Dick Grayson is best known for being Robin and Batman. In a vision of possible future events, fans get to see Dick in the cape and cowl again, but this time he gets to make it his own in one very cool way.
Originally a member of the Flying Graysons acrobatic troupe, he was orphaned after the death of his family and taken in by Bruce Wayne. After years of training and working as Batman's sidekick, Robin, he eventually struck out on his own, taking the name Nightwing - instead of the ridiculous Dark Eagle. However, there have been times when Bruce was unable to fulfill the role of Batman and Dick stepped in, as he did after the Knightfall storyline or again after Final Crisis when Bruce was supposed to be dead (but actually lost in time). As much as Dick willingly accepts the responsibility of being Batman, it also tends to take a toll on him.
In The Future, Dick Grayson Makes The Batman Role His Own
That is why when Dick Grayson is shown in the batsuit in Detective Comics #966, by James Tynion IV and Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Adriano Lucas, fans get to see him as a new version of Batman. In the issue, Tim Drake comes back from the future as a violent and time-lost Batman who tells the modern-day Tim about the future of the Batfamily. After Batman falls, Dick is the first to take up the mantle, but as readers are shown, his costume swaps Bruce's black/yellow bat symbol for a blue icon reminiscent of Nightwing’s own. It's a small but awesome detail that shows that, in that future, Dick makes the role his own, rather than trying to be a conscious imitation of Bruce as he has done in the past.
Ultimately, Nightwing Will Never Be Batman
In almost all instances where Nightwing has been forced to fill in for Bruce, the goal had been to convince Gotham and its underworld that Batman was still the same person, alive and well. In the beginning this usually starts out fun, as Dick gets to watch criminals run from him scared out of their wits, but as time drags on so does the costume. Being Batman's successor is restrictive, and it tampers down Nightwing’s natural charm and hopeful nature. Even the fellow heroes who know that Dick is wearing Bruce’s costume still unconsciously treat him like Batman, expecting him to be the one with the plan, or to dangle criminals off rooftops to get information, or to just do all the gritty and dark work that Bruce is known for. The change to the symbol on this new Batman’s chest shows that one day Dick find a way to be the Caped Crusader in his own way, but in the end, future Tim Drake also confirms that Dick won't stick to the role, because “He’s not like Bruce.”
This small change to the future batsuit is important, because as much as Dick Grayson will always be Bruce’s most successful protege, he is not Batman. Despite the tragedy of his past, Dick never allowed his heart to grow heavy with the loss or brooding anger that often made Batman who he was. Nightwing has always been at his best when he was free to joke, laugh, and encourage those around him as a symbol of hope, much more akin to Superman than Batman. So, perhaps in this future version of Batman, Dick has finally found a way to meld his more inspiring and hopeful nature as Nightwing with the terrifying vigilante persona of the Dark Knight.
