CBR: THE OWL SIGNAL: Higgins' "Nightwing" Faces "Night of the Owls"

[CBR News]

"Nightwing" writer Kyle Higgins swoops by THE OWL SIGNAL to discuss his chapter of May's "Night of the Owls" crossover and the central role Dick Grayson plays in the event.


Full article here.

[FHIZ]

So Higgins says to pay attention to the issues leading up to the Night of the Owls, as it will play into the Court... said issues deal with Saiko... hmm hmm hmm.

[Philosophía]

Anyone who read "Gates" will remember that our through line featured the idea that Dick doesn't really have a place in Gotham City because he doesn't have a bloodline there. That's one of the things that separated him from some of the other Bat allies, as well as Bruce. That helped to parallel his story with Nicholas Gate and is an idea I'm continuing to explore with "Night of the Owls." What is Dick Grayson's place in Gotham City? And is there perhaps a history there we don't know about?

My question would have to be..

Why?

Why the need for Dick's family to have a 'secret history' with Gotham City? Why must everything be connected with everything? Why these ridiculous obsession with history and "Things are not as you know them!"?

[Cavemold]

My question would have to be..

Why?

Why the need for Dick's family to have a 'secret history' with Gotham City? Why must everything be connected with everything? Why these ridiculous obsession with history and "Things are not as you know them!"?

Well , maybe the secret histroy has somthing to do with Dicks parents death. Maybe it was planned out by the owls.

This was the most important part of the interview.

Well, he's the best of the best. To me, the interest is, as I'm looking to take Nightwing to the future and carve out his place in Gotham City, the threats he faces are going to get bigger and bolder. So, if this is the Talon that gave Batman a run for his money across five issues, how does Nightwing stack up

[FHIZ]

Why the need for Dick's family to have a 'secret history' with Gotham City? Why must everything be connected with everything? Why these ridiculous obsession with history and "Things are not as you know them!"?

Because taking a character who believes he or she is comfortable with their status quo, turning it upside down, and seeing what happens is a common trait of drama as whole, dating back to ancient Greek plays and stories.

Having a story have personal connection gives depth and meaning so you don't end up with a "monster/villain of the week" cop out.

[Cavemold]

Because taking a character who believes he or she is comfortable with their status quo, turning it upside down, and seeing what happens is a common trait of drama as whole, dating back to ancient Greek plays and stories.

Having a story have personal connection gives depth and meaning so you don't end up with a "monster/villain of the week" cop out.

This pretty much. Also im sure dick would want to investgate his family place in the gotham kingdom..

[Philosophía]

Well , maybe the secret histroy has somthing to do with Dicks parents death. Maybe it was planned out by the owls.

That would make it better? That the new villain created a few months ago is responsable for the death of a parents' character that's been created 7 decades ago?

....for each their own, I guess, but that's exactly something that I would find absurdly disrespectful and lazy, and certainly not something that makes me think "I like Dick so much better, and he feels so much more relevant!".

Because taking a character who believes he or she is comfortable with their status quo, turning it upside down, and seeing what happens is a common trait of drama as whole, dating back to ancient Greek plays and stories.

Having a story have personal connection gives depth and meaning so you don't end up with a "monster/villain of the week" cop out.

There are better, more creative and intelligent ways of challenging the status quo, character and creating drama than to lazily fan-fictioning "The Graysons actually have a connection to Gotham City that nobody knew about UNTIL NOW!".

I'm not saying the execution will be bad. Or that the story will be terrible.

But this idea, and plot-device taken by itself is.

[Kiryu]

Ehhh I'm not too big on Higgin's Nightwing but I really really don't care for the idea that Dick's families murder was part of some gigantic conspiracy. It just seems like a cheap way to add emotional "oomph" to a story that would otherwise be lacking without it.

We'll see how Higgins does with it though. But honestly this makes me roll my eyes the same way Dick finding mysterious clues that Bruce knew something about his parents in Winnick's run did.

EDIT: Also basically what Philosophia said, the plot-device itself is weak sauce. Messing with Dick's status quo in a meaningful way in the present would, imo, be more impressive and intresting then "The secret society that is really popular right now turned out to be behind character X's origin!!!!" It bothered me in Johns GL:SO when all the major players of Blackest Night were hanging out in a graveyard for Hal's origin together. Hopefully this won't be as on-the-nose lame as that.

[Cavemold]

Would you rather have him fight a old villain and tred on the same story? Also dont you want dick/nightwing to have meaningful purpose?

[Philosophía]

Would you rather have him fight a old villain and tred on the same story? Also dont you want dick/nightwing to have meaningful purpose?

Are those my only options, "fight a old villain and tred on the same story" or this retroactive continuity plot device?

I'm afraid that's too narrow for me to choose. :)

I'd rather there be creative and engaging storytelling, by being able to make old and new villains be captivating and interesting, with new conflicts and characters that are able to stand on their own right, without being lazily retconned into history.

Why would Dick/Nightwing having a meaningful purpose be tied to his family, and their place in Gotham prior to that? That's ridiculously underselling the character. He's one of the most important figures in Gotham, to Bruce, Tim, Damian, Barbara and plenty of other figures. His purpose is defined by his actions and him as a person, not by what is fitted into his bloodline's past history.

[Kiryu]

Would you rather have him fight a old villain and tred on the same story? Also dont you want dick/nightwing to have meaningful purpose?

I don't quite get what you mean, are you saying the only options for a story are "Tie the current popular threat with heroes origin" and that that is the only way to make the story meaningful? And that other then that all you can do is have him fight the same villains over and over?

People have managed to tell Batman stories that were meaningful and not tired without making every popular villain be behind his parents murder.

I'm personally hoping that perhaps the Owls were thinking of recruiting Dick and then his parents untimely death and his adoption by Bruce Wayne kinda side-stepped it. I'm also hoping it isn't "The Owls wanted to recruit Dick so they murdered his parents and would have gotten him if it weren't for that darn Batman and his stupid butler"

[Cavemold]

Are those my only options, "fight a old villain and tred on the same story" or this retroactive continuity plot device?

I'm afraid that's too narrow for me to choose. :)

I'd rather there be creative and engaging storytelling, by being able to make old and new villains be captivating and interesting, with new conflicts and characters that are able to stand on their own right, without being lazily retconned into history.

Why would Dick/Nightwing having a meaningful purpose be tied to his family, and their place in Gotham prior to that? That's ridiculously underselling the character. He's one of the most important figures in Gotham, to Bruce, Tim, Damian, Barbara and plenty of other figures. His purpose is defined by his actions and him as a person, not by what is fitted into his bloodline's past history.

How is it lazily reconned? Have you already read the story? Let me ask you this , if your family had influence in your surroundings wouldnt you want to know what that influence was? Secondly , dont you want to why the major is being targeted? Dont you think dick wants to about his family history? Isnt the court the owls new to batman readers?

[David Walton]

I think it's less 'Dick's parents' murder was a conspiracy' and more 'this is how events leading up to that moment are connected in ways we didn't know until now.'

[Philosophía]

How is it lazily reconned? Have you already read the story? Let me ask you this , if your family had influence in your surroundings wouldnt you want to know what that influence was? Secondly , dont you want to why the major is being targeted? Dont you think dick wants to about his family history? Isnt the court the owls new to batman readers?

I haven't read the story, I'm only discussing the plot-device used here in order to superficially enhance the conflict - and then your comments and acceptance of the Owls involvement and Dick's meaningful purpose being dependent on his history; I'm not actually discussing the story, or the execution, as I've already specifically said:

I'm not saying the execution will be bad. Or that the story will be terrible.

But this idea, and plot-device taken by itself is.

You, on the other hand, go on tangential "wouldn't you want to know what happened to your parents if you were Dick?" completely, and I mean that in every sense of the word, missing the point of the discussion.

[Cavemold]

Well for this event , the history of gotham is being unveiled. Doesnt it make sense ,that prince of gotham has history with his own city??? Show me where the roots of gotham has been used before?