So what happens when your secret identity is exposed? If you are Dick Grayson, you stop being Nightwing, and pick up a gun to become a secret agent. At least that is the plan for DC Comics and its new series, Grayson.
The first issue, written by Tim Seeley and Tom King, is set to premiere July 2, and features Grayson becoming a CIA counterterrorism operations officer.
Grayson’s new employer is the international spy agency Spyral, an organization created by writer Grant Morrison for his Batman, Incorporated series. King sees it as representative of today’s intelligence community: They’re the people who stop bad guys from doing bad things, yet to do that, they employ questionable tactics such as mind erosion.
This isn’t the first time Dick picked up a side-arm to fight crime, during his Bludhaven days, Grayson was a uniformed police officer. And while Batman and Robin may have some questionable tactics when interrogating suspects, putting an official badge on the matter will certainly get a lot of people talking.
11 Comments
Involves Spyral, is a completely original way to go with the character…Aaand..
It may possibly be one of the most idiotic things DC has done in their recent history.. But this does fit with their terrible current 90s-esq aesthetic. Everyone in the new 52 is Steve Trevor and Steve Trevor is a Call Of Duty character crossed with 90s Marvel…
“King sees it as representative of today’s intelligence community”.
Did he read what Morrison wrote?
If you read the USA Today article its clear King has NO interest whatsoever in the character or world. He just wanted to write a spy story and the only way he could get a foot in the door to do so was to write Nightwing….. and then he wrote a spy story anyway. It’s insulting. I really hope this doesn’t last long.
I’ll give it a try, but I’ll miss Nightwing. I like a good spy book, but Marvel tends to do those better.
I can’t believe I’m saying this… but I think I may have actually preferred them killing the character off over this.
I’m not. I want Dick Grayson to stay in the DC Universe, and this beats either killing him or shipping him off to an alternate universe. I still liked him better as Nightwing. I’ll certainly give this a try. Let’s be honest. There’s tons of a ideas which sound bad at first glance . . . but after stories like the Winter Soldier and Superior Spider-Man . . . I’ve been proven wrong so many times I have to give this a try.
I’m certainly interested in checking this out, but I would be way more excited if Matt Fraction was writing the series. Or Gail Simone :)
I actually like this idea a lot. I like that there is no going back from him being unmasked. For too long there has always been an easy way out with no consequence. A magic button or power, letting something easily be undone that had major ramifications. Grayson has been stuck for too long between not being Robin anymore and not ever being Batman. As great as Nightwing can be, he was only ever Batman Junior. We know in Batman Beyond Grayson and Bruce are estranged and that grayson uses different tactics… maybe now we find out how it all went down.
Except he WAS Batman for quite some time before Bruce Wayne returned. In addition, he’s described as the best team leader in all of DC in Nightwing 101, Teen Titans 101, and Batman 201 (I believe). And how does revealing his identity NOT expose Bruce Wayne? It very well known Dick was the ward of Bruce Wayne? You’re really going to tell me they’ll create these huge irreversible ramifications for Dick Grayson and have it in no way, shape, or form affect Bruce Wayne’s identity? It’s all ridiculous and trading Nightwing- who was Batman, personally trained Damian, was supposed to be the next Talon, nearly married the commissioner’s daughter, and whose family was the pillar of Amusement Mile with Haley’s Circus – for a cookie cutter secret agent character is simply insulting to fans.
Keep in mind that the Batman, Inc. stuff from pre-52 has been brought over. In that series, Bruce Wayne comes out and says he’s been helping Batman for years.
So is Dick becoming a member of SHIELD? Oops! Wrong company. Jeez…
I hate this with every fiber of my being. My favorite character is being canned for a SHIELD ripoff with a “G” strapped to his chest. Does nobody see the problem with a Tom Cruise look-a-like, named Dick, with a big G strapped to his chest? At least Aquaman doesn’t have to worry about being the butt of comic book jokes now. This guy was supposed to be the next Talon, he WAS Batman- and a good one at that, he essentially tutored Damian personally, he nearly married Barbara, his family was the pillar of Amusement Mile with Haley’s Circus, his entire life has been rooted in Gotham. Taking away the mantle of Nightwing and making him some cookie-cutter secret agent character isn’t “expelling him from the shadow of the Batman”, it’s expelling him from the entire character of Dick Grayson. I’ve always welcomed change and experimentation, but this is just soul crushing.