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Recent stories have gone back and forth whether or not Nightwing is a good mentor — and with the Dark Crisis coming, he may need to finally step up.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Nightwing #89, now on sale from DC Comics
The current DC Universe is heading straight towards some potentially ruinous times, with the upcoming Dark Crisis poised to threaten the multiverse on an entirely new scale. There’s one hero who could potentially be a uniting force for the hero community — but he might not be the best pick.
Stories like Nightwing #89 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott have been recently showcasing Dick Grayson’s capability as a mentor and role model. But other stories like Robin and Titans Academy have thrown that into question. DC needs to figure out if Nightwing is the universe’s most promising mentor, or if he’s just too chaotic to take the lead going forward.
Nightwing has long been established as the heart of the DC hero community. The first Robin and a founding member of the Teen Titans, Dick Grayson has been a crucial fixture in the universe since the early days of the DC Universe. Especially in light of the other Robins who followed in his footsteps, as well as the various Titans who’ve learnt from his example, it’s worth considering Grayson as one of the most important figures in the current universe — especially as he’ll likely need to step up following the upcoming death of his mentor Batman in Justice League #75. But despite this, DC has had trouble lately deciding just how good a role model and leader Nightwing really is.
In some stories, Dick is shown to be an empathetic and an ideal leader. In Detective Comics, Dick has gone undercover at the newly opened Arkham Tower and has proven to be a caring and capable spy. His work to rescue Huntress has put him at risk, but his experience — and the confidence he inspires in his allies — has left him capable of handling all sorts of threats. Meanwhile, Nightwing #89 show Dick alongside Jon Kent, with Grayson having not only helped talk down a panicking Jon in his youth but also providing a strong shoulder of support to Kent in the present day. He’s quick to offer advice, and either be a gleeful distraction or resolved ally depending on what his friends need at any given moment.
But that’s not the case in other stories. Robins has focused somewhat on the trauma suffered by the various Robins over the years, with a furious Grayson even going so far as to condemn the entire practice of recruiting Robins to Batman’s face. Meanwhile, his tenure as a professor at the Titans Academy resulted in multiple students dying under his watch and the Titans Tower eventually collapsing in the chaos — with Grayson hinted to approach someone dangerous for assistance in bringing down the original Red X. In these moments, it’s clear that Grayson can sometimes let his emotions get away from — putting himself and others into unnecessary danger.
With the future of the DC Universe currently set to be in flux due to the events of the pending Dark Crisis, it’s vital for the hero community that Dick Grayson figure himself as a leader. While he’s been shown to be a great replacement for Batman and even a strong mentor to sidekicks like Damian Wayne, his experience as a genuine leader tends to lead to chaos. With his current plans to spread his fortune to the rest of Bludhaven, it’s clear that Dick could be the perfect replacement for someone like Bruce Wayne. But considering the danger currently posed to the greater multiverse as a whole, it might be time for Dick to truly step up if the world wants to survive the coming chaos.
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