Nightwing is no stranger to dealing with younger heroes, but his latest adventure suggests he may soon get a sidekick or a robinwhich may be too much even for him to handle. Dick Grayson may not want a mate, but he doesn't have much room to argue. He was Robin as a kid, and it's not like Dick can just stop being a positive influence on younger generations.
In Nightwing #121 by Dan Watters, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini and Wes Abbott, Dick Grayson saves a group of troubled kids who have become a street gang from Blüdhavenand this meeting could lead to Dick getting his own Robin or Teen Titans analogue.
In the issue, Nightwing takes some of the gang, called “the Teddies,” under his wing after realizing they are just kids. One boy in particular, Bryce, feels like he was created to be the perfect young companion for Dick, even though Nightwing doesn't want him to join.
Nightwing may be getting a new companion in a young gang member named Bryce
Not that Dick Grayson wanted him to become a “Robin”
Founded by mysterious gang leader Mama Bear, who died in Nightwing #119, the Teddies appear to be mostly younger menwith their interim leader, Keenan, perhaps in his early twenties. The gang would argue that they are a community, but Keenan admits that some of them “go too far” with their violence, which includes destroying rival gang members by strapping them to supercars. Despite this cruelty, there are clearly some good kids, and Dick takes pity on them after the death of young member Marcus, Bryce's younger brother, who was shot dead by the militarized security company Spheric, which is being considered the new enemy of the Nightwing.
Dick Grayson is no stranger to working with teammates; check out his team's book on the DC era'a All In, Titans by John Layman and Pete Woods, available now from DC Comics.
Bryce has received a lot of attention and it's possible he's being groomed for bigger and better things in the story, which could include becoming a full-fledged hero. He probably wouldn't admit it, but Bryce has a soft side, as Dick realizes when Bryce starts playing with a rabbit that Nightwing rescued from an inhumane animal-piloted security system. Dick is not looking for a mate, But if Bryce leaves him no other option, at least the kid will have some street skills to rely on if he tries to become Robin to Nightwing's Batman.
If Nightwing argues against these kids becoming heroes, he's a hypocrite
Dick Grayson became Robin when he was still young
What's great about the idea that these kids, and especially Bryce, could become a new generation of Robin or Teen Titan analogues is how it mirrors Nightwing's own journey. Dick argues in Nightwing #121 that the late Marcus was supposed to be at school, but it's not like he had room to talk. At that age, Dick was becoming Robin and was as stubborn as any of those kids. If it weren't for Batman, Dick could have easily been swallowed up by the exact same lifestyle as the Teddies. If they want to imitate him and find outlets as vigilantes, that's their decision.
Dick Grayson went solo from Batman as Nightwing when he wasn't much older than them.
Obviously Nightwing wants to protect these kids, but it's hard to say if they'll actually listen to him. If they decide of their own accord that they will become something more than a street gang, then there isn't much Dick can do. Even if he tries to stop the group, he becomes a hypocrite. He left Batman on his own as Nightwing when he wasn't much older than them. The best he can hope to do is exactly what Bruce did for him: be a guiding force and teach these children well enough that they don't get killed.
Nightwing is proving that the Bat family has an essential legacy to uphold
Batman and Robin (and Nightwing) will never die
What this new relationship between Dick and the kids also shows is how truly generational Batman's legacy is. Nightwing is becoming a positive influence on these kids just as Batman was ultimately a positive influence on him (and vice versa). Of course, Dick will never actually die (or at least won't die forever) in the comics, but the story assures us that if he ever did, there would be someone to take up his mantle and hopefully even improve on the good he's done. . . Batman may become a creature of the night, but he is ultimately the progenitor of countless theoretical generations of future heroes.
As long as Nightwing and Batman are around, they will inspire their successors. There’s no better summary of this idea than the rallying cry from writer Grant Morrison’s seminal Batman series: “Batman and Robin will never die!"That's a statement any fan of Batman and Robin can get behind. Just by showing Bryce and these other kids a better way to live, Nightwing proves that this aphorism is true, even if he doesn't want them to follow in his footsteps. If Nightwing will get your own robinhe will go through a lot of suffering in the process - but it might be worth it.
Nightwing #121 is now available from DC Comics.