Nightwing: Where Do I Start?

He’s gone by several names in his long history in comics, but Dick Grayson has proven himself to be one of the most enduring and evolving crimefighters comics has ever seen. Since his debut under the domino mask in 1940 as Robin way back in Detective Comics #38, Dick Grayson has been one of Batman’s most trusted allies, friends and even family. Although he eventually shucked off the Robin guise for his own identity as Nightwing, Grayson continued to fight crime in the tradition pioneered by his mentor Bruce Wayne. And on the occasion if Wayne is absent or unable to carry on as Batman, Grayson has shown himself time and time again as Bruce’s ideal replacement to carry on the Batman legacy.

Normally we try to limit Where Do I Start to five books at maximum, but Nightwing’s far-ranging history as Robin, Nightwing and other guises left us six standalone stories that are great primers for getting to know Dick Grayson.

Robin: Year One: Before Grayson ever became Nightwing, he served as Batman’s sidekick Robin. This essential story-arc by writers Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty along with artist Javier Pulido and Marcos Martin really rises to the challenge in terms of quality of Batman: Year One that came before. Although Grayson’s origin has been told before and since numerous times, this story narrated by Alfred really gets to the heart of the character to do more than show you what happens but get inside his thinking. Dixon and Beatty would go on to become one of Nightwing’s primary writers over the years, and the art team of Pulido and Martin really elevate the story to a new level.

Nightwing: Year One: It’s hard for a hero to transition out of what he’ s known for and take on a new, more mature guise. In comics, it’s practically unheard of for a character to grow old and develop in a way that isn’t retconned years later: but Nightwing did just that. In this transformative miniseries collection, Grayson quits his role as Robin due to a falling out with Batman and goes into a full-on soul-searching mode to find out what comes next. Returning writers Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty weave Dick Grayson’s world into Superman’s when it comes to choosing a name, and even connects the character and his acrobatics to Deadman. And artist Scott McDaniel delivers what was later considered the definitive look for Nightwing up until the rebooted New 52 era of the DCU.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract: Although the Teen Titans team were created years before, it was this story-arc that brought them into focus for the comics-buying public at large and it was all initiated by Dick Grayson quitting as Robin and taking up the mantle of Nightwing. This journey shows the team mature into more than just a collection of other heroes’ sidekicks and into an inclusive squad of their own, and cements Deathstroke as one of the key adversaries for the team and for Nightwing on his own.

Nightwing: Mobbed Up: It’s proven to be hard for Dick Grayson to get out from under the shadow of his mentor Batman, but this arc in his ongoing series going from one shadow to another: that of the mob. Infiltrating a NYC crime family straight out of The Sopranos, this really explores the idea of a undercover operative getting too deep into his cover identity and having trouble finding his way out. It may not add a riveting plot point to Nightwing’s milieu as a hold, but it’s a great one-off story that really gets inside Dick Grayson’s head.

Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn: If something happened to Bruce Wayne, who would take up the Batman mantle? This story by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and Philip Tan answers that question as Dick Grayson takes over for his mentor and takes on a new apprentice in the form of Bruce’s petulant son Damian. Comics have shown Grayson in the Batman mask before, but this take pushes that speculative idea into the harsh reality of what would happen and what things would be set in motion by Grayson’s ascension to be the Dark Knight. To borrow a well-worn trope, this isn’t your dad’s Batman.