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| Nightwing | |
|---|---|
 Cover of Nightwing vol. 1, #1 (Sep 1995DC Comics), art byBrian Stelfreeze. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | List
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| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | List
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| No. of issues | List
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| Creative team | |
| Written by | List
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| Penciller | List
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| Inker | List
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Nightwing is anAmerican comic book featuring the characterNightwing and published byDC Comics. The character first appeared inTales of the Teen Titans #44 in 1984, but he received his ownongoing series, which debuted in July 1996.
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The series was launched in response to the character's growing popularity, beginning withNightwing: Alfred's Return #1 (1995). Aone-shot comic book whereDick Grayson travels toEngland to findAlfred Pennyworth, who has resigned fromBruce Wayne's service after the events ofKnightfall. After he found Alfred, they thwart a plot by terrorists aiming to destroy theChannel Tunnel before returning toGotham City. This was followed by aminiseries from September to December 1995,[1] written byDennis O’Neil with art byGreg Land, where Dick contemplates retiring as Nightwing. However, a family document reveals a connection between his parents' murder and the Crown Prince of Kravia, prompting him to travel there. Dick ultimately helps to overthrow the corrupt ruler while uncovering more about his family's past.
In 1996, following the success of the miniseries, DC Comics launched a monthly solo series featuring Nightwing (written byChuck Dixon, with art byScott McDaniel), in which he patrols Gotham City's neighboring municipality ofBlüdhaven.
Upon the request of Batman, Dick journeys to the city of Blüdhaven to stop the gangsterBlack Mask. He then becomes the arch-enemy of the villainBlockbuster. Dick decides to stay in Blüdhaven until he destroys Blockbuster's drug cartel. AfterCyborg is put in danger by a galactic threat, Dick reunites the Teen Titans[1] to rescue him. They reform as the Titans, but Dick is pulled away to Gotham City when it is declared aNo Man's Land. Following the recuperation of Gotham, Dick stays active as both the leader of the Titans and stays in Blüdhaven.
Following the deaths ofLilith Clay andTroia, Dick officially disbands the Teen Titans. Dick then returns to Blüdhaven and becomes more and more like Bruce, straining his relationships and eventually blurring the line between being a police officer and a vigilante.[2] The vigilanteTarantula then kills the Blockbuster, who Dick fails to save. Blockbuster's death haunts him to the point of temporarily retiring from crime-fighting.[2][3] At length, Nightwing shakes himself from his depression and takes responsibility for his inaction.
Due to a crisis of conscience, Dick adopts the new villainous persona ofRenegade in order to infiltrateLex Luthor's (Alexander Luthor Jr. in disguise)Secret Society of Super Villains. This ruse includes Nightwing aligning himself with his long-time enemyDeathstroke in order to track the manufacturing and distribution of Bane's Venom serum and to keep tabs on the Society's activities in Gotham andBlüdhaven. He also begins training (and subtly converting) Deathstroke's daughterRose Wilson.
Deathstroke takes revenge on Nightwing after Blüdhaven's destruction. The Society drops the supervillainChemo onto the city, killing 100,000 people. Dick tries to rescue survivors, but faced with radiation poisoning. He is then rescued byBatman, when Nightwing asks forgiveness from Batman about Blockbuster's death, Batman persuades Dick to finally move beyond. Inspired by his mentor, he then proposes toBarbara Gordon, who tearfully accepts.[4][5]
Batman then entrusts Nightwing to alert other heroes about the danger that the Crisis poses. Dick flies to Titans Tower, but due to the chaos resulting from the Blüdhaven disaster, theOMAC onslaught, and other Crisis-related events, the only hero who answers his call isConner Kent. They are soon joined byWonder Girl. Together, they locate and attack Alexander Luthor Jr.'s tower, the center of the Crisis, only to be repelled bySuperboy-Prime. Prime is ready to kill Nightwing when Conner intervenes, sacrificing himself to destroy the tower, stopping the destruction of the universe.
During the Battle of Metropolis, Nightwing suffers a near-fatal injury from Alexander Luthor Jr. when he attempts to save Batman's life. Originally, the editors at DC intended to have Dick Grayson killed inInfinite Crisis asNewsarama revealed from the DC Panel at WizardWorld Philadelphia:[6][7]
It was again explained that Nightwing was originally intended to die inInfinite Crisis, and that you can see the arc that was supposed to end with his tragic death in the series. After long discussions, the death edict was finally reversed, but the decision was made that, if they were going to be keeping him, he would have to be changed. The next arc of the ongoing series will further explain the changes, it was said.
Saved by theJustice Society,[8] Nightwing recovers with Barbara at his side. As soon as he is able to walk again, Batman asks him to join him and Robin in retracing Bruce's original journey in becoming the Dark Knight. While Nightwing is hesitant, Barbara becomes the major reason on Nightwing's decision to rejoin. Before he departs, Dick leaves her an envelope containing a photograph of them as Robin andBatgirl, along with the engagement ring on a chain and a note promising he will come back to her one day.[9]
Soon after his journey with Batman and Robin ends, Nightwing returns to Gotham, followingIntergang's trail. He works with the newBatwoman andRenee Montoya to stop Intergang from destroying Gotham.
One year later, Dick Grayson returns toNew York City (his previous home base with the Teen Titans) in order to find out who has been masquerading as Nightwing. The murderous impostor turns out to be the formerRobin,Jason Todd. Grayson leads theOutsiders once again, operating undercover and globally.
Nightwing follows an armored thief named Raptor, whom he suspects is responsible for a series of murders. Later, Raptor himself is murdered in a manner similar to the other victims by an unseen contract killer, who proceeds to bury Grayson alive. Nightwing frees himself, wondering the relation between his experience and amysterious voice who tells him that he is "supposed to be dead". Nightwing is having trouble finding things to keep him busy during the day due to the cast on his right arm. Incapacitated from his injuries, he tries without luck to find jobs, which forces him to take a job as a low-paid acrobatic instructor at a local gym, and continues to research into the mysterious assassin.
At one point, Dick agrees to attend a party for Bruce and their relationship seems to flourish. Bruce praises Dick for his success on the Raptor case, and also mentions to look into the Landman Building which hosted ex-Lexcorp scientists; most likely those who worked on the Raptor project. Dick also continues to keep a close brotherly relationship with Tim Drake, and helps Tim deal with his many losses during the last year.
After dealing with the Raptor issue, NYC is plagued by a villainous duo called Bride and Groom. Nightwing begins pursuit of these two after some grisly murders, including that of the Lorens family (close friends of his after the Raptor incident). Dick began to get obsessed with finding them, not knowing how far he was willing to go to take them down. Eventually, he formed a makeshift team with some "villains" to find them. They located them, and after killing some of his "team," Nightwing chased them to a cave, where Bride began a cave-in and the two are trapped there.
Nightwing, along with a group of former Titans, are summoned again by Raven to aid the current group of Teen Titans battle against Deathstroke, who was targeting the latest team in order to get at his children, theRavager and the resurrectedJericho. Nightwing and the other former Titans continue to work with the current team soon after the battle with Deathstroke so as to investigate the recent murder of Duela Dent.
When the Outsiders were targeted byCheckmate, Nightwing agrees that his team will work with the organization, so long as their actions in Africa are not used against them in the future. The mission, however, does not go as well as intended, resulting in Nightwing, the Black Queen and Captain Boomerang being captured byChang Tzu. Later, Batman is called in by Mister Terrific who then rescues Nightwing and the others. Afterwards, Nightwing admits to Batman, that while he accepts that he is an excellent leader, he is not suited to lead a team like the Outsiders, and offers the leadership position to Batman.
Batman accepts the position; however, he feels that the team needs to be remade, in order to accomplish the sorts of missions that he intends them to undertake. As such, he holds a series of try-outs for the team. The first audition involves Nightwing andCaptain Boomerang, who are sent to a space station under attack byChemo. During the mission, a confrontation erupts between Nightwing and Boomerang, who has grown tired of fighting for redemption. After a heated altercation, Boomergang quits the team. Nightwing then again furiously confronts Batman. This time, Nightwing resigns completely from the Outsiders. He goes back to New York and later finds himself confronted with one of his greatest enemy.
Nightwing joins a new team of Titans, with the same roster of theNew Teen Titans,[10] to stop an as-yet unnamed offspring ofTrigon from enacting his vengeance overRaven and the Titans of every generation. Nightwing yet again leads the team, and they manage to stop the sons of Trigon from accomplishing their first attempt at global destruction and again a few days later.
Following the defeat of Trigon's sons, the Titans are approached by Jericho, who had been stuck inhabiting the body ofMatch,Superboy's clone. The Titans managed to free Jericho, but found themselves once again in trouble, because Jericho's mind had become splintered due to all the bodies he had possessed in the past. Torn between evil and good, Jericho possesses Nightwing's body in order to keep from being captured. During this time, Jericho forces Nightwing to relive all of his greatest pains. Soon afterward the JLA arrived, intent on taking Jericho in, but they fail to apprehend him.[11]
Following this, Nightwing decides to leave the team again, due to the events of the "Batman R.I.P." storyline and Batman's apparent death, as Nightwing feels his attention is better aimed at protecting Gotham City. Nightwing thus moves on from relationship and keen on fighting crime.[12]
Like Batman, Nightwing has faced various villains ranging from common criminals to outlandish supervillains. While the character has primarily fought other Batman villains, he also has established villains that primarily oppose him. In addition, certain Batman villains have specific enmity with Dick Grayson.
| Villain | Creator(s) | First appearance | Fictional biography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blockbuster II | Roger Stern Tom Lyle | Starman #9 (April 1989) | Roland Desmond became the second Blockbuster after a severe illness forced him to be treated with experimental steroids. Like his brother Mark, Roland became a child-minded super-strong monster. He ran wild in the Southwest, butBatman andStarman (Will Payton) brought his rampage to an end.[13][14] |
| Brutale | Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel | Nightwing (vol. 2) #22 (July 1998) | Brutale is an expert with all forms of knives and blades, being able to both fight superbly and inflict horrible pain on his victims. Guillermo Barrera was a top-level interrogator/torturer for the secret police in the Latin American country Hasaragua, until a revolution forced him to flee. He began a new career as a mercenary/assassin and eventually began working for theBlockbuster II in Blüdhaven, battling Nightwing on several occasions. |
| Double Dare | Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel | Nightwing (vol. 2) #32 (June 1999) | Margot and Aliki Marceau are sisters who were circus performers Cirque Sensationnel, one of the few remaining successful travelling circuses. While skilled aerialists and having achieved great fame, they were less well-known than the Flying Grayson and Boston Brand. The Marceau sisters eventually chose a double-life of crime as thieves, using their talents in service to Blockbuster, and became at odds with Nightwing, both of whom the sisters are infatuated with. |
| Giz | Chuck Dixion Jim Balent | Catwoman (vol. 2) #28 | Giz is an expert computer hacker that once worked alongside fellow thieves Sly Flox, Catwoman and Mouse (his girlfriend), forming a team. Eventually, Mouse and Giz split from the team but stuck together. In the previous continuity, they countered Nightwing when they destroyed his apartment building under orders of Blockbuster, but were let go as they said that they thought the tenants had already left the building. In DC's Rebirth, Giz's history is changed, and is a man of Asian descent; while working to break out of Catwoman with Mouse, the two were caught and sent to prison. Eventually, he is released and joins a former villain support group known as the "Run-Offs". In this new continuity, his real name is revealed to be "Brendon Li" and is dating Mouse. He works with Nightwing briefly until he is killed by a group called the "Second Hand", which existed as a shell group name for Spyral due to tampering with their technology when a rogue Minos AI worked to take over the intelligence organization. |
| Lady Vic[15] | Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel | Nightwing (vol. 2) #14 (January 1997) | Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton is a woman hailing from a long line of British mercenaries and carries an arsenal of exotic weaponry, relics of her ancestor's plundering throughout the centuries. She operated as a hired killer to prevent foreclosure on her family estate. She eventually came at odds with Nightwing after a botched contract from a Bludhaven-based mobster when he refused to pay her. Unlike most of his villains, Nightwing considers Lady Vic formidable in combat. She later allies with Blockbuster as one of his numerous killers on retainer to get the opportunity to kill him. |
| Mouse | Chuck Dixon Mike Parobeck | Robin (vol. 2) #18 | Mouse is an expert thief trained by Catwoman and involved in a relationship with Giz. She was among the many operatives in Blockbuster's criminal organization. In the previous continuity, they came at odds with Nightwing when they helped destroy his apartment building under orders but let go when they claimed they thought the tenants were gone. In DC's Rebirth, elements of her history are changed; while having also been trained by Catwoman, she was also a cohort of Catwoman that was sent to prison after attempting to break out Catwoman with Giz. The pair served their time and joined a Bludhaven-based support group called the "Run-Offs". |
| Shrike | Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel | NightwingSecret Files and Origins #1 (October 1999) | Several characters share the name Shrike and serve primarily as enemies of Dick Grayson:
|
| Stallion | Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel | Nightwing (vol. 2) #14 (November 1997) | Randy Hanrahan was a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys but lost his promising career when he suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament injury during a pre-season scrimmage. Nicknamed "Stallion" throughout his life, he would work as a bouncer for Penguin in theIceberg Lounge and moved up in his criminal organization, he then become a freelance agent and assassin who used his superior strength to kill his targets and has come under the employ of various criminal ganglords. While having no formal training, Stallion relies on his steroid-enhanced physique. In DC's Rebirth, the character was re-introduced with most of his origin intact although he is instead cast as a reformed villain as part of the Run-Offs and a closeted homosexual. |
| Torque | Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel | Nightwing (vol. 2) #1 (October 1996) | Dudley "Deadly" Soames was the Bludhaven Police Inspector and considered the dirtiest cop in Bludhaven, serving as a secret informant for Blockbuster and one of his lieutenants in his organized criminal organization. When Soames became too dangerous to be in his organization, he attempts to kill himself by snapping his neck. Miraculously surviving, he is rehabilitated from radical drug therapy, and with special glasses with rear-view mirrors affixed to see where he is going, he begins a new criminal career as "Torque". |
| Villain | Creator(s) | First appearance | Fictional biography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archeron the Demon | Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows | Nightwing (vol. 3) #5 (August 2013) | Archeron is a rhyming demon summoned by Zohna, a witch who is obsessed with a Jimmy Allen Clark, a clown in Haly's Circus who was once her lover. Serving Zohna, she used Archeron to force Jimmy into a soul-binding ceremony. Through his ingenuity, Nightwing manages to banish the demon back to his realm. Archeron is unique in being one of the few Nightwing villains to be outright mystical. |
| Feedback | Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows | Nightwing (vol. 3) #3 (January 2013) | A former circus performer at Haly's Circus whose real name is Zane, he was a former friend of Dick, Raymond, and Raya. Later in his life, he gained implants that allowed him to transmit radio-based waves to trigger specific emotions, creating illusions of a person's fears and insecurities. Zane became a booking agent for contract killers, operating in Chicago and a known criminal to various government agencies. Nightwing once sought out Feedback to find information on Saiko. |
| Ghostwalker | Kyle Higgins Brett Booth | Nightwing (vol. 3) #21 (August 2013) | Maxwell Morgan is a detective of the Chicago Police Department with a notable hatred for vigilantes in Chicago and a proponent for their ban in the city. Maxwell would later begrudgingly work alongside Nightwing during his tenure in the city to stop Prankster. In secret, it revealed that he is the vigilante known as "Ghostwalker", a former vigilante sidekick to Chicago's resident hero, Aether, and is responsible for the later systematic slaughter of Chicago's vigilantes. Originally, the character was intended in his "Ghostwalker" incarnation and appears as a primary antagonist in the thirdNightwing series with his origin explored. However, the story was scrapped due to the events ofForever Evil, which featured a major status quo change for Dick Grayson. |
| Prankster | Kyle Higgins Brett Booth | Nightwing (vol. 3) #19 (June 2013) | Oswald Loomis is Prankster, a criminal hacker who sets up death-traps for his victims in his crimes. Oswald would adopt a super-villain vendetta when his father, an electrical engineer, was killed from a sour deal while working on train lines by a group of criminals known as the Cole brothers. Although one was apprehended, he did not rat out his brothers and Oswald promised revenge and was an opponent of Nightwing when he sought to defame Wallace Cole as mayor of Chicago. Nightwing eventually teamed up with Tony Zucco, who faked his death and turned over a new leaf, to stop Prankster from destroying Chicago. Arrested, he would escape and became a member of theSecret Society of Super-Villains. This version of Prankster was intended to be a complete reinvention of the Superman character of the same name.[16] However, the character would eventually exist concurrently with the former incarnation despite sharing the same name, the relation between the two currently unknown.[17] |
| Mali the Mimic /Marionette | Kyle Higgins Brett Booth | Nightwing (vol. 3) #19 (June 2013) | Mali the Mimic is an anti-villain woman who suffers from symptoms of multiple personalities, having gained it from being one of Mad Hatter's previous victims as he psychologically molded her to be one of his "Alices" on account of her blonde hair and pretty appearance. Most of her crimes focus on stealing a highly controlled, anti-psychotic drug known as Cranium, which temporarily halts the damage she suffered psychologically though she developed an addiction to it. As her name suggests, she is a mimic capable of mimicking abilities she has visually seen. Her second name, Marionette, refers to the fact that her multiple personality disorder can fool others, having once fooled Nightwing's tactical ability to analyze people although he suspected there was part of her that was genuine about wanting to find a cure for her mental illness. |
| Paragon and the Republic of Tomorrow | Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows | Nightwing (vol. 3) #2 (December 20111) | Paragon is a cult leader of a Gotham-based group known as the Republic of Tomorrow, a cult with hatred for Gotham-based vigilantes for perceived negligence of their actions on ordinary citizens. He comes into conflict with Nightwing, having framed him when 3 of the founding members began supporting vigilantes by killing them with a discarded escrima stick during his battle with Saiko, putting the hero at odds with the GCPD detective Travis Nie. A genius in the field of thermodynamics and engineering, he created technology that allowed him to utilize electrified whips, has suitable combat skills, and is a skilled manipulator. |
| Saiko | Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows | Nightwing (vol. 3) #1 (May 2012) | Raymond McCreary was a former circus acrobat and one of Dick Grayson's childhood friends following the new continuity established fromFlashpoint. When Dick's parents were killed and he was consequentially taken in by Batman, Raymond was chosen by the Court of Owls as his replacement, the shadowy society faking Raymond's death. Failing to meet their expectations despite his brutal training and scarring in the eyes, he was released and Raymond sought revenge on Dick, attempting to kill him and using Raya to lure him into a trap. He is killed when he was eventually defeated by Nightwing, choosing to end his life rather than having Nightwing save him. |
| Shox | Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows | Nightwing (vol. 3) #6 (April 2012) | A minor villain that acts as a right-hand man to Terrence Clark, a well-known booking agent for assassins and contracts killers in the Southwest region of the United States. He is based in Austin Texas. His superior was hunted when Nightwing suspected him to have a connection to Saiko, the villain battling Nightwing until he is defeated. Shox is most notable for using a robotic suit in combat. |
| Spinebender | Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows | Nightwing (vol. 3) #4 (February 2012) | Spinebender is a shape-shifting thief with powers of elasticity that has an interest in advanced technology. Foiled by Nightwing and Batgirl, he held a grudge against the former and followed him to Chicago and made an attempt on Nightwing's life in suicidal rage though he survives his own suicidal attempt to kill Nightwing. |
| Zohna | Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows | Nightwing (vol. 3) #5 (August 2013) | Zohna is a witch who was once the lover of Jimmy Allen Clark, a clown of Haly's Circus who broke up with her due to following the supernatural. Obsessed, she sacrificed her family and created a magical ring to summon Archeron, binding the demon to her will and using him to kidnap Jimmy and perform a soul-binding ceremony. She was foiled by Nightwing and taken into custody. John is unique in the fact she is one of the few Nightwing villains to be outright mystical. |
| Villain | Creator(s) | First appearance | Fictional biography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mister Minos | Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín | Grayson #1 (July 2014) | The former director of Spyral during Dick Grayson's tenure as Agent 37; Calling himself the "Man with the Labyrinth Face" about his face being disguised as a spiral by an advanced version of Spyral's Hypnos technology, he aims to collect the biological robotic parts of "Paragon", an android whose super-powered organs grant him powers associated with the Justice League, to learn their secret identities through DNA testing. It would be later revealed that he was unwittingly a mole supplied by Checkmate and Maxwell Lord to infiltrate Spyral and use their resources to learn the identities of the Justice League. Unknown to him, he was used by Agent Zero to lure Dick Grayson into Spyral, finding his tendency toward unmasking secrets to be similar to the crazed obsessions found in other Batman villains. Mister Minos's access to advanced technology included two other light composite android versions of himself; while the first android was killed by Helena Bertinelli, the real Minos was later killed by Agent Zero before he could publicly reveal the identity of the Justice League. A rogue Minos android later resurfaced and impersonated Patron/Agent One, taking revenge against Nightwing and Huntress while believing himself to be the real Minos, and is eventually destroyed. |
| Doctor Elizabeth Netz / Frau Netz | Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín | Grayson #1 (July 2014) | Daughter of the founder of Spyral Otto Netz and the sister of the first Batwoman, Kathy Kane (real name Katrina Netz), she appeared as both a scientist of Spyral and an assistant to the directors of Spyral. Frau Netz was characterized by her intelligence and skills as a scientist, having invented the nanite technology used by Spyral and having given up her dreams of singing to follow in her father's footsteps. She was also incredibly infatuated with Dick Grayson during his tenure in Spyral. Secretly, she plotted to later ascend to being the new director of Spyral alongside Agent 8, believing it to be her birthright and wanting to follow in her father's footsteps. She is later fatally injured by her sister when it was revealed that Otto Netz, never intending to give up control to both sisters, pitted the two against the other. She is later visited by a Maxwell Lord wanting Minos's files on the identities of the Justice League. She deletes the files before seemingly succumbs to her injuries. It was later revealed that she was healed by Leviathan and offered membership. She refused and gave Amanda Waller Leviathan's technology, Mark Shaw responding by having her obliterated. |
| Christopher Tanner / Old Gun | Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín | Grayson #3 (September 2014) | A one-shot villain; The Old Gun was an assassin for hire who became blind after being attacked by a madman during a school shooting, in which said man gunned down his two sons. He underwent experimental surgery that allowed him to visually see through the tip of his guns and became an assassin. He comes into conflict with Spyral during their arms race for Paragon's body parts as he comes across the android's eyes, based on Aquaman's own, to restore his sight and have the ability to see his only surviving son, Christopher Tanner Jr. Not compatible with his body, Dick appeals to his better nature to give it up but is gunned down by Agent 8. In retaliation, he shoots Alia in return before dying in front of his surviving son. |
| Agent 8 | Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín | Grayson #3 (September 2014) | One of the top agents of Spyral, she appeared to have a romantic relationship with Agent One while briefly having a one-night stand with Dick Grayson despite Spyral's policy against romantic ties with other agents. While initially appearing to be Dick's ally, she later impersonated him as she goes about killing other spies around the world, gaining the attention of the Syndicate and secretly implicating Grayson. It is later revealed that she was a double agent for Frau Netz and Leviathan as their ploy was done to disrupt Agent Zero's plan of having Dick Grayson as an agent of Spyral. Her deception is later revealed when Frau Netz attempts to take control of Leviathan and Spyral. After Frau Netz is defeated and Otto Netz's resurrection is foiled, Agent 8 is later killed by Agent 1 upon his promotion to leader of Spyral as Patron. |
| Doctor Poppy Ashmore | Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín | Grayson #2 (August 2014) | A former member of the British Secret Intelligence (T.H.E.Y), biologist, and member of several think tanks. She was also secretly an agent for Batman's villain and human trafficker, Mother, who took in traumatized children and molded them to suit the needs of her clients. Having been disturbed by the supernatural and extraterrestrial findings and conspiracies witnessed during her tenure in T.H.E.Y, she would come across an opportunity to arm humanity against conflict by experimenting with Paragon's stomach, an enhanced organ that contained the powers of the Flash. She would implant the organ into her body, discovering her super-speed also gave her insatiable hunger, forcing her to become acannibal as spies of different organizations kept targeting her, giving her a supply of food without international notice. Agent 37 and Matron are sent to retrieve her and Matron offers her a job and a suitable stomach replacement in return for her enhanced organ. Poppy becomes one of Spyral's scientists and doctors for a time until she reveals her allegiance to Mother and betrays them. While no longer being a cannibal, Poppy's eccentric characterization includes preferring to eat in a Morgue or Graveyard. |
| The Syndicate | Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín | Grayson #9 (June 2015) | A group of spies who are considered the top espionage agents in the world and work to maintain peace and alliances between all intelligence organizations. They come into conflict with Spyral over time, whose members were seemingly testing the status quo. The Syndicate would later become directly involved as Agent Zero's ultimate agenda of resurrecting Otto Netz came to fruition as well as Maxwell Lord's attempt to wipe out Spyral and gain the Minos files (which contained the list of the Justice League's secret identities). Membership included existing DC andVertigo characters such asKing Faraday,Bronze Tiger,Frankenstein,Grifter, and Tactical Augmented Organism (aka Tao). It also featured newly created characters such as Gwisin and Keshi. |
| Villain | Creator(s) | First appearance | Fictional biography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court of Owls /Parliament of Owls | Scott Snyder Greg Capullo | Batman (vol. 2) #3 (December 2011) | During the "Robin War" storyline, the Court of Owls created a global off-shoot of their organization and became known as the "Parliament of Owls". A shadowy society like the off-shoot, they work to expand their influence globally through their highly trained agents known as "Talons". Due to his bloodline from William Cobb, the Parliament is equally persistent in recruiting Dick Grayson as a Talon due to his skills and status, willing to use both blackmail and even forms of mind-control to achieve their goals. |
| Talon (William Cobb)[18][19] | Scott Snyder Greg Capullo | Batman (vol. 2) #2 (December 2011) | William Cobb is one of the talons of the Court of Owls, a near-mythical organization in Gotham City and the paternal great-grandfather of Dick Grayson. Born into a middle-class family, William Cobb lost his father at a young age during an occupational accident working on a bridge in Gotham. Unable to support himself and his mother, William juggled and resorted to begging for money. After foiling a pickpocket targeting C.C Haly, he is thankful and invites him into the circus. William is trained as a knife thrower and juggler, becoming extremely proficient and attracting a high society socialite. He is eventually banned from seeing her further, and her father disapproves of his daughter being involved with the poor despite her becoming pregnant with their child. William is eventually indoctrinated into the Court of Owls as their Talon and would kidnap his infant son and leave him in Haly's Circus, giving him the surname "Grayson". Disappointed that the efforts of his working throughout his lifetime cumulated in Dick Grayson becoming a hero of Gotham trained under Batman, he worked multiple attempts at converting his grandson into a Talon. |
| Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) | George Perez | The New Teen Titans #2 (December 1980) | Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) is a mercenary with enhanced physical abilities akin to that of a super-soldier. Initially introduced as a Teen Titans villain, Deathstroke the terminator has a complicated history with Dick Grayson. He is arguably considered to be one of the most substantial archrivals to Grayson. While there is a degree of animosity between both adversaries, to some extent Slade holds respect for Grayson. |
| Kathy Kane / Agent Zero | Edmond HamiltonSheldon Moldoff | Detective Comics #233 (July1956) | The original Batwoman, Kathy Kane's character, and history were revised in theGrayson title while keeping most elements of her previous history intact. While still the daughter of German director and founder of Spyral, Otto Netz, her history also includes a sister with whom she established a fierce rivalry as their father purposely manipulated and pitted them against one another throughout their childhood in an attempt to have suitable heirs. In theGrayson title, Kathy (real name Katrina "Luka" Netz) has since stepped down from her role as "Headmistress" and inherited the codename of Agent Zero to act as the secret spymaster and leader of Spyral behind the scenes. Seeing an opportunity to have Dick Grayson in her ranks, she allowed Minos to assume the role of Director in Spyral, knowing his actions would eventually concern Batman and the now outed Nightwing. She later forces Dick to return to Spyral under the threat of killing an amnesiac Bruce Wayne while attempting to suppress his attempts at learning more of her identity and agenda. It is eventually revealed that her ultimate goal was to resurrect her father using the Spyder AI, which contained his mind and uploads his mind into her body, win the approval of her father, and assume control of both Spyral and the Leviathan Organization. However, both she and her sister, Elisabeth, learn he did not intend for either of them to be his replacement and forced the sisters to battle once more. While Kathy won the bout and fatally injures her sister, she comes to realize the extent of her father's manipulation and attempts to kill him in revenge only to seemingly perish herself. |
Erik Norris's review ofNightwing #1 onIGN was generally positive but with some reservations. He acknowledged that while the issue wasn't a phenomenal debut, it was a solid and reassuring start for fans of Dick Grayson. Norris appreciated how writerKyle Higgins demonstrated a strong understanding of the character, as shown previously inBatman: Gates of Gotham. However, he didn't consider it groundbreaking, and the review reflected a cautious optimism for the series going forward.[20]IGN Jesse Schedeen's reviews of issues #13 to #17 highlight both the emotional depth and the action-packed moments that define the series. He consistently praises Kyle Higgins’ writing and Eddy Barrows’ artwork for their ability to balance the character personal struggles with thrilling sequences.[21][22][23]
Melissa Grey's reviews of issues #18 to #25 are generally mixed. She notes that while these issues tackle significant emotional themes, such as Dick Grayson's mourning ofDamian Wayne in issue #18, the heavy dialogue sometimes weakens the impact.[24] As the series progresses, Grey points out that the art often struggles to capture the emotional nuances effectively. However, in issues like #25, she praises the balance of darker tones with hopeful themes, appreciating how the art contributes to the overall storytelling.[25][26][27][28][29][30]
Most of the original ongoingNightwing series was collected in several trade paperbacks while the series was being published. Beginning in 2014, the series was reprinted, with new editions including material that had previously been omitted.
| # | Title | Material collected | Released | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original trade paperbacks | |||||
| Nightwing: Ties That Bind | Nightwing: Alfred's Return;Nightwing (vol. 1) #1-4 | September 1997 | 978-1563893285 | ||
| Nightwing: A Knight In Blüdhaven | Nightwing {vol. 2) #1-8 | August 1998 | 978-1563894251 | ||
| Nightwing: Rough Justice | Nightwing (vol. 2) #9-18 | September 1999 | 978-1563895234 | ||
| Nightwing: Love And Bullets | Nightwing (vol. 2) #½, #19, #21-22, #24-29 | April 2000 | 978-1563896132 | ||
| Nightwing: A Darker Shade Of Justice | Nightwing (vol. 2) #30-39;Nightwing: Secret Files And Origins | December 2000 | 978-1563897030 | ||
| Nightwing: The Hunt For Oracle | Nightwing (vol. 2) #41-46;Birds of Prey #20-21 | January 2003 | 978-1563899409 | ||
| Nightwing/Huntress | Nightwing/Huntress #1-4 (mini-series) | January 2004 | 978-1401201272 | ||
| Nightwing: Big Guns | Nightwing (vol. 2) #47-50;Nightwing: Secret Files and Origins;Nightwing 80-Page Giant | February 2004 | 978-1401201869 | ||
| Nightwing: On The Razor's Edge | Nightwing (vol. 2) #52, #54-60 | June 2005 | 978-1401204372 | ||
| Issues #71-100 are yet to be compiled into any collected edition | |||||
| Nightwing: Year One | Nightwing (vol. 2) #101-106 | August 2005 | 978-1401204358 | ||
| Nightwing: Mobbed Up | Nightwing (vol. 2) #107-111 | March 2006 | 978-1401209070 | ||
| Nightwing: Renegade | Nightwing (vol. 2) #112-117 | November 2006 | 978-1401209087 | ||
| Nightwing: Brothers In Blood | Nightwing (vol. 2) #118-124 | March 2007 | 978-1401212247 | ||
| Nightwing: Love And War | Nightwing (vol. 2) #125-132 | October 2007 | 978-1401214630 | ||
| Nightwing: The Lost Year | Nightwing (vol. 2) #133-137,Nightwing (vol. 2)Annual #2 | March 2008 | 978-1401216719 | ||
| Nightwing: Freefall | Nightwing (vol. 2) #140-146 | November 2008 | 978-1401219659 | ||
| Nightwing: The Great Leap | Nightwing (vol. 2) #147-153 | August 2009 | 978-1401221713 | ||
| New edition trade paperbacks | |||||
| Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies | Material fromSecret Origins (vol. 2) #13; material fromAction Comics Weekly #613-618, #627-634 | August 2013 | 978-1401240448 | ||
| 1 | Blüdhaven | Nightwing Vol. 1 #1-4;Nightwing (vol. 2) #1-8 | December 2014 | 978-1401251444 | |
| May 13, 2025 | 978-1799501381 | ||||
| 2 | Rough Justice | Nightwing (vol. 2) #9-18,Nightwing Annual #1 | June 2015 | 978-1401255336 | |
| 3 | False Starts | Nightwing/Huntress #1-4;Nightwing (vol. 2) #½, #19-25 | January 2016 | 978-1401258559 | |
| 4 | Love And Bullets | Nightwing (vol. 2) #26-34, #1,000,000;Nightwing Secret Files and Origins #1 | April 2016 | 978-1401260873 | |
| 5 | The Hunt For Oracle | Nightwing (vol. 2) #35-46;Birds of Prey #20-21 | November 2016 | 978-1401265021 | |
| 6 | To Serve And Protect | Nightwing (vol. 2) #47-53;Nightwing 80-Page Giant #1 | July 2017 | 978-1401270810 | |
| 7 | Shrike | Nightwing (vol. 2) #54-60;Nightwing: Our Worlds At War #1;Nightwing: Targets #1 | February 2018 | 978-1401277567 | |
| 8 | Lethal Force | Nightwing (vol. 2) #61-70 | November 2018 | 978-1401285050 | |
| Issues #71-100 are yet to be compiled into any collected edition | |||||
| Nightwing by Peter Tomasi | Nightwing (vol. 2) #140-153 | January 2020 | 978-1401291716 | ||
| Compendiums | |||||
| 1 | A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium Book One | Nightwing (vol. 1) #1-4;Nightwing (vol. 2) #1-25, #1,000,000;Nightwing Annual #1;Wizard Presents Nightwing #½;Nightwing/Huntress #1-4;Green Arrow (vol. 2) #134-135;Robin (vol. 2) #55;Detective Comics #723-725, #1,000,000 | May 7, 2024 | 978-1779525864 | |
| 2 | A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium Book Two | Action Comics #771;Batman Annual #23;Nightwing (vol. 2) #26-59;Birds of Prey #8, 20-21;Nightwing Secret Files;Nightwing 80-Page Giant;Nightwing: The Target | May 20, 2025 | 978-1799501480 | |
| 3 | A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium Book Three | Batman #600, 605;Nightwing #60-82;The Flash Plus Nightwing;Birds of Prey #37;Batman: Gotham Knights #14, #16-17, #20-21;Nightwing: The Target;Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure;Joker: Last Laugh Secret Files and Origins;Joker: Last Laugh #1-6;Nightwing: Our Worlds at War | May 5, 2026 | 978-1799508120 | |
| # | Title | Material collected | Legacy | Pages | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade paperbacks | ||||||
| 1 | Traps And Trapezes | Nightwing (vol. 3) #1-7 | #158-164 | 160 | October 16, 2012 | 978-1401237059 |
| 2 | Night Of The Owls | Nightwing (vol. 3) #0, #8-12 | #165-169 | 144 | July 30, 2013 | 978-1401240271 |
| 3 | Death Of The Family | Nightwing (vol. 3) #13-18;Batman (vol. 2) #17, material fromYoung Romance #1 | #170-175 | 176 | December 10, 2013 | 978-1401244132 |
| 4 | Second City | Nightwing (vol. 3) #19-24 | #176-181 | 144 | July 15, 2014 | 978-1401246303 |
| 5 | Setting Son | Nightwing (vol. 3) #25-30,Annual #1 | #182-187 | 200 | December 16, 2014 | 978-1401250119 |
| Omnibus | ||||||
| Nightwing: The Prince Of Gotham Omnibus | Nightwing (vol. 3) #0-30,Batman #17,Young Romance: A New 52 St. Valentine's Day Special #1,Nightwing Annual #1,Secret Origins #1 | #158-187 | 824 | January 29, 2021 | 978-1779507006 | |
| May 6, 2025 | 978-1799501312 | |||||
After the events ofNightwing (vol. 3) #30, Dick Grayson left behind his superhero life to become an agent of the fictional spy agencySpyral.
| Title | Material collected | Format | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agents Of Spyral | Grayson #1–4,Grayson: Futures End; material fromSecret Origins (vol. 3) #8 | June 2015 | 978-1401257590 |
| 2 | We All Die At Dawn | Grayson #5–8,Annual #1 | January 2016 | 978-1401257606 |
| 3 | Nemesis | Grayson #9–12,Annual #2,DC Sneak Peek: Grayson | May 2016 | 978-1401262761 |
| 4 | A Ghost In The Tomb | Grayson #13–16,Robin War #1–2 | Septemer 2016 | 978-1401267629 |
| 5 | Spiral's End | Grayson #17–20,Annual #3,Nightwing: Rebirth | January 2017 | 978-1401268251 |
| Omnibus | ||||
| The Superspy Omnibus | Grayson #1-20,Grayson: Futures End #1,Grayson Annual #1-3,Robin War #1-2,Nightwing: Rebirth, material fromSecret Origins (vol. 3) #8 | October 2017 | 978-1401274160 | |
| August 2019 | 978-1401295059 | |||
| November 2022 | 978-1779517326 | |||
Following the events ofGrayson #20, Dick Grayson returns to Blüdhaven, and life as Nightwing.
| # | Title | Material collected | Legacy | Format | Pages | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Better Than Batman | Nightwing: Rebirth;Nightwing (vol. 4) #1-4, #7-8 | #188-191, #194-195 | TPB | 168 | January 31, 2017 | 978-1401268039 |
| Batman: Night Of The Monster Men | Batman (vol. 3) #7-8;Nightwing (vol. 4) #5-6;Detective Comics #941-942 | #192-193 | HC | 144 | February 28, 2017 | 978-1401270674 | |
| TPB | October 31, 2017 | 978-1401274313 | |||||
| 2 | Back To Blüdhaven | Nightwing (vol. 4) #9-15 | #196-202 | TPB | 168 | June 20, 2017 | 978-1401270858 |
| 3 | Nightwing Must Die | Nightwing (vol. 4) #16-21 | #203-208 | TPB | 128 | September 26, 2017 | 978-1401273767 |
| 4 | Blockbuster | Nightwing (vol. 4) #22-28 | #209-215 | TPB | 176 | January 23, 2018 | 978-1401275334 |
| 5 | Raptor's Revenge | Nightwing (vol. 4) #30-34 | #217-221 | TPB | 128 | May 1, 2018 | 978-1401278816 |
| 6 | The Untouchable | Nightwing (vol. 4) #35-43 | #222-230 | TPB | 216 | September 18, 2018 | 978-1401287573 |
| 7 | The Bleeding Edge | Nightwing (vol. 4) #44-49,Annual #1 | #231-236 | TPB | 160 | December 31, 2018 | 978-1401285593 |
| 8 | Knight Terrors | Nightwing (vol. 4) #50-56 | #237-243 | TPB | 192 | June 11, 2019 | 978-1401291280 |
| 9 | Burnback | Nightwing (vol. 4) #57-62 | #244-249 | TPB | 144 | November 12, 2019 | 978-1401294588 |
| 10 | The Gray Son Legacy | Nightwing (vol. 4) #63-69,Annual #2 | #250-256 | TPB | 208 | May 19, 2020 | 978-1779500212 |
| The Joker War | Nightwing (vol. 4) #70-77,Annual #3 | #257-264 | HC | 248 | March 2, 2021 | 978-1779505699 | |
| TPB | August 15, 2023 | 978-1779521149 | |||||
| The Joker War Saga | Batman (vol. 3) #95-100; plus tie-in stories fromBatgirl;Red Hood And The Outlaws;Catwoman;Harley Quinn;Nightwing;Detective Comics | HC | 336 | February 23, 2021 | 978-1779511799 | ||
| TPB | January 10, 2022 | 978-1779514967 | |||||
| The series saw a soft reboot afterThe Joker War, with Tom Taylor taking over as writer | |||||||
| 1 | Leaping Into The Light | Nightwing (vol. 4) #78-83 | #265-270 | HC | 160 | December 14, 2021 | 978-1779512789 |
| TPB | June 6, 2023 | 978-1779516992 | |||||
| Fear State | Nightwing (vol. 4) #84-86,Annual #4 (2021); material fromBatman: Urban Legends #10 | #271-273 | HC | 152 | June 21, 2022 | 978-1779515506 | |
| TPB | September 5, 2023 | 978-1779520050 | |||||
| 2 | Get Grayson | Nightwing (vol. 4) #87-91;Superman: Son of Kal-El #9 | #274-278 | HC | 160 | December 27, 2022 | 978-1779517456 |
| TPB | December 26, 2023 | 978-1779523020 | |||||
| 3 | The Battle For Blüdhaven's Heart | Nightwing (vol. 4) #92-96 | #279-283 | HC | 176 | June 27, 2023 | 978-1779520166 |
| TPB | June 11, 2024 | 978-1779525222 | |||||
| 4 | The Leap | Nightwing (vol. 4) #97-100,Annual #5 (2022) | #284-287 | HC | 192 | December 12, 2023 | 978-1779520869 |
| TPB | July 30, 2024 | 978-1779528025 | |||||
| 5 | Time Of The Titans | Nightwing (vol. 4) #101-105 | #288-292 | HC | 152 | September 10, 2024 | 978-1779525239 |
| TPB | 978-1779529534 | ||||||
| 6 | Standing At The Edge | Nightwing (vol. 4) ##106-109, #111-113 | #293-296, #298-300 | HC | 192 | December 24, 2024 | 978-1779528544 |
| TPB | 978-1779529435 | ||||||
| 7 | Fallen Grayson | Nightwing (vol. 4) #114-118 | #301-305 | HC | 152 | March 25, 2025 | 978-1799500889 |
| TPB | 978-1799500896 | ||||||
| The series saw a soft reboot afterFallen Grayson, with Dan Watters taking over as writer | |||||||
| 1 | On With The Show | Nightwing (vol. 4) #119-124 | #306-311 | HC | 160 | July 1, 2025 | 978-1799501985 |
| TPB | 978-1799502005 | ||||||
| 2 | Death Traps | Nightwing (vol. 4) #125-129 | #312-316 | HC | 176 | January 20, 2026 | 978-1799502548 |
| TPB | 978-1799502562 | ||||||
| DC Compact Classics | |||||||
| 1 | Nightwing: Leaping Into The Light | Nightwing (vol. 4) #78-88 | #265-275 | Digest | 296 | March 3, 2026 | 978-1799507703 |
| Deluxe Oversized Hardcovers | |||||||
| 1 | Nightwing: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Vol.1 | Nightwing: Rebirth;Nightwing (vol. 4) #1-15 | #188-202 | OHC | 384 | October 31, 2017 | 978-1401273750 |
| 2 | Nightwing: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 | Nightwing (vol. 4) #16-28 | #203-215 | OHC | 312 | May 22, 2018 | 978-1401278922 |
| 3 | Nightwing: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Vol. 3 | Nightwing (vol. 4) #29-43 | #216-230 | OHC | 352 | January 29, 2019 | 978-1401285678 |
| Omnibuses | |||||||
| Nightwing: Rebirth Omnibus | Nightwing: Rebirth;Nightwing (vol. 4) #1-49, Nightwing: Rebirth #1, Batgirl #14-17, Batman #7-8, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush #1, Detective Comics #941-942, Green Arrow #32, Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #1, Suicide Squad #26, Teen Titans #12 and stories from Batgirl #25, DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1 and Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 | #188-236 | Omnibus | 1,496 | April 22, 2025 | 978-1799501169 | |
| Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo Omnibus Vol. 1 | Nightwing (vol. 4) #78-100;Batman: Urban Legends #10;Nightwing Annual 2021;Superman: Son of Kal-El #9 | #265-287 | Omnibus | 624 | July 22, 2025 | 978-1799502197 | |
| Nightwing by Tom Taylor Omnibus Vol. 2 | Nightwing (vol. 4) #101-118;Nightwing Annual 2022 | #288-305 | Omnibus | 600 | July 7, 2026 | 978-1799508502 | |
| Title | Material collected | Format | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batman: Cataclysm | Nightwing (vol. 2) #19-20 | TPB | June 1999 | 978-1563895272 |
| June 16, 2015 | 978-1401255152 | |||
| Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 2 | Nightwing (vol. 2) #35-37 | TPB | April 17, 2012 | 978-1401233808 |
| Batman: New Gotham, Vol. 2: Officer Down | Nightwing (vol. 2) #53 | TPB | August 2001 | 978-1563897870 |
| Batman: Bruce Wayne: Murderer? | Nightwing (vol. 2) #65-66 | TPB | August 2002 | 978-1563899133 |
| Nightwing (vol. 2) #65-66, 68–69 | May 20, 2014 | 978-1401246839 | ||
| Batman: Bruce Wayne: Fugitive Vol. 1 | Nightwing (vol. 2) #68-69 | TPB | December 2002 | 978-1563899331 |
| Batman War Games Book 1 | Nightwing (vol. 2) #96 | TPB | November 3, 2015 | 978-1401258139 |
| Batman War Games Book 2 | Nightwing (vol. 2) #97-98 | TPB | May 24, 2016 | 978-1401260705 |
| Batman: The Resurrection Of Ra's al Ghul | Nightwing (vol. 2) #138-139 | HC | May 20, 2008 | 978-1401217853 |
| TPB | May 12, 2009 | 978-1401220327 | ||
| Batman: Night Of The Owls | Nightwing (vol. 3) #8-9 | HC | February 19, 2013 | 978-1401237738 |
| TPB | November 12, 2013 | 978-1401242527 | ||
| The Joker: Death Of The Family | Nightwing (vol. 3) #15-16 | HC | October 22, 2013 | 978-1401242350 |
| TPB | April 22, 2014 | 978-1401246464 | ||
| Dark Nights: The Road To Metal | Nightwing (vol. 4) #17 | HC | May 22, 2018 | 978-1401278199 |
| TPB | January 8, 2019 | 978-1401278199 | ||
| Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance | Nightwing (vol. 4) #29 | TPB | July 3, 2018 | 978-1401282981 |
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