Nightwings history in the DCnU - what's different?

[godisawesome]

When and where was it stated that his previous solo series was wiped from the new continuity? Because it was the Bludhaven tales that first made me actually like the character, and I still don't agree with erasing any previous stories if the basic framework for the character's past is intact.

[James Hunter]

When and where was it stated that his previous solo series was wiped from the new continuity? Because it was the Bludhaven tales that first made me actually like the character, and I still don't agree with erasing any previous stories if the basic framework for the character's past is intact.

As far as I'm aware it hasn't officially been wiped from continuity, I can still read it as though the previous volumes happened (admittedly, by avoiding a lot of the larger part of the new 52 DCU but I can!)

Cheers.

James.

[MajorHoy]

I haven't read the previous Nightwing (except for maybe one back issue), but there have been a hell of a lot of changes to the overall DCU since then . . . I'm assuming Infinite Crisis and the dropping of Chemo on Blüdhaven is now out of the equation; Dick seems to have been de-aged, so I'm not sure how easily he would have qualified for the police force; don't know if Dick & Babs had their romance when she was in the wheelchair after TKJ; and I'm sure there are more questionable events from then.

[Lorendiac]

When and where was it stated that his previous solo series was wiped from the new continuity? Because it was the Bludhaven tales that first made me actually like the character, and I still don't agree with erasing any previous stories if the basic framework for the character's past is intact.

On the other hand . . . I tend to see "giving him a solo title set in Bludhaven" as one of the worst mistakes that DC has ever made with Dick Grayson. So if DC announced that entire series had now been erased from history, I'd be cheering at the top of my lungs!

However, I don't claim to have any solid evidence that the entire run did (or didn't) get surgically removed from the New 52 version of Nightwing's continuity.

[godisawesome]

On the other hand . . . I tend to see "giving him a solo title set in Bludhaven" as one of the worst mistakes that DC has ever made with Dick Grayson. So if DC announced that entire series had now been erased from history, I'd be cheering at the top of my lungs!

However, I don't claim to have any solid evidence that the entire run did (or didn't) get surgically removed from the New 52 version of Nightwing's continuity.

That's interesting. Can I hear your reasons why? I'm just curious.

I haven't read the previous Nightwing (except for maybe one back issue), but there have been a hell of a lot of changes to the overall DCU since then . . . I'm assuming Infinite Crisis and the dropping of Chemo on Blüdhaven is now out of the equation; Dick seems to have been de-aged, so I'm not sure how easily he would have qualified for the police force; don't know if Dick & Babs had their romance when she was in the wheelchair after TKJ; and I'm sure there are more questionable events from then.

Heh. My ideal solution would be to have all the Chuck Dixon stories canon and ignore the rest. Might be an issue if their really is a vendetta against the man.

[Nightwing_87]

i agree everything up until the end of the chuck dixon run and him allowing blockbuster to be killed should be in canon but everything after that just got weird and seemed forced as Nightwing stories and i am saying this after just finishing the entire nightwing vol2 series a few weeks ago after issue 100 that series went down hill fast even though i think dixon left after issue 72ish

[Red_Kamui]

There is nothing in-book that says he couldn't have lived in Bludhaven for a time, but since he's only 21 and has spent the last year as Batman...that doesn't give him very much time to join the police force.

And to the person asking about the Dick/Babs romance. They never dated in DCnU continuity.

[MajorHoy]

And to the person asking about the Dick/Babs romance. They never dated in DCnU continuity.

In Batgirl No. 3, it did seem to indicate they did have a bit of a . . . connection . . . at one point.



Also implied in Nightwing No. 4.

[Lorendiac]

On the other hand . . . I tend to see "giving him a solo title set in Bludhaven" as one of the worst mistakes that DC has ever made with Dick Grayson. So if DC announced that entire series had now been erased from history, I'd be cheering at the top of my lungs!

That's interesting. Can I hear your reasons why? I'm just curious.

I've expressed the same opinion before on these forums -- several times, over the last several years! -- so I just did a little Googling and found another thread where I had explained myself in a bit more detail. What follows is cut-and-pasted from what I said months ago:

__________________________________________________ _________

I've sometimes had my stance arouse some controversy when I say: "One of the worst things that ever happened to the Dick Grayson/Nightwing character was when, in the mid-1990s, DC let Chuck Dixon give Dick his very own solo title set in the city of Bludhaven."

My basic position is that back in the 1980s, Marv Wolfman was writing Dick Grayson as: "A young man who is finally getting out of Batman's shadow (as much as he ever will) by ditching the role of Robin, creating a new role for himself that isn't famous as 'Batman's sidekick,' and generally proving that on a good day he is a better team player and team leader than Batman is! He may not be a better detective or a better hand-to-hand combatant, but he has already exceeded his mentor in other areas!"

But in the mid-1990s we got: "Dick Grayson is Batman Lite -- no more and no less! He has his own corrupt city to clean up -- but it ain't as big as Gotham, of course, so it's less of a challenge. He tries to be the dark and scary 'lone wolf' superhero champion of that city -- but of course he'll never be as dark and scary a 'lone wolf' as Batman already is. He's got millions of bucks to spend on buying all sorts of cars and other equipment for his war on crime -- but not, of course, as much as Batman can afford to spend on everything. And so forth!"

[Godlike13]

It was never stated that his previous solo series was wiped from the new continuity. The new series doesn't address his past history, well not much of it, but at the same time doesn't really contradict any of of his previous history either. Unfortunately beyond his solo, there is quite a bit that contradicts his previous history, mostly with TT, and while it was never was never stated that his Bludhaven history is gone, u can just tell that its gone.

In Batgirl No. 3, it did seem to indicate they did have a bit of a . . . connection . . . at one point.

Also implied in Nightwing No. 4.

Ya its pretty much back to how it was before they got serious. More then friends, friends.

[godisawesome]

Cool. I can see where you're coming from, though I'd blame that part of the early nineties more on the chaos that was every Titan book during that time. Stuff like Prodigal tried to show him as Bat's equal and I believe the Bat-books as a whole tried to portray him as being a better out-and-out leader than Bruce. And I liked Bludhaven as long as they made it somehow dirtier than Gotham could ever hope to be. It's why I like the cop identity better than the circus runner day-job; it made it clear he had a different plan for how to address corruption and showcased how he could interact on a day to day basis with peers, something you rarely see done well with Bruce.

And I know he's supposedly too young, but I really think that even editorial knows it's a loosing battle to insist on a five year timeline with Batman. They let B&R and B INC. run off a modified version of the old timeline, and nobody is at all confident you could make a competent timeline for the period anyway. Add in how we've already apparently gone through a year's worth of stories and we'll just end up with a timeline on par with the old one, just with a younger Bruce, if anything.

[DrSimonHurt]

Dick's current history as Nightwing is only how it relates to Batman's larger story. The Bludhaven history is out, according to Editorial.

So he literally put on his first Nightwing suit, helped train Damian, had his unnamed Titans group and just helped out with Batman's stories in Gotham until Bruce got lost in time and he suited up as Batman for awhile.

Everyone has a streamlined history except Batman. For that character family, you can just wipe out everything not directly tied to Batman's larger story archs.

[Red_Kamui]

Things we know:

1) Member of the Flying Grayson's at Haly's Circus & being groomed to become the next Talon, up until Tony Zuccho murders his parents 'Five Years Ago'

2) Becomes Bruce Wayne's ward (NOT adopted) and becomes the first Robin, wearing at least three different Robin costumes over the roughly two years (off and on) he was training with Batman.

3) During that time, became close friends with Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. There was a mutual attraction, but they never dated.

4) Became Nightwing, helped to train Jason Todd as his replacement, in addition to leading a team of teen heroes that were NOT called the Teen Titans, and having a relationship with Starfire. He went through at least three different Nightwing costumes as well.

5) When Bruce 'died', became Batman for 'roughly a year' and helped to train Damian. After Bruce came back to Gotham, he returned to the Nightwing mantle and his New 52 ongoing started.

That's pretty much all the confirmed beats. Everything else is conjecture.

[Master X]

Some of the stories that took place with him as Batman aren't even canon anymore, the rest of his history I wouldn't even try to guess. But I'd say all Teen/Titans/Outsiders/Justice League/Bludhaven/Cop are gone.