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As Superman prepares to depart from Earth, he calls in a big favor from Nightwing regarding his superhero legacy and Jon Kent.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Nightwing #83, on sale now from DC.
Both Nightwing and Superman have found themselves at a crossroads early into the Infinite Frontier era, with dramatic changes to both of their personal lives that affected their superhero responsibilities. While Dick Grayson discovered that he had a long-lost half-sister that had since become the Mayor of Bludhaven, Superman found that his destiny lay elsewhere, poised to travel to the villainous Mongul’s domain on Warworld for an epic showdown that would leave his family behind on Earth. And as the two heroes meet for a quick pep talk while sharing notes about their recent experiences, Superman entrusts Dick with the guidance of the one thing he holds the most dear: His teenage son Jon Kent, Earth’s new Man of Steel.
Among all the life-altering changes Dick has endured lately, one of the most notable was the late Wayne family butler Alfred Pennyworth bequeathing his personal fortune to Dick after being murdered by Bane. The well-cultivated trust fund had since blossomed into finances that effectively made Dick a billionaire — and quietly richer than Bruce Wayne who lost the bulk of his fortune during the recent crossover event “Joker War.” With so much money now under his direct possession while so many lived in Bludhaven under extreme poverty, Dick wrestled with the moral question if a good man and hero could be a rich one and decided to turn to the best hero he knew to help him through the conundrum: Superman.
The centerpiece of Nightwing #83 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas and Wes Abbott is a conversation between Superman and Nightwing, with the Man of Tomorrow offering the original Boy Wonder some words of wisdom and moral guidance. With Dick admitting that Superman offers more of a human perspective on things than Batman, Superman reveals that he quietly admired Alfred and his never-ending love and support for his family of heroes. As Superman praises Dick’s plans for what to do with his newfound fortune, he asks Nightwing to provide Jon Kent with similar guidance and support as he prepares to leave Earth for Warworld, realizing he may be gone for sometime while the burden of being Superman will fall on his boy.
While Jon’s ascension to the mantle of Superman was first teased during Future State, he has officially taken on the mantle during the Infinite Frontier era. Still a little unsure of himself in the early days of following in his father’s footsteps, Jon has turned to his fellow Super Son and Robin Damian Wayne for advice on how to deal with issues like facing a government making decisions that are clearly morally suspect. And in Nightwing, Jon may get an older mentor figure to help him face the hard questions that comes with being a superhero just as Dick looks to Superman for guidance.
Compared to the gruff, more cynical and emotionally unavailable Batman, Superman was always a warmer, more welcoming figure for Dick to turn to during his own superhero development. Dick went as far as to take his alter ego namesake from a Kryptonian legend he learned from Superman when he first struck out on his own and the connection and level of respect between the two men has remained as strong as ever. Just as Dick looks to Superman for advice, the new Man of Steel is set for a similar dynamic with Nightwing, with Superman trusting his son with Nightwing more than Batman for the right type of guidance he needs.
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