By Jon Palmer
With the recent re-launch of Batman I’m now left wondering if Dick Grayson was in fact ever actually Batman?
With the recent re-launch of Batman I’m now left wondering if Dick Grayson was in fact ever actually Batman? I know Damien is still Robin because he’s there in the new 52 as Robin, Drake is there as Red Robin and there is Batwing who’s been nicely introduced.
Then I come to Grayson, who and I may be stalked or maimed for this, I think was pretty alright as Batman, yes he didn’t have the same broodiness of Wayne or the same reasons for being Batman as Wayne. Then, I suppose being Batman to live up to Wayne’s memory is in itself a pretty difficult cowl to fill.
Dick Grayson is the only character who apart from Wayne himself has actually earned his way up to the Cowl.
He started out as Robin, became Nightwing and fleshed out his own superhero, rather than having one created for him like Robin, and then he got the Cowl in Batman: Reborn.
I think I know the answer really but sometimes as I read the new 52 it’s like he wasn’t, as if it’s something that was known to have happened but it’s never talked about.
I hope it hasn’t been forgotten about though because I like the way that he remained himself while being Batman, they didn’t redraft him into a darker version of himself that was struggling with the loss of Bruce Wayne. Instead, he stayed his usual positive self with Damien becoming a darker version of Robin that played off nicely. It also seemed somewhat fitting that a former Robin would train a new one, plus avoided any inconvenient Father/Son turmoil that would have surfaced between Bruce and Damien.
Talking of former Robin’s, Grayson’s journey to gain the cowl also brought out a sort of challenge between those who had been Robin before. Drake who takes on the Batman after Damien is injured, Jason Todd who has been in the guise of Batman with the aim of muddying the name of Gotham’s best hero and eventually we get Grayson becoming Batman after defeating Jason Todd.
Dick Grayson had to become Batman and I hope that this new re-launch remembers that he was for a short while.
This little plot in itself would never have been imaginable without the foresight of Grayson becoming Batman, and with it we get to see all of them in their own form of Batman. Jason Todd, a slightly over the edge, gun-toting Batman – a clear sign he was never going to get it, if we needed another one. Tim Drake proved while he’s good as an ally, he has the brains but rushes in to quick and not stealthy enough for Batman. Then after dwindling these down we get Grayson who was just biding his time, contemplating through narration about what it would all mean. That’s why he had to become Batman and why I hope that this new re-launch remembers that he was for a short while.
Even if it doesn’t though I think it’s safe to say Batman wouldn’t be much without Dick Grayson, be it wearing Batman’s cowl or his own.
You can follow Jon on twitter at @palmerjono
Posted on July 24th, 2012
Category: IN THE BLACK HALL, NEWS & VIEWS
Tags: Batman, Batman And Robin, Bruce Wayne, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, In The Black Hall, Jon Palmer, new 52, Nightwing, Robin, Was Dick Grayson Ever Batman