The Problem With Nightwing - Explained

[@saviongraham872]

Isn't the whole point of Nightwing is that he grew into his own hero adjacent of Batman. That he has his own city, villains and side characters.

[@Artryom]

It’s him stepping out of the Bat’s shadow, so basically him stepping out what everybody and everything saw as a Sidekick, growing out of the Robin name and title aka the drastic costume change to his liking and the name change. Writers and folks sought to enhance it and so later on they did all of that but no… it’s not really independency, it’s him creating something grown up folks can take him seriously for rather than “Robin: Batman-lite” but once folks found out yk, from memory of reading his appearances and comics, that didn’t really work UNTIL he proved himself with the city and Rogues gallery schtick, also side characters… But no, not those specifically, he became Nightwing as a Titan then it was decided that’ll lead into his own solo because of popularity iirc… Stepping out of the Bat’s shadow was the entire point, nobody saw him as a sidekick anymore and a hero of his own, whether if, like editorial loved back then, he worked in his home city still with the Bat.

[@jvr6809]

Who is Nightwings villain?

[@williammoldowan]

@@jvr6809mostly blockbuster, they def need to introduce new villains

[@thesoniczone11]

I don't want him to be Batman. I feel like a whole point with him is that he doesn't WANT to just become Batman. He doesn't want to be like Bruce. Nightwing is like the better version or answer to what Batman "should be", and he already is that AS NIGHTWING.

[@mr.protagonist5639]

Exactly. I prefer him not being batman the way I see it there are only 2 real options for a robin being batman. Damien and Tim.

[@matthewrosenthal753]

Knightwing is a”better Batman” because he is not Batman. He is what Batman should be and could be if he had been able to grieve and come to the point that he grows past his parents death. To become his own man was why Batman fired him as Robin.

[@cgb593]

Exactly. He told Damian this when Bruce was “dead”

[@genericusername_Xx]

Yeah because Batman also wanted to be Batman and definitely didn’t do it because he had to… The issue is that Dick always has to end up as Batman but no one wants to do that because Bruce Wayne makes them money…(I of course understand why I love Bruce’s Batman)

[@emmanuelnyarko4231]

exactly how i feel about it

[@JayDayX116]

I kinda love how the gothan knights put it. Dick doesn't want to be batman, and that Bruce himself acknowledges him as what batman should be and how proud he is of him and who he became.

[@barrydeep]

According to a google search: Dick is short for Richard for the same reason that Bill is short for William, and Ted is short for Edward. They were popular names in the Middle Ages, where not everyone had surnames. So a village might have had several unrelated Richards, Edwards, and Williams. So society came up with nicknames that rhymed and were close enough to the original name and nickname. So instead of Richard, Richard, and Richard… they had a Richard, Rick, and Dick.

[@TheKirbyepicness]

I think making Dick a dad would be a cool step for his character. I think some of Wally’s best stuff is when it focuses on him being a parent so it could be cool to see how parenthood evolves Dick’s character as well. Dick’s age feels like it’s stagnating lately and I think that would be a good way to age him up.

[@HELLO_KORO]

I feel like Nightwing already has that going on with Damian since he was Robin's 1st true parental figure.

[@Beriorn]

The problem is who's going to be the mom. The two primary candidates are Barbara Gordon and Starfire, but the issue with both is that their respective series (Batman and Titans) write said girl to be Dick's one true love and the only one who can make him happy. Introducing someone new or have him get it on with an existing character would not be well received by fans of both Team Babs and Team Kory. Plus, he and Starfire already had a daughter in Kingdom Come, but making her a mom again might bring bag bad memories of _that_ recent comic.

[@MidTierMenace777]

You said dick

[@TheKirbyepicness]

@@HELLO_KORO yeah, but his relationship with Damian was by no means a traditional father-son one. It was more like an older brother forced into parenthood because Bruce was dead at the time. I think it would be nice to see Dick raise a child without a shit ton of emotional trauma and get to be an actual parent.

[@emankhurram]

@@Beriorn Probably Barbra since they are together in the nightwing series (although I have always been team Starfire). I think the writers are pushing for those two endgame. The last time starfire and nightwing were together, not hooking up or making out, like full on together in a committed relationship, was the 80s. But lets see what they do about the unofficial love triangle in the new titans series coming out. I think Tom Taylor is going to make nightwing stay with barbra, and have maybe one conversation with Starfire for closure. Which is sad but what I think is going to happen. On a happier note, the new titans series will be exploring Raven and Beast Boy romantic relationship.

[@cinamick2114]

Dick Grayson's one motive is to create an identity for himself as Nightwing though, he did not want to be in Bruce's shadow having him become batman may look cool on paper; but Dick's true mature adult form is Nightwing, not Batman. if he were to take the mantle it would have to be against his

[@TetsuShima]

*Fun fact:* Nightwing's great ability with women was already intuited during the Golden Age of Comics. In the iconic issue in which Batman and Superman meet and fight crime together for the first time, a certain rivalry develops between the two superheroes for the attention of Lois Lane. Lois then decides to resolve the matter by inviting one of the heroes to have a date with her. The big shock that Bruce and Clark receive when they see that the lucky one selected to dine in the company of DC's most attractive reporter is Robin himself, who didn't even accompany Batman on the mission, is simply GOLD 😂😂😂

[@timothycrosby4251]

My man! 😂

[@Sith1756]

That's awesome! lol

[@HELLO_KORO]

How old was Robin at thst point

[@Beriorn]

That's from Superman #76 (the 1939 run), the first story in that book.

[@TetsuShima]

​​@@HELLO_KORO Just 10 years old 😂

[@unionjakass6589]

So Dick being short for Richard is an old English thing, similar to how John and Jack get treated. Richard was shortened to Rich, and Rich somehow became Dick- How this happened I don’t know, I can only imagine the story that led to it though.

[@feodiente9460]

This is a interesting point.

[@Dhampir101980]

Hence why I always call him Richard. Alfred also always called him Richard in the comics anyway

[@nebriancoleman4704]

D and R are a big part of mistranslation in the bible. There is a place in older Bibles chapter 10 of Genesis the table of Nations called Dodanim but it is actually Rodanim... which is the city of Rhodes... so you switch it from Rich to Dich and letters change over time..kind of like Christmas being on January 7th

[@Witko_]

It's because it rhymes lol William -> Will -> Bill Robert -> Rob -> Bob Richard -> Rick -> Dick

[@OMGSAMCOPSEY]

@@Witko_ Dont forget Ricky and Dicky

[@timothycrosby4251]

Nightwing is my favorite character but my problem with him is that he needs a better rogues gallery and he needs a definitive story like "Born Again" or "The Dark Knight Returns".

[@jamesrocco7701]

Agreed give him back Deathstroke, I find it funny how everyone associates him to Batman. But he was a Titans vialian, and especially had a respect for Grayson.

[@reedy4519]

@@jamesrocco7701yep, proved even further in dark crisis. deathstroke just works as a nightwing villain

[@RTU130]

ye

[@tannern6926]

@@jamesrocco7701also the court of owls was supposed to be a nightwing villain but they made it into a Batman villain

[@jamesrocco7701]

@tannern6926 I mean they did a decent job switching that around in early rebirth and when he lost his memory

[@kubz3407]

Imo the problem is that Nightwing will never be allowed to do anything, even Tom Taylor’s run is playing everything way too safe, while the Rebirth era run was controversial it tried new things and even brought back one of the most impactful dynamics Dick has with his and Damian’s team up during the deathwing arc

[@Jay_SGE]

I’m of the firm belief that not everything has to be a “shake up” and we can just have fun and live in the moment with a series but Tom Taylor’s run is incredibly boring.

[@kubz3407]

@@Jay_SGE It just feels safe, nothing happens and when something does happen it has no long term affects or gets resolved by the next issue

[@elianlins9332]

A way to make Jon stop being redundant as Superman. Make he take up the mantle of Flame Bird, not because of his father but because of Nightwing being his mentor, that way going full circle, Nightwing taking up the mantle bc of Superman and Jon taking up the mantle bc of Nightwing. But whenever there's future stories you can keep Jon as Superman.

[@pinkpowercoin3341]

That… actually sounds perfect

[@matthewrosenthal753]

At one point they brought back the OG Batgirl ( Kathy Kane’s niece Betty) and she became Flamebird.

[@jhonandrews2674]

Cool idea and I’d definitely love to see it but it can’t work long term at all, it’d be cool for like an off planet arc or something

[@The_Phantasm]

Benny, come on. Make a video about the problem with Batman. We all know the problem or rather problems with him.

[@redhoodie4111]

if that's the case, why do we need a video on him?

[@The_Phantasm]

@@redhoodie4111 Because it's still fun to talk about.

[@koushikraja331]

Let's start: I can defeat the entire justice league with muh prep time and by rolling my eyes and screaming(look it up, not kidding, he scares away an else world superman using that technique), but I cannot defeat an egotistical jackass with a question mark theme, a crazy cat lady, a short dude with an umbrella and a monocle and a fucking clown who can make super hyper powerful chemicals despite being a loser who had a bad day!

[@baligong3592]

A video on The BatGod, himself, is probably the Main Course Meal we all have been waiting for. So unfortunate that we get 100 solo issues with him, and No Videos on him.

[@Tomy_Lightning]

One of them is the batman fanboys A.K.A. the ones who will say he can beat anyone with something called prep time.

[@pinkpowercoin3341]

Definitely would prefer he NOT put on the cowl and become Batman. Nightwing is his own hero, and I don’t think he needs the cowl to “complete” his character arch (this being American comics, so there is no end). I would like it if Damien became something of a permanent fixture in his books though. Become his Robin, like Tim is Bruce’s Robin. Their brother dynamic is far more interesting (to me) than his father/son one with Bruce.

[@PappiiSensei101]

Why would Nightwing take up a Robin?

[@baligong3592]

After watching the video in it's entirety, I was close to being convinced that you're right, until the last 2 min of the video. The issue isn't Nightwing has to become Batman, it's the fact that they want Dick Grayson without Nightwing. He's always changing or retiring his identity of Nightwing and other things. I could understand that making him Batman can also be a Sign of Permanence, but it's as if Nightwing's reader are split to: - Wanting Nightwing to be "The Better Batman" - Wanting Nightwing to be Batman - and Outsiders/Writers who wants him to be anything but Nightwing, because he "can't be Batman" The issue is resolved by Embracing Nightwing for who he is: a Hopeful Cheerful superhero trained by Batman. He's not a "Better" Batman, he's not Worse than him either. He's his own Character who does his own thing.

[@comicstorian]

Dude thats a great way to put it!

[@Coolgamer..]

Dick Garson's journey would be complete from Batman sidekick to becoming the man himself Batman. I wonder what would be Bruce Wayne journey if he is no longer Batman and does something else entirely.

[@tankcoatpink]

Just why. This is why I like the old stuff than the newer WOKE stuff

[@damienmitchell3104]

He is "the Better Batman" but he doesnt have to be Batman to do that. Bruce already said that Dick is the best of them. He is the better Batman and doesnt need the cowl to do it. They keep forgetting that and thats the biggest issue with him imho.

[@tankcoatpink]

@@damienmitchell3104 bro I would kiss you for saying that. Tim Drake Tim Drake is the best than them all 🤣😒.

[@SlipperyPeteClassic]

LOL I remember thinking, "OK I'm not loving this Ric Grayson thing, but it'll probably last 6 months tops..." The thing I hated most about that era was that he started dating a girl, loved her, and then when he finally regained his memories he broke up with her because she'd be in the way of his super heroics - which she totally predicted.

[@cherryblossom00000]

And poor Bea was never mentioned again

[@dafilmqueen556]

Can you imagine if someone were to write Bea Bennett onscreen and actually develop her relationship with Dick without breaking them up so sadly? I hope that person to be me someday. I'm on a future mission to write these characters properly and do them justice..

[@sofialu226]

How many Girlfriend had Dick have that ended because if the Vigilantee stuf? Way to many... Ngl, I HATED Ric Grayson, but I actually like Bea and Him. It was sad,

[@spider-423]

I really love Nightwing Dick Grayson, because he is a out-going and fun character looking to help people but his goal is inspiring hope of light for every single character in dc comics.

[@christopherbennett5858]

Yeah. It’s nice to see Nightwing get his groove back. Shame about Battle for Bludhaven. Have to admit, the one thing I really liked about the Grayson era was his friendship with Midnighter.

[@TetsuShima]

The contrast between the Dick Grayson of Earth One and his Earth Two's counterpart is pretty interesting, actually. While the Grayson we all know changed his identity from Robin to Nightwing at the age of 20 because he got fed up with being referred to as "Batman's sidekick" and wanted to be a hero on his own, the one from Earth Two never stopped being Robin, even when he was 40 years old, simply because his childhood with Batman was the happiest time of his life, being the Robin identity a way of dealing with the tragedies surrounding the Wayne Family over the years

[@angelcanez4426]

Earth two Dick Grayson sounds like a total virgin

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

One of the three characters in comics (the other two being Wally West and Mary Jane) that the comic industry got right that they kick themselves every day for doing so. Luckily, until recently. Still, Nightwing breaks the mold in a few ways, but mostly in having a sidekick being almost as famous as the main hero in the cultural zeitgeist (Robin), and having an identity after that super popular identity that most people recognize him more as nowadays (every comic fan knows and prefers Grayson as his Nightwing identity than as Robin), which is mostly unheard of.

[@Axel-ye8tt]

Robin the title is more famous than the dick Grayson the character

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

@@Axel-ye8tt And Grayson is more famous as Nightwing than he was as Robin.

[@AwkwrdPrtMskrt]

"Mary Jane" They got her right. Then they didn't. And here we are, MJ's with some fuccboi.

[@mitch-TO]

I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think Dick should ever be Batman. He has a totally different crime fighting philosophy and he’s best as Nightwing. He’s outgrown Bruce and works best as his own thing.

[@darthsidious4807]

Yeah fair, for me the only Robin that could really become Batman is Tim Drake

[@BarbaraGordonTheBatgirl]

Not sure that Nightwing has a problem. I would consider Tim Drake to have the biggest problem, he just hasnt moved on properly and is still clinging to Robin despite it being Damians mantel. Tim also has such a boring character because they make him the best for no reason.

[@0rion-u]

He isn't the best for no reason. He HAD to be the best if he wanted Bruce and Dick to let him take up the mantle after the Ethiopia debacle.

[@BarbaraGordonTheBatgirl]

@@0rion-u apologies, im not the biggest fan of tim as you can tell. I think he has so much potential but is being held back by poor writing

[@guto5285]

I just read Tim first appearances( his introduction, mother death, first Robin mini-series, and the beginning of his first Robin series) and in my opinion i think he is boring and uninteresting, he hardly has a personality and is a perfect person . It feels just like a empty self -insert character that didn’t hadn't much going on from him besides being a Robin and when that was taken a way from him he progressively being more and more irrelevant and redudant to a point where they even gave him the Robin title again. Again that is just my point of view, i know that a lot of Tim fans out there and he clearly has some appeal but i don't see it.

[@BarbaraGordonTheBatgirl]

@@guto5285 thats the same impressions i get from him, he just isnt as interesting dick grayson, damian wayne or jason todd. I know jason only really got interesting because he died and what happened after that but if tim never moves on then he wont ever become interesting. He unfortunately feels like wasted potential

[@chinyereugwu9431]

@@0rion-u Tim isn't the best. Bruce let him become Robin when it was pointed out that if the people noticed that Robin was indeed missing it would confirm the rumours that he had been killed which would embolden the baddies. Tim is the everyman. He is supposed to be just like the average teen so young readers could insert themselves into him. He was purposely designed to be relatable to as many readers as possible. Not a prodigy, not super skilled not an orphan or with a tragic backstory. He was just a regular kid who saw recognised a Robin performing a Flying Graysons move so figured out that Dick Grayson was Robin. The being super smart or having a couple of people tell us he is the best [even though canon consistently proves otherwise] came after he started to struggle and fell from popularity.

[@Small_Hollow]

The reason Dick is shorthand for Richard is because of rhyming conventions. Bill becomes shorthand for William, and so on. Dick was initially Rich, then Ric, then a few more before settling into Dick. A few more examples are Ned(edward), and Bob(Robert)

[@comicfan1324]

I’m sure there’s a way to defend the fact that Batman never calls only for back up. Maybe he’s worried other people will get hurt? Maybe he’s just stubborn? But I would’ve loved it if the moment night wing heard about the failsafe situation, she just be dialed every superhero they know to save Batman.

[@srinivasanbalaji4867]

they would all get destroyed

[@jamesmason7979]

Dick Grayson becoming Batman was a lateral move at best. Dick Grayson has always been Bruce Wayans foil. If Nightwing is who Batman could be if Batman was well-adjusted, then Nightwing becoming Batman is almost a step backwards. Honestly, this video presents a better argument for why Dick doesn't need to become Batman.

[@mattfortmuller5]

I actually bought the ric Grayson issues at first like “oh this ain’t too bad” and then it kept going and going and I was like “oh this is very bad”

[@aisadal2521]

Let's bring back Discowing, fam 🤣

[@Artryom]

Heck ye, peak fashion! Seriously, combine it with his iconic…

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

Not even Nightwing is safe from bad writing

[@TrainerDomo]

He didn’t get killed by the Crime Syndicate in Forever Evil. It was Lex who suffocated him to stop his heart because he was attached to the Murder Machine. He was revived within the next minute with a shot of adrenaline by Lex.

[@jalengrigsby314]

Growing up in the 2000s made me a huge fan of the 2nd gen of dc heroes in general. Most of my friends echo similar thoughts. This is probably why they stagnated a lot of characters like Wally and dick. Because they became the new gens fans favorites.

[@Mulukan57]

Yeaa I think growing up in the 2000s, we were exposed to 2nd gen of dc hero a lot. We have Teen Titans and Young Justice. While in 90s, we have DCAU. We might argue that we were exposed to a lot of JL stuff too in 2000s but all of those stuff is not as mainstream as Teen Titans and Young Justice.

[@kurtpryor6334]

Richard got shortened to Rich when there were too many of them. Then there were too many people going by Rich, so some became Rick. Then there were too many Ricks running around (probably some were from Rickardo) and thus we got Dick. This is the most likely path I found looking it up years ago, but I never found anyone or anything concrete. But it was a name long before a euphemism.

[@GingeryGinger]

So for those curious, the reason dick is short for Richard is because before the modern age of computers, people wrote in hand and it was easier to write shorter versions of names like Richard as Rich/Rick, which eventually led to rhyming names like Mick, Hitch, Dick, etc. Dick being the one of the very few to survive throughout history.

[@lukedaikitoo]

The thing about this character is, Dick doesn't want to become Batman and many times he has stated his reasons why. And the more you think about it the more sense it makes. His parents died and he has that in common with Bruce, then Bruce adopts him and tries to help him out, to give him a purpose, train him, be his role model but in the end Dick sees what Bruce really is, which is...a sad man reliving the same night his parents got murdered. Dick moves on from his parents' death and that sets him apart. He has potential to be his own character because of that difference and to make him become batman would destroy the progress thats been already made.

[@mackthisarrowhearth295]

I like Dick as Nightwing more than Batman, because he needs his own rogues instead adopting most of Bruce's. And there is still possibility to see how Dick bounces of Batman's rogues differently than Bruce would.

[@kaygarcia3077]

The problem I have with Night-wing is his how he is written,they keep lessening his abilities to make other characters stand out many times to ridiculous lvls. Each character should have a psyche profile, Batman eg dark,stern, thinker,untrusting,strategist, kind self sacrificing the Boss. When you see him doesn't matter the design you know him. Its not this way for Grayson

[@wyattbohman7112]

R.I.P. Ben!

[@MoramothHauntz]

I would also love to see Batman on the phone calling up his entire phonebook

[@matthewnuss3053]

At 9:50 your referring to Nightwing leading the new Justice League as Batman alongside Donna Troy, Jesse Quick, Jade, Congorilla, Star Man, and Supergirl. This was an odd team but I loved it bc other than the bastardization of Roy Harper, this team was entirely made up of legacy heroes that stepped into their predecessors shoes

[@jeremiahbristow7609]

I still think that Raven and Beast Boy should have followed Cyborg into the Justice League. For them to not do it feels like an insult to the characters.

[@matthewnuss3053]

@@jeremiahbristow7609you’re 1,000% right man, they just weren’t allowed to grow unfortunately

[@ljmoore6780]

I didn't think there's a problem with Nightwing, I thought he was definitely one the best DC characters Edit: I honest to God forgot about Ric Grayson. I've loved this current run of Nightwing, right now he's in the perfect spot

[@archielive2566]

I always thought him stepping down from the Batman role would always be a problem. It’s like he’s good enough to be Batman but he ends up being on the titans instead of the justice league. Also him becoming Batman suggests that Nightwing is a step down and it makes you imagine that he’ll always be inferior to Bruce where they remove him the second Bruce comes back

[@ljmoore6780]

@@archielive2566 yeah I can see that. I really liked a scene in an animated movie where Dick says that he doesn't want to be batman, he wants to be his own man which I like that idea, but I do wish he was a member of the justice league sooner though

[@saviongraham872]

Terry McGinnis is Batmans true successor.

[@matthewnuss3053]

I remember the run at 7:30 ! Batman sent league drafts to Jason Blood, Atom, Green Arrow, Faith, Major Disaster, Captain Marvel, Hawkgirl, and Firestorm and had Nightwing lead the team. Captain Marvel was the only one to decline the offer bc he was on the JSA monitoring Black Adam. It was an odd few issues but very fun to read!

[@Razmedivh]

I'm actually loving the current run of Nightwing and have been aggressively purchasing the run. Nightwing, is the vigilante superhero that has all of Batman's training with all of Superman's ideals. Nightwing is the hope for humanity that Superman has sought to inspire. Even more than that, Dick Grayson is the human that Alfred and Bruce raised who has grown up in an era of heroes winning, again in the era of Superman. So with Nightwing/Dick Grayson you get this story of the light prevailing and comic fans often find that to be boring and uninteresting and so do writers. I think this current author understands that 80 years of comics have earned the success story. You don't have to keep making him earn it, he can actually just be 'Better Batman' by just being Nightwing/Dick Grayson and that's okay. Making him Batman again brings too much angst, fear, and darkness to the story of a man who is supposed to merry the ideals of Batman/Superman into a successful hero.

[@jimmyjohnjones6660]

I totally agree. Grayson was at his peak as Batman and the story was headed in such a cool direction, but then the new 52 screwed it up like it screwed up everything else.

[@KCKingdomCreateGreatTrekAgain]

Your Batman calling bit would fit perfectly in the 1960’s Batman series.

[@coltsullivan9775]

Personally, I know he’s still fairly new to the bat family but MAN do I feel like he was just done so much injustice 😂 I would like to here Benny’s take on “The problem with Duke Thomas”

[@alexlents4689]

Being honest, I don’t like the idea of Dick being Batman long term. One of the most fundamental aspects of his character is that he’s not like Bruce. Batman was created to strike fear into the hearts of criminals Meanwhile, Nightwing is more about helping everyone, including criminals, because that’s who Dick is. Batman is the military, Nightwing is the UN. Batman just isn’t compatible with Dick because it was made for Bruce, not him.

[@srinivasanbalaji4867]

exactly only bruce should be batman

[@scribescholar]

Watch your mouth this episode 😆 this my guy

[@saviongraham872]

Bruce permanently dying in final crisis, would have been a bad end to his character.

[@elianlins9332]

Nightwing ultimate evolution is Nightwing, making him Batman is character regression. To be a better Batman he doesn't need to literally be called Batman, he is already a better Batman as Nightwing.

[@batcave5703]

I really disagree with the ending. I don't think being Batman should be THE end goal for him, it's a dark and sad ending from his perspective because Dick grew out of wanting to become Batman, he formed his own mantle, he has his own team, his own city, what needs to be elaborated on in my opinion is making him grow his own family. Dick becoming Batman is a really cool concept, but only temporarily because he hates putting on the cowl, as Batman and Robin by Grant Morrison says, it's putting on an act, because it's not truly him, Nightwing is. In all, Dick is in a great place right now, and I think they just need to keep exploring him deeper, keep him with the Titans, let the Titans grow, let him start to have a family with Barbara, and keep giving him good stories.

[@nonnyjones8217]

The problem with all of them is they don’t have a beard like yours…

[@2BIGDUCK2]

great video, I always think that like Dick dont want to be batman is not his next step, he can do a lot of things as nightwing, I will love to see how will act with a new sidekick

[@clerkwithamouth]

Batman: "Someone call Jason. Does anyone have his phone number?" Steph: "I do." Batman: "Good. Now... Wait why do YOU have his phone number?" Steph: "Because mind your business, that's why!"

[@ashtraysonsundays4274]

Benny's beefing with everybody. Pretty soon we're gonna get Benny verbally harrases the DC Universe and I'm all for it. I always love what you have to say

[@nunotorres6314]

Rest in peace 🙏

[@Ishmaelgaynor]

Rest easy king

[@ty6unleashed]

I honestly believe we always wanted Grayson to be Batman. Everyone believes he’s supposed to be. Grayson has never wanted to become Batman. He’s always wanted to make his own path. I think this is the right way. He will become Batman if he absolutely has to but he never will want to. That’s Damien’s thing

[@CargoManshark]

That Rick Grayson stretch was especially terrible because his four protoge's were actual official emergency first responders...police officers and firefighters. And Rick was a cab driver. A notoriously shitty one at that.

[@Yoshimitsu4prez]

I legit don’t have any problem with Nightwing rn, my only complaint is it took them this long to get him exactly where he is now

[@Yoshimitsu4prez]

I mean he’s leading the titans and they’re replacing the JL, at least for now. And I really like Tom Taylor’s comic

[@jg1289]

Well said I’ve thought the same thing, he’s also almost 30 i feel like giving him a kid would be a way to age him up I mean Wally already has 2 kids in dawn of DC

[@fishushu]

Not a critique, but I think your problems isn't with Nightwing as in the character himself, but with Dick Grayson separated from Nightwing. From what I understood from the video, you don't mind Dick Grayson, and you don't mind Nightwing, but you get annoyed by the same point that bothers me: the mess that became the position Dick Grayson has in the DC lore. He became the jack of all trades for covering a hole that's hard to identify, thus, he can't be Batman as he should've become by natural evolution and maturing of the character, but he also feels wonky being Nightwing at the current continuity, because he's filling multiple roles that are good, but also not as fulfilling as the expectations.

[@nanayaFTW]

My problem with Nightwing is they always shake up his love interest and are so scared to actually write a healthy good relationship with him. His relationship with Sean tsang was really good.

[@dafilmqueen556]

So are Bea Bennett and Cheyenne Freemont. Also her name is Shawn 😂

[@forgotrealname9124]

And Starfire/Koriand'r. She and Nightwing are getting the Peter-MJ treatment in the comics but far worse.

[@smoogieboogie1694]

I mean, Dick shouldn't be Batman. He's better as his own person who is able to break away from the Batman mold. Rather than just being Batman but happier, everything about his identity is about being a better hero. The person who gives Batman hope that there is a foreseeable end to his war and that he has made a positive change. Nightwing swaps the cowl for a small domino mask, the dark colors for bright blue, the cloak for a fully open body. The Young Justice show gave the best answer for why Nightwing shouldn't be Batman and why he likely will never want to. The current idea with the Titans replacing the Justice League is the best evolution for Nightwing and the whole team.

[@WhoTookPlockrock]

To summarize the video: Dan Didio.

[@dylanstraatham6006]

You could make a problem with The Joker video because a lot of people ignore the blatant issues with the character

[@ChaosAC24]

Nightwing has grown past Batman and is his own hero now. DC is making it clear that he’s the best hero everyone can be where as Superman is the best everyone should strive to be. For me they should give nightwing as much focus and care as they do batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. When he was batman he was leading the JL. Mon El was Superman at the time while Clark was on krypton. Looking forward to the next video!

[@KeyMasterX]

Should also be pointed out that it was confirmed by Dick that Bruce was training Dick to become the Leader of the JL. This was confirmed when the League confronted the Titans for their "unsanctioned" actions they've been doing since they reformed in DC rebirth.

[@jason15212]

Before watching, this is my favorite character in DC other than Flash and Batman. The problem with his that he’s written to be a perfect Batman but there will always be Batman. Without Batman being gone he will never be as big or great. That’s why the best stories and showings of Nightwing is the stuff with Titans and stuff that has nothing to do with Batman at all.

[@Natesuki]

Waiting for the "Problem with superman" video pls

[@geronuis2295]

fantastic video! seriously i agree with everything you've stated, only i'm more warm on Dick staying Nightwing even though i LOVE his Dickbats. current Tom Taylor run is a 10/10 and i'm super stoked for future stories and the Titans

[@alfiexnakama4678]

My hope was up when im seen Dick getting control by Pariah . Gosh i would love the stories of Dick Grayson as one of avatar of The Great Darkness . One of the nicest person in DC being controlled by the Darkness itself sure as hell would be a good story line

[@mr.goblin6039]

I sort of agree. This is kind of the same issue some have with Miles, Jon, Speedy and any other sidekick or legacy character. How can the young heroes evolve and grow when the older heroes are never allowed to retire, step down, move elsewhere or even die? Because they’re so iconic and still make so much money, Bruce Wayne will never die. That is a fact. Same thing with Clark Kent. Like, whether it’s as Nightwing or as Batman, Dick will never really reach his full potential so long as Bruce is still Batman, or at least so long as he’s still the one in charge. If Bruce were to go back to do the Batman Inc stuff, I’d be happy with that. He let Dick in charge of Gotham and Bludhaven, but he does stuff elsewhere with other Bat people or the League. That’s an awesome idea.

[@souviksikdar1864]

The thing is Comics don't have a good enough reason to explain why do we need a better Batman. If they do it, it undermines Batman's character, if they don't they don't try anything else to make Nightwing relevant.

[@King_Cosmic865]

Personally I’m ok with him staying as Nightwing . I would just prefer to see Teen Titans and Nightwing comics more intertwined

[@kagenoo1084]

Am I the only one who thinks flame bird could be a good name for Damian if he ever gets to move beyond robin. I've always seen Damian as Dick's Robin so having his identity, after moving on from Robin, being connected to Nightwing seems like it works

[@Crying_Iron9277]

Benny: I was in Iraq at this point New fans: WAIT WHAT ?!!!!

[@TheKraken5360]

Eh...characters aged weirdly back in the old days. From the golden age, up through the 70's, most heroes were eternally in their mid 20's / early 30's. Most sidekicks were eternal teenagers. Then, they rapidly aged up the sidekicks in the late 70's / early 80's. Dick's transformation into a young adult was cemented when he became Nightwing. This forced DC to age up the main cast of heroes to their mid/late 30's. Since then, DC has been super inconsistent about how much time has passed. They acknowledge that years have gone by since Dick became Nightwing. But, the timeline is very unclear. If pressed, I think DC would hesitantly say that the main heroes like Superman and Batman are in their early 40's.

[@knganarxhy]

I agree with what you’re saying but I don’t think it’s the biggest problem with him, the biggest problem with his character is that he doesn’t have a memorable rogues gallery, they don’t use deathstroke enough(even tho it’s clear to see they have a hate for each other that’s very personal on deathstroke’s side, but dc is to busy trying to force a rivalry between Batman and deathstroke since that’s what the Batman fans want) and the only other person who is a Nightwing centric villain is blockbuster( who ranges from an alright villain to a pretty good one depending on who’s writing) all the most memorable hero’s have a memorable rogues( Batman Superman Spider-Man hell even wolverine has a pretty decent rogues with people like saber tooth, omega red etc) and to be honest he doesn’t really need that many either, just use deathstroke a little more often, be more consistent with how much of a threat blockbuster poses to Nightwing and bludhaven, and then make like 3 or 4 more villains for him who are all interesting in there own right as well as challenge him in different ways. I guarantee he’d be alot more well received then he already is because then his arc will have finally been completed, starting out as a side kick then growing out of it and leading his own team, eventually believing that if he’s going to becomes his own man he needs to do it alone and finding the perfect place for growth in bludhaven, and finally becoming his own hero with his own problems so much so that he doesn’t have the time to show up in Batman’s books all the time as if he’s taking a constant vacation from his city. Anyways sorry for the tangent that’s just my personal opinion on what’s not working for him( Nightwing being my favorite dc character is why this bothers me so much) rant over.(one last thing the court of owls should have been a Nightwing centric group of villains, he was literally destined to become a talon, like bro the material was right there)

[@birdfish86]

"As much as I'd like to tackle Barbara Gordon" Ummmmm 😂😮😳

[@TheShop90sKids]

Side kicks in American comics are like dead end jobs. Sure they maybe well liked and get employee of the month from time to time. But they'll never get to management level like Batman, Superman etc.

[@zachespinoza1794]

I agree with the Ric Grayson take. It was a stupid arc. I will say it was a cool concept to maybe have his own version of Batman, Inc. With the various other "Nite-Wings". Expanding in the idea of how batman can be the hope and the best version of himself through Dick. Anyway, I will say it was a beautiful version of Batman and Robin with Dick and Damian because now you had Batman that acted like Robin. And a Robin.... that acted like Batman. It was a very heartwarming tale to see Damian kind of figure out what it means to join the Batfamily and the crusade while also trying to find himself. Then the Peter Tomasi run during New 52 was a great and enduring Father and Son story that I think progressed their two characters(Bruce and Damian). However, I think that's where it kind of stalls, as Damian is set as being kind of jerk and Bruce just figures out how to love him.

[@joshuaingobo1559]

To Fix Nightwing (the Earth-One/New Earth/Prime Earth Dick Grayson) entirely, I would let him be taken in by Bruce Wayne at eight years old in 1956 (or 38 years before Dawn of DC). During those years, he and Bruce would be active as the Dynamic Duo and have a father-son bond. This includes Dick Grayson confounding the Teen Titans in 1964 (or 33 years before Dawn of DC) and the New Teen Titans in 1980 (or 28 years before Dawn of DC). By 1983 (or 28 years before Dawn of DC), Dick would retire as Robin and pass his mantle and legacy to Jason Todd (with his pre-Crisis history intact) because he sees the potential in him. By 1984 (or 27 years before Dawn of DC), Dick would graduate as Nightwing after being inspired by his parents, Clark Kent Superman, Bruce Wayne Batman, and Koriand’r Starfire. As Nightwing, he would still be active as a hero and would still join the Titans. Since 1980 (or 38 years before Dawn of DC), he would have a romantic relationship with Koriand’r Starfire before they would be married in 1993 (or 20 years before Dawn of DC). After Zero Hour in 1994 (or 20 years before Dawn of DC), he would temporarily take Bruce’s place as Batman before Bruce made his recovery. By 1995 (or 19 years before Dawn of DC), he and Koriand’r would move to Bludhaven to have a fresh start and improve the city, while letting him be his hopeful and optimistic self. This includes having a daughter named Mar’i (who was born in 1997/1998, or 18 years before Dawn of DC, and made her debut as Nightstar) and a son named Jake (who was born in 2004, or 13 years before Dawn of DC, and made his debut as Firewing), meeting and mentoring the first-generation Young Titans and joining the Outsiders in 2003 (or 14 years before Dawn of DC), meeting up with a resurrected Jason Todd Red Hood to tell each other how they’re doing, teaming up with the Titans, and having a brotherly bond with Tim Drake since 1989 (or 32 years before Dawn of DC) and Damian Wayne since 2007 (or 11 years before Dawn of DC). After the Final Crisis in 2008 (or ten years before Dawn of DC), Dick would temporarily return to the role as Batman from 2009 to 2011 (or ten years before Dawn of DC) before resuming as Nightwing. By Dawn of DC in 2023, Dick would be 46 years old (by physically 32 years old) as a superhero being active in Bludhaven, being a member of the Bat-Family and the Titans, being a husband to Koriand’r Starfire and a father to Mar’i and Jake, and have a good life with nothing ever happening to him. Also, his relationship with Barbara Gordon Batgirl/Oracle should be them as friends because, in my opinion, they have know each other since 1966 (or 33 years before Dawn of DC) and have been able to interact with each other and love each other like siblings. Also, in my head canon, Barbara Gordon is 14 years and a generation older than Dick Grayson.

[@scribescholar]

Batman panic calling is a whole vibe

[@sandmaker47]

Problem is they won't give him an important run, he's always a side kick

[@Los0fx]

I agree. The ultimate evolution was Dick Grayson becoming Gotham’s Batman with Damian as his Robin and Batman returning as a global Batman with Batman Inc. new 52 ruined all that.

[@markmagician2471]

Only reason why Batman doesn't call for anyone is he believes he doesn't need help

[@Nightwing1093]

The whole first ark of Nightwing Rebirth was titled Better Than Batman. As much as I loved Dick/Batman, it didn’t feel right. Dick is Nightwing. The whole point he became Nightwing was to be his own hero, to be something more. A Catalyst of change, a hero in his own right, a better version of Batman. Something that even Batman has admitted to recently as well as the other hero’s of the universe. Dick/Batman will always be special, but Nightwing is the endgame.

[@efecaktl5432]

I really think you should talk about ''the problem with Barbara'' too. Not only there are three batgirls AND a Batwoman who seems like she was made solely to spite batgirl. I prefer the other batgirls over her but ironically Batwoman is the one who makes her seem most irrelevant. Batwoman also has a goverment officer dad but hers is of a higher position AND she also first becomes a vigilante without being recruited by batman just like batgirl AND also has white skin with red hair AND she also is very important because of representation AND she basically has every tool and skill Barbara has plus more. Also her role as batmans and more importantly, nightwings love interest is being supplemented by other love interests. Pretty much everyone agrees She shouldnt be a love interest for Bruce but She also has been losing her most popular ship too. Most children today grew up with teen titans and ttg so the new generation seems to prefer Starfire over her. She also isnt oracle anymore which is a shame because that part of her gave her so many qualities. It gave her a unique set of abilities and responsibilites different from every other batfamily member, allowed her to easily take part in pretty much every batfamily story, made her one of the most important characters in comics in terms of representation, built off her most iconic story and allowed other people to take on the batgirl mantle and her to mentor them without needing to have 3 batgirls. Also with the overabundance of bat people in dc she seems to seem more generic every day. Also there are so many female vigilantees who dont have superpowers that she REALLY seems less unique by the day. Partially because she has no unique weapon, thechnique, powers, vehicles, or even an unique theme. She also used to be one of the most famous and important female superheroes, especially for DC but the constant introduction of new super heroines made her fade more and more into the crowd. She isnt the most famous super heroine anymore, Black Widow is. She also isnt the most famous DC heroine anymore, Wonder Woman is. She isnt even the most famous female batfamily member anymore, Batwoman is. Hell, even Harley Quinn, who isnt usually even a hero and is a relativly new character screws her over since she could technically be counted as a female super her, from dc who is sorta a member of the batfamilyç. If you do, she bumps Barabara even lower down the totem pole since she is MUCH more popular then her. She even took the birds of prey from her SMH. Overall, I think every single role she used to fill is now being filled by another charachter or characters. She used to be THE female super hero from the adam west batman days and batman and robin days, being even more promanently feutured than Wonder Woman and arguably being the most famous and populer female superhero, to basically a b-lister. And i dont even think the solution is just to give these things which was taken from her back to her, i think she needs some new stuff to differantiate herself from the crowd.

[@CoolSmoovie]

I would love another comic about Nightwing taking up the cowl after a premature Batman death, but I think ultimately Damian should ultimately end up with the cowl. I just think Damian and Bruce are incredibly similar, and they be sorta similar since they both struggle with vengeance and anger.

[@terrellinc22]

Since on The Titans: The Problem With Donna Troy and The usage of the character? It sometimes seems that she is only there to show how powerless she can be and how every other character can surpass her. (Seemingly, haven't been keeping up with comics as much.) I get that WW has to be the strongest, but you can still have Donna's character as a force. Rogue was never the strongest or fastest - but they way the character was presented was brilliant (IMO).

[@Durmomo0]

I feel like they kind of did exactly what you want with Wally West replacing Barry...and I think that was such a great idea. I just love Barry a lot more and im glad he is back (which totally ruins the point but still). I love what you are saying and its a great idea its just really hard to let go of those characters you love (and make you so much money if you are DC).

[@lgr28]

I kind of disagree that Dick should be Batman. Nightwing is an established standalone hero. Dick never wanted to be Batman in the first place. Even in Batman and Robin 2011 (the best Batman and Robin series of all time imo), he was not Batman, he was wearing the cowl but he was Nightwing in the Batman suit and all his internal conflicts in that run centred around this particular problem. I liked the Nightwing run before the whole Ric Grayson thing and I like the Tom Taylor run albeit my issues with his version of Dickbabs and some minor stuff. I wish DC would bite the bullet and include Damian in the Nightwing books as well. Damian doesn't even have to be Robin, he has utility as a character outside of the Robin title unlike say Tim Drake whose whole purpose as a character is to be the capable Robin. Damian running around as Dick's little helper and taking a title like Flamebird or whatever could solve so many problems in the Batfamily comics. Most writers can't even write a Batman who does emotional labour, let alone handle the father-son angle if Damian's the robin which wouldn't be a problem if the Robin is Tim Drake. Meanwhile Nightwing is the guy who does all the emotional labour and his stories actively use his relationships with other people.

[@TetsuShima]

Nightwing: "I've been thinking about it, Bruce, and I now realize how badly I've treated you. Ever since I broke up with Barbara, left you, joined the Titans, and became Nightwing, I've been acting like a brat just because I wanted to be independent. I'm sorry for my behavior..." Batman: "There's nothing to apologize for, Richard. We all make mistakes, but we can always learn from them. Besides, I'm glad to find you at the right moment to give you my little surprise." Nightwing: "Surprise? What do you mea..." Jason Todd: "Nice to meet you, Mr. Grayson!" Nightwing: "DID YOU REPLACE ME WITH ANOTHER BOY?!" Batman: "Well, fighting crime alone can be pretty depressing, you know? I thought it was the time to have a new son" Nightwing: "And do you really think that putting a child in constant danger is the best way to combat loneliness?!" Jason Todd: "It's not that bad, Mr. Grayson! Batman has given me many awesome things that in my poor life I couldn't dream of! Did you know that you can remotely change the channel on the TV with a gadget? So cool!" Nighteing: "This kid is clearly not up to patrolling with you, Bruce!" Batman: "Don't worry about that. He is going to spend a while on your team" Nightwing: "But you didn't adopt him because you didn't want to feel alone?!" Batman: "Yeah, but I have a pending mission in the Middle East against Ra's al Ghul. It would be very irresponsible of me to expose a child to dangerous ideas. With you and the Titans he will be safe." Nightwing: "Our next mission is in space!" Batman: "Great. There are no terrorists in space. Take care, guys." Nightwing: "WAIT. DON'T GO YE...And he's gone. Cool...What do I do now with you?" Jadon Todd: "Can I ask you something as a way to start our relationship?" Nightwing: "Well, I don't see why not..." Jason Todd: "Is it true that you usually sleep with Starfire and Wonder Girl at the same time?" 😃 Nightwing: "..." Jason Todd: 😃 Nightwing: "...If there is something that at least comforts me, it is the certainty that no one else will wear those green shorts"

[@gohanson27]

Delete this

[@pualbaptiste8617]

Amazing

[@striderreborn1467]

I often describe Damian Wayne's personality as a "Mini-Vegeta". lol

[@Dabilion]

I really enjoy these style of videos a lot. Great work guys

[@stcsuntzucreed]

I dunno. I like him strictly as Nightwing... since he basically is a more well adjusted Batman as is... didn't Superman or Batman say he's the heart of DC... making him Batman would remove that. Hell, the only reason he didn't die in infinite crisis was writers revolt so even for the writers he's seemingly the heart

[@scribescholar]

It's best for the character to be the Batman of the Titans. If they write bigger titans stories on the level of the Justice League, then it would still have a full circle feeling. His journey from Robin to Nightwing to Batman and back Nightwing and now having Batman/Justice League level stories will hit different. If he's not gonna be Batman he needs to be on par with him storywise

[@christhechilled]

According to online sources, I can confirm that any named Dick is indeed, just a name.

[@alanporter4372]

Batman scrolling through the Green Lanterns and accidentally calls Guy 😂😂😂

[@Make2wo]

I love the development of character from Bruce and Dick pre-New52, because Bruce grew enough to share the Batman mantle and Dick grew enough to accept what he’s been training so much of his life to do. Yet because of reasons, there can be multiple Batman, but Dick Grayson can’t be one of them.

[@hikaruchan16]

*steps sheepishly out of a corner as a total DC newbie who knew Dick Grayson’s full name* 🥴 Hey I can’t help it, I get super obsessive over my favorite characters! And Dick has easily become one of my top favorites. Nightwing is Batman without all the dark emo crap and I think that’s awesome! He’s the light to Batman’s darkness and I personally feel he works best that way doesn’t need to try and become Batman at all. Tom Taylor’s run is the first time I’m really reading Nightwing and what he is doing with this character is everything I ever wanted! (I got starved for content between issues though so I had to start looking for side stories and other outside media just to get more of the character lol 😅). I’m glad I hopped on board with someone who really understands the character and I’m SO glad I missed all of the “Ric Grayson” crap because man that sounds terrible lol 😂

[@cabin7slytherpuffempath]

Definitely agree. (Also somewhat a DC newbie who knew the full name😄)