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In Nightwing #82, Dick Grayson learned a great deal about his parents, including the fact that he got his heroism from them.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Nightwing #82, on sale now from DC.
As Robin, Nightwing, and various other costumed aliases, Dick Grayson has remained a true hero throughout his life. It seems as if heroism has come naturally for Dick, ever since he was a kid. In Nightwing #82, by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Rick Leonardi, Neil Edwards, Andy Lanning, Scott Hanna, Adriano Lucas and Wes Abbott, Dick just discovered that his parents were just as heroic as he is.
Dick learns much about his parents when he’s talking to Meili Lin, the mother of his recently-discovered half-sister, Melinda Zucco. Meili explains how she was sold into marriage with Tony Zucco, which was a violent, possessive relationship. It wasn’t until the couple reached Haly’s Circus that Meili was able to temporarily escape Zucco. It was John and Mary Grayson who stood up for Meili, hiding her and fighting off Tony Zucco. The specific action sequence in this issue is very Nightwing-esque, with Dick’s parents fighting in the same style as their son. The way that John disarms Zucco, and especially how Mary bounces off the trailer and kicks Zucco, goes to show exactly where Dick got his acrobatic skill and fighting style.
Moreover, by protecting Meili, the Graysons show where Dick got his noble heart. After fighting off Zucco, the Graysons gave Meili a place to stay, befriending her. All of John and Mary’s actions in this flashback illustrate how Dick came to be such a kind-hearted, noble young man. Similarly, 2021’s Nightwing #78, by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas and Wes Abbott, opened with a young Dick Grayson protecting another kid from a gang of bullies. Re-examining this scene, it’s clear that Dick learned to stand up for others from his parents.
Other actions, such as Dick saving a stray dog, feeding a group of homeless people, protecting a group of kids from Boss Maroni and many other moments, illustrate the values which Richard and Mary instilled in their son. It’s true that much of Dick’s crime-fighting skills and heroism were taught by Batman as well. Yet there’s no denying that Dick’s parents had just as big of an impact upon the future Nightwing.
In Nightwing #82 it paints a picture of the Graysons, considering their dark family history unveiled during the “New 52.” In 2011’s Batman #7, by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, Richard Starkings, Comicraft and Jimmy Betancourt, it was revealed that Dick Grayson’s great-grandfather, William Cobb, was a Talon for the Court of Owls.
This added a whole new layer of darkness to the Grayson family on its own. In addition, the only reason that Dick’s family was part of Haly’s Circus was because William Cobb delivered his son to the circus, so he could become a Talon. The Court of Owls made a deal with Haly’s Circus, where, every decade, they would choose one of their children to become a new Talon. In fact, before his parents were murdered, and he was adopted by Bruce Wayne, Dick was intended to succeed his great-grandfather.
All of this secret history added a new level of darkness which didn’t previously exist within the Grayson family. Now, however, it seems that Dick’s family is portrayed with the same amount of heroism and nobility as Dick himself. These new flashbacks of the Flying Graysons go a long way to explain exactly how Dick became such a good person, and an all-around hero.
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