Summary
WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Nightwing #116!NightwingandBatmanshare one of the longest-standing relationships in the DC Universe, but a recent revelation shows that Dick Grayson met aJustice Leaguemember even before he encountered the Dark Knight. This early encounter was no insignificant passing either—it was a crucial turning point. Without this hero’s intervention, Dick might never have become Robin, reshaping his entire destiny.
Dick’s childhood encounter with Deadman confirms that it was always his destiny to be connected to the hero community and become a hero himself.
For over a year now,Nightwing has been struggling with the resurgence of his childhood fear of heights. This phobia has severely hindered the Original Boy Wonder, as much of his vigilante work involves jumping off buildings and grappling across the city.
With Dick gearing up to face his latest adversary, Heartless, he decides it’s time to conquer this fear once and for all. InTom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’sNightwing#116, Dick takes the first step by seeking outthe man who helped him overcome this fear when he was a child—Boston“Deadman”Brand.
DC Reveals Dick Grayson Met Boston“Deadman”Brand Before He Met Batman In Wild Twist
In previous issues, Taylor revealed through flashbacks thatDick developed a severe fear of heights as a child after falling from the trapeze rigging. In issue #116, Taylor uses flashbacks again to show how young Dick eventually overcame this fear. The flashback depicts a young Dick Grayson approached by a man who has taken over for the Flying Graysons, as Dick had begged his parents to stop performing after his fall. The man, while content with his new job, expresses that he would rather be out of a job than neversee the Flying Graysons flyagain.
He then offers to teach Dick to overcome his fear of heights so that he and his parents can return to the air where they belong. When Dick agrees, the acrobat introduces himself as Boston Brand. The flashback ends here, but as many fans know, Boston Brand would eventually die and become theiconic Justice League Dark hero, Deadman. Although Brand wasn’t Deadman at the time of his meeting with Dick, he is still technically the first hero Nightwing ever met. In a way,this encounter confirms that it was always Dick’s destiny to be connected to the hero community and become a hero himself.
Dick Grayson Would Never Have Become Robin If It Wasn’t For Deadman
Even though fans don’t yet know how Brand helped Dick overcome his fear of heights as a child, we do know that the older hero was successful, as Dick went on to become the fearless, building-jumping Robin. In a way, Boston is more responsible for Dick becoming Robin than Batman. Without Boston’s intervention, John and Mary Grayson might have given up acrobatics for good and never fallen to their deaths. Even if the Graysons did still fall, withoutDeadman’shelp,Nightwingmight have never overcome his fear of heights and thus never becomeRobin.
After 84 Years, Nightwing’s Greatest Enemy Ever Has Finally Learned His Secret Identity
Nightwing’s greatest enemy has finally learned his secret identity, but will he survive long enough to use it as leverage, or will he be killed off?
NIGHTWING #116 (2024)
Nightwing
Nightwing is the superhero moniker taken up by Dick Grayson, upon his aging out of the Robin role and becoming a superhero of his own. Inspired by the original Kryptonian hero of the same name, Grayson has risen to comic book immortality with the identity, earning respect as one of the greatest leaders in the DC Universe.
