30 Years Ago Today, Nightwing Finally Got His Own Series (And His Most Iconic Look)

Few sidekicks have broken the mold as successfully as Dick Grayson. He started his career as one half of the Dynamic Duo, and when he decided he needed to be his own man, he branched out and became Nightwing. Ever since, Dick has been proving that he’s just as capable a hero as his mentor and, in some cases, has even surpassed him. Nightwing is one of DC’s greatest leaders, someone that everyone can put their trust in, and the perfect fusion of all of Batman and Superman’s heroic qualities. He’s near being an A-lister in his own right, and he’s become the hero that DC relies on to spearhead the next generation.

One other field that Nightwing absolutely shines in is fashion. Dick has worn some of DC’s most iconic and fantastic costumes, and he’s never been afraid to experiment. Discowing might seem stupid at a first glance, but it grows on you, and shows that Nightwing will always be willing to express who he is through his costume. Of course, his most iconic look is the blue and black suit with short hair, which has been his main design for thirty years now. In fact, today we celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Nightwing’s incredible look, so to celebrate, we’re looking back at the fashion that’s defined him.

A Costume of Many Shapes and Sizes

Nightwing’s best-known look is actually his third costume. His original was the infamous Discowing suit, which to this day is divisive. Fans either love it or hate it, but what it represents is incredible. It’s Dick’s first time stepping out as an adult hero with his own identity, forged from combining everything he learned from Batman and Superman. It’s loud, bombastic, and distinctive in a way that makes it hard to look away from. This suit is obviously dated, but that just proves that Dick was embracing everything he felt in that moment. It was Dick showing the world who he was and how much he loved being a hero. There wasn’t any shame in this costume, despite its reputation.

His second take on the Nightwing suit was a lot closer to what it would become. This new suit was dark blue with gold accents, including the first draft of his chest symbol and wings under his armpits, reminiscent of Spider-Man. This costume was much more grown-up than his previous look, showing that Dick was coming into his own as a hero and a man. This is definitely more of a traditional superhero look that people generally look back on favorably, but what sticks out about it, and draws ire, is Dick’s horrendous ponytail. 

Dick went through a long hair phase during this period, which is definitely contentious, but, to me, it’s just confusing. Yes, Dick had long hair, but it only went just past his shoulders, while the ponytail nearly went down to his butt. How does tying his hair back add two feet of length? It never made sense to me, and frankly the tied-back look made Nightwing look about a decade older than he was. Thankfully, Nightwing’s greatest look started when he lost this crime against fashion.

The Design that Defined the Character

Nightwing’s classic blue and black costume was his third look, and it debuted during his first-ever miniseries, Nightwing (1995) #2. This introduced the sleek black costume and massive blue chest symbol, along with the finger-stripes, that instantly captured fans’ attention. This suit was Nightwing reconnecting to Batman and his heritage. He was still his own man with his own identity, but he was stepping closer to Batman’s world once again. This suit is amazing, except for the little detail that he still had the ponytail that got longer with every appearance. Seriously, by the time he lost it, this thing was four feet long while his hair outside of costume stayed the same length.

That all changed with the debut issue of Nightwing’s very first ongoing series. Nightwing (1996) #1 hit store shelves on August 6, 1996, which means that today marks thirty years since Nightwing lost the ponytail and received his best look. The short hair definitely looks better on the first Boy Wonder, and encapsulates his character as a whole. This suit and hair combo make him look like a grown man, but a young one who is fully confident in who he is. Every hero has an iconic look, from Superman’s costume to Flash’s suit, and this costume became Nightwing’s.

Iconic looks are necessary for superheroes. The presentation is a massive part of their character. The fun expression that every costume gives encapsulates everything the characters stand for and who they are. More than that, these looks let fans instantly recognize them and connect with them more. Superheroes are adapted into new forms more than any other type of character, between different runs and other mediums, and these default, beloved designs provide the baseline from which new takes can be generated. Changes to these iconic looks are important and impactful only because these looks are so great in the first place, and for Nightwing, this costume and hairstyle are it.

Nightwing is one of DC’s most fashionable heroes, but which of his looks is your favorite? I’m partial to Redondo’s sleek redesign, but no matter what, I think we can all agree that Nightwing is an incredible character. Here’s to thirty more years of his classic suit!

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