Dick Grayson might be one of the best Robins, but a new cover proves that Nightwing is a superhero who deserves to be a household name.
He may have been Robin at one point, but a new cover for Nightwing #95 shows exactly how Dick Grayson has become a hero worthy of being among the A-Listers.
Every comic fan worth their salt knows that before he was the freewheeling hero of Bludhaven, Dick was the original Boy Wonder and fought by Batman’s side for years. Though he was one of the longest-serving Robins in the Bat-Family, Grayson eventually had to step out on his own and pursued his own career as hero. Taking on the name Nightwing, Dick explored the ups and downs of heroism, making numerous allies and connections in the process. While Grayson may have cut his teeth in his years as Robin, he’s spent nearly as much time becoming a hero in his own right as Nightwing.
A variant cover for an upcoming issue of Nightwing shows how far Dick Grayson has come on his journey as an independent crimefighter. Series writer Tom Taylor posted the 95th issue’s variant by artist Jamal Campbell on Twitter. The image shows Dick dressed in his traditional outfit, poised in the shadows as the moon glows behind him. Nightwing puts his old circus skills to use as he crouches betwixt two buildings far above the ground. Breaking out of the shadows is the hero’s standard blue colors, a warning to any criminal in the night. With his escrima sticks at the ready, Grayson prepares to strike at the first sign of trouble.
The post was loved by thousands of fans, all liking the cover and praising the consistent quality of Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s series. With the recent sleep of Eisner Awards the comic has been nominated for, Dick Grayson is experiencing a renaissance of fan love and appreciation. Nightwing was never really an unpopular hero, but now more than ever he’s broaching levels of admiration reserved for some of the biggest and most well-known heroes in the entire medium. The recent waves Nightwing has made is a solid argument that Dick should be considered one of the DC Universe’s top dogs, up there with Superman, Wonder Woman and even Batman.
The hardest part for any sidekick on their journey to becoming a hero is stepping out of the shadows of their mentor. For someone who spent decades as the Dark Knight’s second banana, it took Dick a lot of time to prove that he wasn’t just a Batman without the cape or cowl. The reception to Nightwing #95’s cover shows that Dick has successfully found his niche as a hero and connected with fans in his own way. He might not have Batman’s history or cultural swing, but Grayson is a widely beloved hero who deserves to have his name included with DC’s biggest heroes. If there’s one thing to take from Campbell’s Nightwing cover, it’s that the former Robin has grown up to become the most underrated A-Lister.
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