Warning: Contains potential spoilers for Batman: The Brave and the Bold #16!Nightwing has seen many remakes over the years, but Dick Grayson’s latest look and role in the DC Universe is his darkest and most terrifying yet. The twisted transformation forced upon him comes with chilling implications and raises a critical question: Will Nightwing succumb to corruption, or will he stand firm and uphold the values ​​that have defined him for so long?
Tim Seeley Down the road Feels like a tribute to one of Dick Grayson’s most memorable roles outside of his Nightwing and Robin identities.
Tim Seeley, Kelley Jones and Michelle Madsen’s Deadman and Nightwing-centric story, down the road, reaches its exciting conclusion in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #16. The story follows Dick Grayson and Boston Brand as they unravel the mystery of a woman in red, seemingly tied to Dick’s circus past.
Their investigation takes a terrifying turn when they are confronted by DC’s latest villain, the Unfallen – a deity who thrives on dragging people into darkness. with great intent, The Unfallen corrupts Nightwing, turning him into the newly unveiled “Avatar of the Unfallen.”
DC’s new villain corrupts Nightwing, turning him into the “Avatar of the Unfallen”
The events of Nightwing & Deadman: Down the Road Take place beforehand Night terrors
During their confrontation, the Unfallen reveals that his realm, the “Black Occurs,” Is a kingdom of darkness, and Nightwing, as “A symbol of trust in the night, the wings that lift up the lost,” That darkness threatens. To neutralize this threat, the Unfallen claims thick as “The Avatar of the Unfallen,” forcing A terrifying transformation that reshapes the original Boy Wonder into a form eerily reminiscent of Boston Brand’s Deadman. The short words of the wicked, “You’re my dead man now, boy,” Make it clear that the similarities between Dick and Boston’s appearances are entirely intentional.
Kelley Jones’ art and Michelle Madsen’s coloring masterfully depict the horror of Dick’s transformation. His new form mirrors Deadman’s gruesome, emaciated figure, with an unnatural pallor and an elongated, skeleton-like body. Despite the grotesque alterations, Dick still wears his Nightwing suit, making his identity unmistakable even as he becomes almost unrecognizable. Madsen’s use of pink and purple lighting enhances the eerie, otherworldly quality of this transformation, further immersing readers in the unsettling nature of his new role as the Avatar of the Unfallen.
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Nightwing gets a dark, new role in the DC Universe
Boston Brand and Rama Kushna rescue Dick Grayson, reverting him back to his human form
Nightwing’s transformation into the Avatar of the Unfallen comes with more than just a codename change and a redesign – it also brings a disturbingly dark new role. The Unfallen explains that Dick’s goal now is to find those marked by the Black Hand, a symbol of those destined to be consumed by darkness, and “Show them nothing else is ever coming to save them.” His mission is to spread this bleak message “From the end of the end of the road all the way back to the beginning.” therefore, Instead of lifting others up, Dick is meant to drag them down into the depths.
True to his character, however, Dick Grayson completely rejects the twist goal of The Unfallen. Instead of letting others fall into darkness, Nightwing rescues them, freeing the victims from the attacks of fear and cutting off the source of the god’s power. With his strength waning, the Unfallen begins to unravel and continues to exist. Unfortunately, this leaves Dick falling into the darkness himself. Just before he is truly lost, however, Boston Brand swoops in and saves him. Soon after, they are greeted by Rama Kushna – the goddess of karma and balance – who restores Dick back to his human form, closing the dark chapter of his journey.
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Nightwing s “Avatar of the Unfallen” Form is a twisted take on his Incorrect Deadman Era
Dick Grayson became Deadman in the Incorrect: Year three Comics after Damian Wayne accidentally killed him
What makes Dick’s Unfallen form particularly intriguing is that it serves as a twisted version of his role as Deadman in DC Incorrect Series. In the storyline, Dick took up the mantle of the ghostly hero after Damian “Robin” Wayne accidentally killed him in a moment of frustration. Seeing him once again embody a Deadman-like role, but in a villainous form in an entirely different DC continuity, adds a compelling layer to his embodiment of the mantle. And whether intentionally or not, Tim Seeley’s Down the road Feels like a tribute to one of Dick Grayson’s most memorable roles outside of his Nightwing And Robin identities.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #16 is now available from DC Comics!
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Batman: The Brave and the Bold #16 (2024) |
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