Superhero Spotlight: Dick Grayson If someone were to ask to name the top ten most well-known superheroes in the world, one of my answers would be Dick Grayson. While not everybody knows who Nightwing is or even knows Dicks real name, almost everybody knows who Robin is because everyone knows who Batman is. The dynamic duo have been a pop culture institution since the 1960s, and while its more popular these days to cast Batman as the brooding loner, Batman and Robin will always be impossible to separate in my eyes. This is why the role has been given to multiple characters: Batman needs a Robin. Dick Grayson debuted in 1940 as the squire to the Dark Knight, joining his crusade against crime after his parents were murdered by Boss Zucco at Halys Circus. A gifted acrobat, Dick Grayson was a natural crimefighter and provided two important things to Batman: a youthful exuberance that balanced Batmans brooding persona, and a character that the readers of the time could relate to. Along with Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics, Robin helped establish the idea of the young superhero who kids could relate to, a formula that would be used to great effect by Marvel with characters like Spider-Man and the original X-Men. One of the unique things about Dick is that hes grown up over the years. As a popular character in his own right, Robin would became a centerpiece for the Teen Titans, a group of sidekicks striking out on their own. This became even more important when he was the leader of the New Teen Titans in the 1980s, as this was a team that saved the earth as many times as the Justice League. Robin would effectively grow up, changing his persona to Nightwing, a character who no longer needed Batman or the Teen Titans to defeat villains or sell comics. In the 1990s, he briefly assumed the role of Batman himself after Bane broke Bruce Waynes back and Azrael proved to be insane. Dick would return to the role for a much more significant run in the new millennium, working alongside Bruce Waynes son, Damien Wayne, who was the forth young boy to assume the role that Dick Grayson started. And now he is simply Grayson, working as DCs equivalent of James Bond. While Dick Grayson may never be as popular or iconic as the man who trained him, but he has managed to step out of his considerable shadow. Hes been a student and a leader, a supporting character and a solo character, and he is proof that comic book characters can evolve and adapt over time. Grayson is a favorite of many readers who feel like they have grown up with him and find him much more human than his mentor. A vocal contingent even argue that he should still be Batman, as the cowl is his inheritance. While I can understand and respect that view, I think it sells Dick a little short. He doesnt need to be Batman; hes carved a niche for himself and doesnt need to be anyone but himself to succeed.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 05:39:56 +0000
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