Nightwing FAQ

[pennywisdom]

I read about this somewhere a while back. It was when he was I believe a member of the New Teen Titans. All I can remember is Raven wearing the white cloak and actually revealing herself with long black hair. Cyborg was around then as well. And no, I'm not referring to the cartoon.

I don't remember that, and I'm not finding anything on Google. Therefore, you just imagined it. ;) :D

Seriously, if you have any info on Dick Grayson's weapons list (including the whip) post what you know. I don't know anything about a whip.

Murrocko requested more information on Nightwing's rogues. Now seems like a good a time as any to post some detailed info on Deathstroke. Here is a link to pretty much everything you could want to know about the character: DEATHSTROKE.

[Freelyx]

I read about this somewhere a while back. It was when he was I believe a member of the New Teen Titans. All I can remember is Raven wearing the white cloak and actually revealing herself with long black hair. Cyborg was around then as well. And no, I'm not referring to the cartoon.

Okay I am a long time reader and lover of Nightwing, but I must agree with pennywisdom where he said all this is subject to individual interpretation.

However regarding the "ponytail whip" that you are asking about, I don't believe it was ever a weapon. It was an artist representation of Dick shortly after changing from his second Nightwing outfit to the current Blue and Black he wears. While still in the second outfit, artist's had shown him with longish curly hair that reached to just about mid-back or shoulder blade level. When his mini series ran before the main solo title started he went to Alfred and turned in the second outfit, telling Alfred he was retiring. Alfred gave him the current outfit that had been designed by "Harold" (I could be off on this name) the hermit who was living in the Batcave and had been helping Bruce with several of the caves tech things. Alfred said it was "just in case".

Dick ended up donning that outfit to save someone kidnapped to a remote island where he fought Arsenals estranged girlfriend Cheshire. It was during this that the ponytail emerged. Dicks hair was tied back and looked to be gelled in some way to resemble a long whip. It was never intended or to my knowledge used as a weapon, just his style at the time. As I recall I believe he lost that ponytail in the first issue of the miniseries that lead up to his solo title debut. While fighting some knife welding baddies on the back of a moving vehicle one of them slashed with their blade as he ducked and Dick responded with a comment something like, "Do you know how long it takes to grow something like that?!" as he finished off the thug.

This is all from memory however and someone with those titles on hand or better knowledge might be able to correct me.

[Freelyx]

Not quite. He has really been moving towards the dark side. I don't want to spoil so I won't go into details BUT, read Nightwing 90-100 (I think, it may be 88-100) that goes over Dicks life and what happens. It leads into War Games. He has gone as dark as they can.

In Last Laugh, he beat the Joker to death with his fist.

Joker was clinically dead until paramedics were able to revive him. Something Batman would never do.

When you read those issues I recommended, you will understand how far he has gone, but he tries to bring himself back.

If you want spoilers, we can put them in, just lemme know.

Um... respectfully, I'm not sure I agree with this.

In the "Hush" story line Batman very clearly states that his intention is to kill Joker with his bare hands. Had Jim Gordan not been there to stop him, its likely Joker would have been killed by Batman. Batman remains the darker of the two characters even now in my opinion. Although I must admit due to a lack of funds as of late I missed "Last Laugh", my bet is Grayson may have killed Joker, but he wasn't thinking "I'm going to kill this clown now so no one else gets hurt." He probably lost his temper and beat him to the brink of death in a haze of anger, where Batman on the other hand, though clearly infuriated, was clear in his intentions to cross that line and kill Joker. Again please correct me if I am wrong here I did not read the Nightwing "Last Laugh" story.

[pennywisdom]

I think Freelyx is right in that Dick never had a whip, although he did have a very long ponytail that resembled a whip for much of the 90's. Very nice synopsis of Nightwing's solo mini-series, BTW. Harold was indeed the name of the mechanical savant who lived in the batcave, although I had forgotten that he designed Nightwing's current costume. For the record, Dick lost his ponytail not in the mini-series, but in the first issue of the ongoing. He did get it chopped off by a guy with a blade.... I have a sneaking suspicion Chuck was just looking for an excuse to get rid of it. AFAIK, he's had short hair since.

As far as the "darkness" debate goes, there's no one absolute answer. There are as many different interpretations as there are Batman readers. To be honest, I'm pretty tired of discussing what constitutes appropriate "darkness" levels for the Bat and all related characters. That's just been done to death, and in the end, there's no right or wrong answer, anyway. Too dark.... not dark enough... dark, dark, dark. If we can't end that debate, we should at least pick a new adjective, don't you think? ;)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to listening to the Darkness while I read my favorite comic, Darkness, and watching Army of Darkness.

[Freelyx]

In regards to his costume changes:

<-- Robin Richard Grayson era.

<-- Nightwing first costume, appeared in Tales of the New Teen Titans #44

<-- This costume design was brought back from a possible future by Mirage a shapeshifter who was posing as Starfire.

<-- This one is his current design that was given to him by Harold & Alfred.

[Augusto]

I was recently reading Batman #217 when Dick leaves the manor for college.
What was he studying? Did he achieve a college degree?

[Lorendiac]

I was recently reading Batman #217 when Dick leaves the manor for college.
What was he studying? Did he achieve a college degree?

I'm not sure what his major was supposed to be -- I suspect I never knew, though I could have forgotten some line of dialogue from an old story -- but I'm pretty sure he never completed a bachelor's degree. In "The New Teen Titans #1" (published in 1980) it was mentioned that he had recently dropped out of college and that as a result he now felt some serious tension in the air whenever he spoke to Bruce. I don't think he's ever gone back to college as a degree-seeking student since that time (again, unless I've forgotten something mentioned in some later story).

[blckng]

I'm not sure what his major was supposed to be -- I suspect I never knew, though I could have forgotten some line of dialogue from an old story -- but I'm pretty sure he never completed a bachelor's degree. In "The New Teen Titans #1" (published in 1980) it was mentioned that he had recently dropped out of college and that as a result he now felt some serious tension in the air whenever he spoke to Bruce. I don't think he's ever gone back to college as a degree-seeking student since that time (again, unless I've forgotten something mentioned in some later story).

I remember Dick saying he'd dropped out in that first issue, but then I remember Donna telling Kory that he was still in school later on in the series. Not sure which issue, but I'll see if I can find it in my NTT Archives collection.

[pressdarlings]

1) What issues of Nightwing do Dick and Babs start dating or fall in love? When do they break up?

2) When is Blockbuster killed by Tarantula? When does the arc begin?

[ScottyQuick]

2) When is Blockbuster killed by Tarantula? When does the arc begin?

#93, I think the arc begins in #89.

[Red Lotus]

Um... respectfully, I'm not sure I agree with this.

In the "Hush" story line Batman very clearly states that his intention is to kill Joker with his bare hands. Had Jim Gordan not been there to stop him, its likely Joker would have been killed by Batman. Batman remains the darker of the two characters even now in my opinion. Although I must admit due to a lack of funds as of late I missed "Last Laugh", my bet is Grayson may have killed Joker, but he wasn't thinking "I'm going to kill this clown now so no one else gets hurt." He probably lost his temper and beat him to the brink of death in a haze of anger, where Batman on the other hand, though clearly infuriated, was clear in his intentions to cross that line and kill Joker. Again please correct me if I am wrong here I did not read the Nightwing "Last Laugh" story.

This might help you out.

Joker Last Laugh (2001) #6
DC: Jan 2002
Original cover price: $2.95
Part 32 of Joker Last Laugh
Joker Last Laugh, Pt. 32 of 33. WRITTEN BY CHUCK DIXON AND SCOTT BEATTY; ART BY RICK BURCHETT AND MARK LIPKA; COVER BY BRIAN BOLLAND Advance-solicited; in stores November 7. It all ends here! The Joker's staked out scenic Gotham Cathedral as the spot to make his final stand against Batman's allies, and he's made sure no other heroes will interfere with his final revenge. Nightwing's decided that the Joker's actions finally need to be stopped ? but will he go too far? And what is the fate of Tim Drake? Will he become the second Robin to die at the hands of the Joker? FC, 40 PG. (6 OF 6


Batman even hinted that he was worried what Nightwing would do to the Joker. As for the act of killing The Joker. The Joker wanted to be killed and kept taunting Nightwing till Nightwing choked him to death.

[Alejandro]

Q: What issue(s) of Batman did Dick leave him?
Q: In a recent issue of Flash (Post IC issues). Wally says to Batman, "tell Tim what you told Dick when he left, it meant the world to Dick that you said that"--- what is this in reference too?

Maybe add a bit of background on Dick-- the stuff that was fleshed out in Batman Year 3 and A Lonely Place of Dying.

Someone please answer, I am most curious

[shaxper]

WHAT WAS DICK GRAYSON’S FIRST APPEARANCE?

Dick Grayson has a long and storied history in the DC Universe. His first appearance in any capacity was as Robin in Batman #1, published in 1940.

Dick's first appearance was in Detective Comics #38, which was prior to Batman #1.

[Silverbolt231]

If you say that he is part of it, that means every single side character in the Teen Titans is a Titan then, and I don't think that is true. When they need help, they call it in. The only way they can be considered part of the team is if they made a very significant impact on the story line. Although Nightwing is my favorite character, he didn't make a massive impact big enough to be considered a JLA member.