video on Diana discovering Brazilian tribe of Amazons. In Wonder Woman Annual #4, Wonder Woman just discovered a lost third tribe of Amazons, appearing on Brazil's coastline. It might become relevant in Future State.

[@mauricecherry1209]

To be honest this arc didn't really bother me that much it just would have been nice if Bruce was more involved with helping Dick instead of staying away for him to "figure things out on his own"

[@Syntox]

Here's an idea, how about we stop letting people write for characters that they have an agenda against

[@moonlightwolf8359]

I can get behind that

[@cabin7slytherpuffempath]

Louder for the people in the back!

[@whathanul5798]

It is the mishandling of endings and constant character resets which has become my greatest annoyance with the comic book industry. Status Quo being god is the worst thing that has happened in American media not just comics.

[@MrRobot-0]

Marvel oldes problem was shufle around thing for the sake of shufleing around without rime or reason. DC in other hand is slave to the status quo, for istance hall jordan being in the forefron on the green lanters despite he being one of the least intresthing lanterns (would be the least but the made simon baz and "strong black woman" ho i dont care to learn tge name)

[@zelamorre1126]

They couldn't have Dick fall out of love with Bea once he became himself again. Because that wouldn't have been super dramatic Comic Book Writing (TM). It would've been more real world heartbreaking. (And, honestly, a bit different to how comic books usually deal with ending romantic relationships.) But they probably wanted to leave that door open for a future relationship or more drama.

[@MrRobot-0]

Yeah im stoped to waching telenovelas (i am from brazil qnd before streaming, read better option, it was a big thin on the country) the draw out drama and absolute prectibility make it unintresthing.

[@undetestable1]

Honestly my biggest disappointment is that we didn't get a messy awkward break up between Grayson and Bee. I get that it wouldn't have been easy to write but it could have been really interesting to read about. Having him lie to her "for his own good" is as the video said, a slap in the face. She could have ended up breaking things off with him simply because he wasn't the person she fell in love with anymore.

[@OleanderRainbow]

To quote Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants in regards to Dick 'Ric' Grayson. "MY NAME'S NOT RICK!". While I haven't caught up with the Batfam. I still find this dumb. Like, let Dick Grayson be a daring man who grew from the trapeze into kicking ass with acrobatic skills. Having a bubble butt doesn't hurt though. Besides, there is only one edgelord the batfam and that is Jason Todd.

[@char-_]

Ric Grayson made me take a break from comics. I remember just going through Nightwing and I don’t really focus on the Batman comics but people who surround him. I was a few months behind and I was so whiplash like “oop he got shot and now is a whole different character” I just dropped it. I just stopped reading comics and moved to manga. Now I’m back and glad that I waited so I wouldn’t have to read it lmao.

[@apollolux]

This Richard Grayson was the most Chris O'Donnell looking Richard Grayson that I've seen in the comics in a long time!

[@karenstarr]

That image of him bald with the pool cue behind his head, makes him look like Mick from legends of tomorrow.

[@JohnWilsonComicsGuy]

I absolutely love Nightwing (and his butt) and the whole Ric thing is one of the worse things that they ever did to the character. I honestly stopped reading the comic and didn't pick it up again until I saw that they saw they were returning him to his Dick Grayson persona. Of all the horrible things Tom King has ever written a character to do (Don't get me started on Wally West and Heroes in Crisis), this whole arc was so literally and figuratively not the Dick Grayson I have been following for years and the story lost me in the first few issues. I can't imagine how they will ever justify this mess as a part of the continuity and it will hopefully just be a sad blip in the character's history.

[@wwbwbgohbc]

Sasha, who are you kidding? Like you need a reason to read more Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane LOL

[@CasuallyComics]

Guilty lol

[@craggylotus]

they should do a Nightwing's Girlfriend comic, but it's a different main character every arc.

[@monkekun3033]

@@craggylotus 😂😂😂😂

[@mariajesuscasosayeh403]

Nightwing is my favorite superhero! 😍

[@angryspork610]

1:50 Is that--the Flying Graysons suit from All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder?! That's one baffling Easter egg. Also: Dan Didio is dumb.

[@SupremeUchiha]

I used to read batgirl and nightwing religiously... then agent 37 happened and I forced myself through it, and some of the pay offs (like the Damien hug scene) were simply amazing, and I actually ended up kind of liking the whole thing. Batgirl going to burnside still hurts, but I tried continuing that too... then rick came along and I just couldn't... the best batman and dick grayson comic for me is still BATMAN AND ROBIN (when batman "dies" and fight for the cowl happens). But so glad that the guy i've been reading for nearly 15 years is back lol.

[@michaellangwaller]

I would have like more of a continued exploration of the two different personalities that would eventually turn into a split-personality with Nightwing adopting two different costumes that reflect the different personalities and to see both personalities spiral out of control to the point that he would either need supernatural intervention to split them physically or psychologically meld them together. I hate the breakup with his girlfriend, the split could have caused some riffs and created an arc that showed them both trying to deal with the issues and finally coming to working out their relationship.

[@ariellakahan-harth8831]

Jason Todd turning into a tentacle monster sounds like someone gave Brian Yuzna and Stuart Gordon free reign at DC for a day and that's what they came up with.

[@Katystinks]

I love your personality and channel so much 🥰 I have been loving your videos on punchline especially. Also, what lipstick do you wear because you slay every color!

[@CasuallyComics]

Mostly colourpop lippies :)

[@Katystinks]

@@CasuallyComics I wear their Lux lipstick but only have one of their lippie sticks. I might have to buy some more 🤔

[@ecosmith7852]

Ric: Let me out! Let me out This is not a dance I'm begging for help I'm screaming for help Please come let me out... Knightwings dying in a vat in the garage!

[@unigenius]

Ric & The Nightwings reminded me of that time when DC had "We Are Robin's! (Bum ba-dee bum-bum bum Bum BUM!)"

[@blackphoenix77]

That team of Nightwings was so stupid.

[@katsomeday1]

You have a real knack for nuance in your reviews. I truly love watching them!

[@calelkestifer3570]

"nephew to Superman" to the point where even Nightwing as a hero name is based on a Kryptonian myth

[@toonblade4231]

Glad to see so many comments discussing one of the best heroes in all of DC. I personally am glad that Dick is back. What irked me the most is that this was done just to further Batman angst, and nothing more. Just a means to an end to tell someone else's story (Tom King's MO, honestly; figurative and literal character assassination because his fanfiction is more important than anything else) and that it threw a whole other book into disarray. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the previous writer on the Nightwing books quit when the assassination was done? If he did, I can't blame him. Even if the execution wasn't stellar, I am glad he's back. On that subject, I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone mention that touching scene in issue 75 of Dick at Alfred's tomb. If anything, that scene was the highlight of the whole return. My only hope is that they use the Ric arc as a pivot point for good stories in the future. Since earlier in the run, the main theme was Dick struggling to understand who he was and what his place in the world was, they could use the aftermath of the Ric arc to get him on track to be who he is meant to be. And maybe also further his spot within the Batman mythos; one of the comments here mentioned how he and Alfred were the only sources of light amidst the darkness of the Batfam. With Alfred gone, there's plenty of possibilities for stories involving Dick as the last remaining glue holding the family together. At least, that's what I hope. Regardless, the worst is over, and with that bastard Didio out of the way there might be hope for Dick yet.

[@PosthumanHeresy]

I like the idea of a Nightwing Family now tbh, and I hope they take that from this and roll with it. Nightwing deciding what his city needs is a not dysfunctional version of the Batman Family would be brilliant.

[@crashlanded2327]

Honestly, now that they are around, I‘d love for something to be done with the Nightwings… Dick could take breaks or go on crazy long missions with the Titans and then come back to a well looked after Bludhaven, courtesy of the Nightwings. At least it’s be a canon explanation for his city to not go down the drain immediately as soon as he leaves, even though it seems to be on the brink of it whenever he is there.

[@adinocc2042]

Nightwing is so tough, he can KO Dan Didio with just a flick of his pinky finger!

[@PerkEdge]

He only ages maybe one year per decade. He's still in his early twenties. If you think about it, Dick became a college student during the 60s tv show. Turned 21 either in the 80s or 90s making him around 23 or 24 which is still very young. So it's not like how Ditto was claiming he was aging. Also Batman has entered the lazarus pit (Birth Of the Demon) so if they said Bruce was in his 40s, but still looked younger- that could be the explanation for any fans (like myself) that like to over think these things.

[@uaseninatjimapurakavezembu3247]

Please do a Starfire comic of you can find one 😢I miss her and it's like she's been forgotten this days... Also love the video

[@JayJayslayfey]

not true justice league odyssey

[@JayJayslayfey]

RHatOL

[@imwhatthekidscallcringy3858]

Found this channel after missing your shipper guide to the galaxy Channel. I really appreciate your humor and knowledge on the Fandom and the comic book community. Also NIGHTWING BUTT hehehe funny

[@Sunstar808]

Sasha you do such a great job on the channel handling a discussion of the character arc of Rick vs D Grayson with knowledge & seriousness.

[@AlexKlindt]

Look, honestly, I'd read a Nightwing book where Dick isn't Nightwing, but I just couldn't read a Nightwing book where Dick isn't Dick. The "Ric Grayson Arc" would have been tolerable if it had lasted like maybe 9 issues before Dick started regaining his memories and feeling the need to act like himself again, but this arc lasted like 2 years. Like, I tried "Ric Grayson" as Nightwing is my favorite DC character, but after about 5 issues, I just couldn't bother anymore, and was stuck in this limbo of watching comics news like, "is Dick back yet? No? Okay." What is comes down to is that this arc could have not been the worst thing to happen to the character from an editorial standpoint in recent memory, but it absolutely was.

[@MrRobot-0]

Yeah they killed off grayson on this reboot before, butt OO butcheecks aka grayson was awesome imo, because richard is on his element an world trodeling hero meething diferent caracthers and playing off of them.

[@AlexKlindt]

@@MrRobot-0, Grayson was awesome. The whole run was great. Dick and Helena played off of each other fantastically, even when you nix the usual tights and spandex banter, I liked a lot of the worldbuilding and cast. It was a good time, it just ended a little abrupt for my taste,

[@BlUsKrEEm]

We're going there? Oh man! WE'RE GOING THERE!?

[@ezravizcarra9555]

So will there be a sasha review of agent grayson? I’d like to hear her thoughts on it and how it compares to the ric storyline because she knows how to discuss everything comics

[@MrRobot-0]

Oh OO butcheecks was way more fun, since you know dick was still himself

[@dragonetafireball]

Ah yeah the classic hate on what came before to try elevate the new instalments and then when people get upset start hating on the very thing you just hyped up and pretend it didn’t happen and repeat the cycle.

[@eberwald4438]

I'm glad I found out about Ric after it was over. Nightwing is my favorite comic character. And now for the gratuitous butt joke. Little known fact: Quarters were invented as a form of currency so that, in the future, they could be bounced off it.

[@MosaicComics]

Wow, I didn't realize this lasted two years. Going for that long, only to abruptly drop it...that's a weird arc of commitment.

[@sumponeighknotyew9757]

Thanks for the update, now for Red X

[@voidcowboy4327]

Dc: Everyone loves Nightwing we should kill him. George RR Martin: Nods approvingly.

[@manucitomx]

Yes, I do appreciate Dick’s growth (yup, went there). That being said, Nightwing is, bar none, the best character in DC.

[@xHx23x]

I honestly liked his cast more than Ric himself and when I found out it was being undone my hope was that Bea & The Nightwings (cool band name) would stay. I wanted the composite version of Ric and Dick but I guess it is too much to ask for follow through in comics these days

[@CasuallyComics]

Lol Bea & The Nightwings does sound like a band, I'd get the t-shirt.

[@NannaMorningstar]

Things like that is why we have fanfiction, they usually do it better than canon

[@DanielLies0]

I remember this was the event that took me out of reading DC comics entirely. I wasn't happy with the sheer amount of events at the time and them drastically changing my favourite character was the blow that took me out. Only recently started getting into comics again and I'm falling in love with it all over again. Especially the more recent Nightwing comics. Videos like these really help to get me up to date again with recent DC, so I've been really enjoying them!

[@nigelcox-hagan6820]

Thank you for a celebration of Dick. If we wanted a troubled Robin there are many options. I think it’s under appreciated that, despite experiencing some of the same travails as Bruce, Dick is a warmer, more relatable, more optimistic human. He represents hope, and hope just happens to have a nice ass.

[@jamalabdirahim3984]

NOT RICK THE PTSD

[@dallasgrey4247]

This arc reminds me of the Mod Wonder Woman era. It’s bad with only one or two good features, and when the fans complained so much, it ends in a way where everything from that arc is sort of forgotten.

[@JohnGolden]

Also was a fan of Bea. Really didn't mind this as an arc, given that they put him in this space to begin with.

[@devinkavanaugh1034]

Im glad this is over. I was ecstatic when Dan didio was fired. I really didn't like him and I felt like he really never understood a large part of what comics are about. He thought everything had to be bleak and dark, no hope or happiness alowed... good riddance.

[@e34re]

This has always been my problem with character changes in most comics: I know it won't stick. Companies rarely let the characters evolve. So why would I spend money on this Ric Grayson arc if I know he'll go back to the way he was before? This was essentially DC killing off a character, and since we all know characters rarely stay dead, for me there was no need to read this.

[@lint138]

I thought I would feel sweet relief after a two year absence from one of my favorite characters, but now all I feel is "meh." 🤷‍♂️

[@shealupkes]

He went from slick Grayson to prick Grayson

[@danaaxelson6200]

I love your work. Do the writers of these series ever call and say, “Thanks for explaining this to us. We have some questions for you.”

[@yepyep951]

My biggest question throughout the entire saga was why didn't Batman ask Martian Manhunter or anyone else to restore Nightwing's memories?

[@BigBadWolframio]

They just... Gave up on him so quickly that it's disturbing. And then they tell you that Batman was watching over him and I don't believe it. It was a mess. I'm so frustrated with DC recently that I can't bring myself to read the new issues.

[@yepyep951]

@@BigBadWolframio Yeah, and I thought current Marvel comics were bad...=/

[@randomt800kiddo2]

i just hate how they did nightwing in the prime earth, he's had more time as these shitty fun and quirky offshoot characters like bootleg agent 007, and now bootleg bucky.. DC has no respect for any of the batfamily whatsoever

[@dallasgrey4247]

I hated Ric Grayson. I remember I hated him so much that I prayed that somehow at the end of Doomsday Clock, Dr. Manhattan turned Ric back into Dick, just like how he turned Superman back into Superman.

[@shmeebs387]

DC hasn't known what to do with Dick since the pre-New 52 Morrison and Snyder runs. They keep either kneecapping writers by making them tie into events, sending him off on side quests like Agent 37, or just straight up sidelining him in his own book as Ric. He's had zero development since Flashpoint. Any emotion impact from his books always comes from relationships he built in the stories before Flashpoint. The character has so much potential. He represents the future in the DC universe. He's like Gohan in DBZ. He's the kid with all the potential in the world, but when it comes time for him to realize that potential the writers punt him to the sideline in favor of the old heroes again.

[@jinxtheunluckypony]

“Why does everyone keep calling me a dick!?” -Ric Grayson

[@Efegaming1]

You explain amnesia like you’re a psychologist I love it

[@jasonroberts7558]

Killing off Dick Grayson would be devastating to the bat family as a whole. Somebody needs to dull all that edge coming off of Batman and Jason Todd.

[@TipeneThorner]

Im honestly glad Didio is gone, when he left I knew it was a matter of time til Nightwing returned. Im glad Dicks back, the Batfamily and Nightwing solo series felt weird without him

[@tillybillyboyboy]

This is some amazing info! I didn't know that Nightwing got so convoluted. I sincerely love this channel ❤❤💯💯🔥🔥 100% lit fam

[@aviaveria8307]

Great analysis. Initially, I was about to give it a chance but once Lobdell was announced I knew it would go completely south especially when Percy and King came out and revealed that they had other pitches for the direction and King even stated that he didn't intend for Dick to be taken out for so long. It reeks of editorial meddling. I didn't enjoy Ric at all except for some of the CoO stuff and I still believe the initial plan was to bring Nightwing back in that arc (because of the memory sequences). Which would have been better, imo. I also think they missed the mark with bringing Nightwing back. People didn't necessarily want Nightwing back, they wanted Dick back, and instead, we get a "Batman is right" ending. Bea should have been handled better, that door could have easily been left open, Dick should have learned about what happened to Roy and Wally from Donna and Garth, there should have been a proper reunion between Damian and Dick. Surprising as it seems I thought the Justice League Death Metal tie-in handled Dick's return to Nightwing better than his own book.

[@daverhoden445]

At last my wait is over. I have been waiting for this video since the first time I heard you mention Rick in the very first video of yours that I watched.