DC’s Best Dynamic Duo Is Back, and They Highlight How DC Ruined Batman’s Most Inventive Story

Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne were a truly special duo. Dick took over as Batman after Bruce’s supposed death in Final Crisis, with Damian becoming his Robin, and this new take on the Dynamic Duo proved to be an immediate hit. They reversed the dynamic, with Batman being the light-hearted optimist and Robin being the edgelord who needed to be reminded of exactly why they do what they do. Their brief but impactful time as Gotham City’s protectors left everyone begging for more, but unfortunately, that time, and the rest of Grant Morrison’s planned epic, were wiped away by the New 52.

However, that wasn’t the last we’d see of Dick and Damian together, as Nightwing’s newest adventure has finally reunited them. Nightwing (2016) #143 follows the duo as they navigate the “Bad Seeds” event, with prehistoric plants ripping the city apart courtesy of Poison Ivy. While Batman deals with her, these two take a trek down memory lane in a story that reminds us that, as much as we miss the story that could have been, it will never be what it was.

The Good Old Days Are Gone for Good

Picking up where last issue ended, Nightwing and Robin reunite to protect Gotham from itself. They set about patrolling the ruined city, but Robin called out that Nightwing was clearly pushing himself past the point of exhaustion. After helping Batgirl, they discovered a plot by Scarface to reenact an old-school gangster execution, with the mad Ventriloquist hoping to send a message of returning to the “good old days” of organized crime, where gangsters had standards. Of course, Damian and Dick put a stop to everything, with Dick realizing that Robin has come a long way since the first time they’ve worked together.

When they first met, Damian was brash, arrogant, and one bad impulse away from ripping someone’s head off. He’s evolved a lot as a character in the nearly two decades since that time. Nowadays, Damian is much older and wiser. He’s still a teenager who is far too convinced of his own skills, but he’s got a much cooler head on his shoulders. He volunteers at the hospital and cares for his endless array of pets. Damian is a kinder, wiser young man who helps Dick relax and reminds him that, to save others, they also have to save themselves. It’s a wonderful dynamic, reversing their own, with Damian acting as the one who centers Dick. It feeds into the central message that, even though things aren’t like they were before, they can still be amazing, even better. However, the loss can still sting, too.

A Legendary Story That Ended With a Whimper

Grant Morrison’s legendary Batman epic changed everything for the Dark Knight, aiming to evolve him in a way that no other story has tried to before or since. It saw Bruce go on a journey that made him realize Batman had become bigger than just himself, and he chose to create Batman Incorporated. Meanwhile, the traditional role of Batman and Robin of Gotham City was left to Dick and Damian, effectively elevating the Batman mantle without sacrificing the old standard that fans still love. It breathed new life into every aspect of Batman imaginable in what to this day is still the smartest evolution of a character done on this scale.

It was all building towards a status quo and climactic finale that promised to be truly generational, but because of the New 52, the vast majority of its steps forward were shoved right back. This story was something special, and the fact that it was never allowed to stick is a massive shame. Obviously, we’ll never see this story be completed in its original vision, and that is a shame. Not every comic gets to do what it set out to do, which is a sad but undeniable reality of the world we live in.

This new story with Nightwing is all about learning that the past is over, but that the present and future can be even better, and that looking back at everything we can’t have again isn’t so wrong, either. At the end of the day, we’ll always celebrate new Batman stories, as every comic has the potential to be the greatest one printed yet, but gazing back at what could have been can also help us get there. Seeing what worked and what didn’t from a story like this can guide a future writer to have an even better idea, which is what everyone really wants with this style of inspiration.

What canned comic storyline do you wish was finished? Let us know in the comments below!

Nightwing #143 is on sale now!

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