Nightwing (comic book)

Nightwing is an American comic book featuring the character Nightwing and published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 in 1984, but he received his own ongoing series, which debuted in July 1996.

Nightwing
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	List (vol. 1) Limited series (vol. 2-4) Ongoing series
Genre	Superhero
Publication date	List (vol. 1) July–October 1995 (vol. 2) August 1999 – February 2009 (vol. 3) September 2011 – May 2014 (vol. 4) July 2016 – present
No. of issues	List (vol. 1): 4 (plus one Special (vol. 2): 155 (plus two Annuals) (vol. 3): 30 (plus an #0 and 1 Annual) (vol. 4): 117 (plus one 3 Specials and 6 Annuals)
Creative team
Written by	List (vol. 1): Dennis O'Neil (vol. 2): Chuck Dixon Devin Grayson Judd Winick Bruce Jones Marv Wolfman (vol. 3): Kyle Higgins Tim Seeley (vol. 4): Tim Seeley Benjamin Percy Dan Jurgens Tom Taylor Dan Watters
Penciller(s)	List (vol. 1): Greg Land (vol. 2): Scott McDaniel Greg Land Rick Leonardi Rags Morales Don Kramer Jamal Igle (vol. 3): Eddy Barrows Brett Booth Will Conrad Russell Dauterman (vol. 4): Javier Fernández Bernard Chang Chris Mooneyham Bruno Redondo Chris Mooneyham Dexter Soy
Inker(s)	List (vol. 1): Mike Sellers Nick J. Napolitano (vol. 2): Karl Story Greg Adams Aaron Sowd Rodney Ramos Michael Bair (vol. 3): Eber Ferreira J.P. Mayer Norm Rapmund Vicente Cifuentes (vol. 4): Javier Fernández Bernard Chang Klaus Janson Bruno Redondo

Publication history

The series was launched in response to the character's growing popularity, beginning with Nightwing: Alfred's Return #1 (1995). A one-shot comic book where Dick Grayson travels to England to find Alfred Pennyworth, who has resigned from Bruce Wayne's service after the events of Knightfall. After he found Alfred, they thwart a plot by terrorists aiming to destroy the Channel Tunnel before returning to Gotham City. This was followed by a miniseries from September to December 1995, written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Greg Land, where Dick contemplates retiring as Nightwing. However, a family document reveals a connection between his parents' murder and the Crown Prince of Kravia, prompting him to travel there. Dick ultimately helps to overthrow the corrupt ruler while uncovering more about his family's past.

"Titans Reunited"

In 1996, following the success of the miniseries, DC Comics launched a monthly solo series featuring Nightwing (written by Chuck Dixon, with art by Scott McDaniel), in which he patrols Gotham City's neighboring municipality of Blüdhaven.

Upon the request of Batman, Dick journeys to the city of Blüdhaven to stop the gangster Black Mask. He then becomes the arch-enemy of the gargantuan genius Blockbuster. Dick decides to stay in Blüdhaven until he destroys Blockbuster's drug cartel. After Cyborg is put in danger by a galactic threat, Dick reunites the Teen Titans to rescue him. They reform as the Titans, but Dick is pulled away to Gotham City when it is declared a No Man's Land. Following the recuperation of Gotham, Dick stays active as both the leader of the Titans and stays in Blüdhaven, but after the JLA disappears, Dick is named the leader of a new League. Following the deaths of Lilith and Troia, Dick officially disbands the Teen Titans, though Tim Drake would re-found them years later. Dick then returns to Blüdhaven and becomes more and more like Bruce, straining his relationships and eventually blurring the line between being a police officer and a vigilante. The vigilante known as the Tarantula then kills the Blockbuster, and Dick refuses to save him, something that haunts him to the point of temporarily retiring from crime-fighting. At length, Nightwing shakes himself from his depression and takes responsibility for his inaction. He captures the Tarantula and turns himself in to the police. Amy, however, feels the world needs Nightwing free and so prevents him from being charged.

Infinite Crisis and 52

Main article: Infinite Crisis

Due to a crisis of conscience, Dick adopts the new villainous persona of the Renegade in order to infiltrate Lex Luthor's (Alexander Luthor Jr. in disguise) Secret Society of Super Villains. This ruse includes Nightwing aligning himself with his long-time enemy Deathstroke in order to track the manufacturing and distribution of Bane's Venom serum and to keep tabs on the Society's activities in Gotham and Blüdhaven. He also begins training (and subtly converting) Deathstroke's daughter the Ravager.

Deathstroke takes revenge on Nightwing when Blüdhaven is destroyed by the Society. The Society drops the supervillain Chemo on the city, killing 100,000 people. Dick tries to rescue survivors, but is overcome by radiation poisoning, only to be rescued himself by Batman. Nightwing confides that he let the Blockbuster die and asks Batman to forgive him. Batman tells him that his forgiveness does not matter; Dick has to move beyond the Blockbuster's death. Inspired by his mentor, he proposes to Barbara Gordon, who tearfully accepts his proposal with a kiss.

Batman then entrusts Nightwing to alert other heroes about the danger that the Crisis poses. Dick flies to Titans Tower, but due to the chaos resulting from the Blüdhaven disaster, the OMAC onslaught, and other Crisis-related events, the only hero who answers his call is Conner Kent. They are soon after joined by Wonder Girl. Together, they locate and attack Alexander Luthor, Jr.'s tower, the center of the Crisis, only to be repelled by Superboy-Prime. Prime is ready to kill Nightwing when Conner intervenes, sacrificing himself to destroy the tower, ending the destruction of the universe.

During the Battle of Metropolis, Nightwing suffers a near-fatal injury from Alexander Luthor Jr. when he attempts to save Batman's life. Originally, the editors at DC intended to have Dick Grayson killed in Infinite Crisis as Newsarama revealed from the DC Panel at WizardWorld Philadelphia:

It was again explained that Nightwing was originally intended to die in Infinite Crisis, and that you can see the arc that was supposed to end with his tragic death in the series. After long discussions, the death edict was finally reversed, but the decision was made that, if they were going to be keeping him, he would have to be changed. The next arc of the ongoing series will further explain the changes, it was said.

Saved by the Justice Society, Nightwing recovers with Barbara at his side. As soon as he is able to walk again, Batman asks him to join him and Robin in retracing Bruce's original journey in becoming the Dark Knight. While Nightwing is hesitant, due to his engagement with Barbara, she encourages him to go and returns his engagement ring so he can make an honest decision for himself. Barbara feels that it is important he rediscover himself, and until he does, they are not yet ready to be married. They part on good terms, though, before he departs. Dick leaves her an envelope containing a photograph of them as Robin and Batgirl, along with the engagement ring on a chain and a note promising he will come back to her one day.

Soon after his journey with Batman and Robin ends, Nightwing returns to Gotham, following Intergang's trail. He works with the new Batwoman and Renee Montoya to stop Intergang from destroying Gotham, shutting off dozens of fire-spewing devices spread across the city.

"One Year Later"

Main article: One Year Later

One year later, Dick Grayson returns to New York City (his previous home base with the Teen Titans) in order to find out who has been masquerading as Nightwing. The murderous impostor turns out to be the former Robin, Jason Todd. Grayson leads the Outsiders once again, operating undercover and globally.

Nightwing follows an armored thief named Raptor, whom he suspects is responsible for a series of murders. Later, Raptor himself is murdered in a manner similar to the other victims by an unseen contract killer, who proceeds to bury Grayson alive. Nightwing frees himself, wondering the relation between his experience and a mysterious voice who tells him that he is "supposed to be dead". Nightwing is having trouble finding things to keep him busy during the day due to the cast on his right arm. Incapacitated from his injuries, he tries without luck to find jobs, which forces him to take a job as a low-paid acrobatic instructor at a local gym, and continues to research into the mysterious assassin.

At one point, Dick agrees to attend a party for Bruce and their relationship seems to flourish. Bruce praises Dick for his success on the Raptor case, and also mentions to look into the Landman Building which hosted ex-Lexcorp scientists; most likely those who worked on the Raptor project. Dick also continues to keep a close brotherly relationship with Tim Drake, and helps Tim deal with his many losses during the last year.

After dealing with the Raptor issue, NYC is plagued by a villainous duo called Bride and Groom. Nightwing begins pursuit of these two after some grisly murders, including that of the Lorens family (close friends of his after the Raptor incident). Dick began to get obsessed with finding them, not knowing how far he was willing to go to take them down. Eventually, he formed a makeshift team with some "villains" to find them. They located them, and after killing some of his "team," Nightwing chased them to a cave, where Bride began a cave-in and the two are trapped there.

Nightwing, along with a group of former Titans, are summoned again by Raven to aid the current group of Teen Titans battle against Deathstroke, who was targeting the latest team in order to get at his children, the Ravager and the resurrected Jericho. Nightwing and the other former Titans continue to work with the current team soon after the battle with Deathstroke so as to investigate the recent murder of Duela Dent.

When the Outsiders were targeted by Checkmate, Nightwing agrees that his team will work with the organization, so long as their actions in Africa are not used against them in the future. The mission, however, does not go as well as intended, resulting in Nightwing, the Black Queen and Captain Boomerang being captured by Chang Tzu. Later, Batman is called in by Mister Terrific who then rescues Nightwing and the others. Afterwards, Nightwing admits to Batman, that while he accepts that he is an excellent leader, he is not suited to lead a team like the Outsiders, and offers the leadership position to Batman.

Batman accepts the position; however, he feels that the team needs to be remade, in order to accomplish the sorts of missions that he intends them to undertake. As such, he holds a series of try-outs for the team. The first audition involves Nightwing and Captain Boomerang, who are sent to a space station under attack by Chemo. During the mission, a confrontation erupts between Nightwing and Boomerang, who has grown tired of fighting for redemption from people like Batman and Nightwing. After taking a beating from Nightwing, he manages to throw him into a shuttle heading for Earth and quits the team. Afterwards, Nightwing furiously confronts Batman. Batman does not deny his actions, and states that this is the sort of thing that the new Outsiders will have to deal with. At this, Nightwing resigns completely from the Outsiders, which Batman feels is best, judging Nightwing too good for that sort of life.

In order to help himself regain a sense of purpose, Nightwing opted to stay in New York again, and play the role of the city's protector. He takes on a job as a museum curator; and uses the museum as his new base of operations. During his short time there, Dick finds himself once again confronted with Two-Face, who years ago delivered Dick's greatest defeat. This time, however, Dick soundly defeats Two-Face.

"Titans Return"

Nightwing joins a new team of Titans, with the same roster of the New Teen Titans, to stop an as-yet unnamed offspring of Trigon from enacting his vengeance over Raven and the Titans of every generation. Nightwing yet again leads the team, and they manage to stop the sons of Trigon from accomplishing their first attempt at global destruction and again a few days later.

Following the defeat of Trigon's sons, the Titans are approached by Jericho, who had been stuck inhabiting the body of Match, Superboy's clone. The Titans managed to free Jericho, but found themselves once again in trouble, because Jericho's mind had become splintered due to all the bodies he had possessed in the past. Torn between evil and good, Jericho possesses Nightwing's body in order to keep from being captured. During this time, Jericho forces Nightwing to relive all of his greatest pains. Soon afterward the JLA arrived, intent on taking Jericho in, but they fail to apprehend him.

Following this, Nightwing decides to leave the team again, due to the events of the "Batman R.I.P." storyline and Batman's apparent death, as Nightwing feels his attention is better aimed at protecting Gotham City. Before leaving, Starfire asked Dick if he still has any feelings for her. Starfire reveals Dick's answer to Donna Troy that he has moved on.

Supporting characters

Enemies

Like Batman, Nightwing has faced various villains ranging from common criminals to outlandish supervillains. While the character has primarily fought other Batman villains, he also has established villains that primarily oppose him. In addition, certain Batman villains have specific enmity with Dick Grayson.

Dixon rogues

Villain	Creator(s)	First appearance	Fictional biography
Blockbuster II	Roger Stern Tom Lyle	Starman #9 (April 1989)	Roland Desmond became the second Blockbuster after a severe illness forced him to be treated with experimental steroids. Like his brother Mark, Roland became a child-minded super-strong monster. He ran wild in the Southwest, but Batman and Starman (Will Payton) brought his rampage to an end.
Brutale	Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel	Nightwing (vol. 2) #22 (July 1998)	Guillermo Barrera was a top-level interrogator/torturer for the secret police in the Latin American country Hasaragua, until a revolution forced him to flee. He began a new career as a mercenary/assassin and eventually began working for the Blockbuster II in Blüdhaven, battling Nightwing on several occasions. Brutale is an expert with all forms of knives and blades, being able to both fight superbly and inflict horrible pain on his victims.
Double Dare	Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel	Nightwing (vol. 2) #32 (June 1999)	Margot and Aliki Marceau are sisters who were circus performers Cirque Sensationnel, one of the few remaining successful travelling circuses. While skilled aerialists and having achieved great fame, they were less well-known than the Flying Grayson and Boston Brand. The Marceau sisters eventually chose a double-life of crime as thieves, using their talents in service to the crime lord, Blockbuster, and became at odds with Nightwing, both of whom the sisters are infatuated with. During their appearances in the second Nightwing series, their ages were stated to be 16 and 20 with Margot the elder of the two.
Giz	Chuck Dixion Jim Balent	Catwoman (vol.2) #28	Giz is an expert computer hacker that once worked alongside fellow thieves Sly Flox, Catwoman and Mouse (his girlfriend), forming a team. Eventually, Mouse and Giz split from the team but stuck together. In the previous continuity, they came at odds with Nightwing when they destroyed his apartment building under orders of Blockbuster but were let go when they claimed they took the job thinking the tenants had already left the building. In DC's Rebirth, Giz's history is changed, and is a man of Asian descent; while working to break out of Catwoman with Mouse, the two were caught and sent to prison. Eventually, he is released and joins a former villain support group known as the "Run-Offs". In this new continuity, his real name is revealed to be "Brendon Li" and is dating Mouse. He works with Nightwing briefly until he is killed by a group called the "Second Hand", which existed as a shell group name for Spyral due to tampering with their technology when a rogue Minos AI worked to take over the intelligence organization.
Lady Vic	Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel	Nightwing (vol. 2) #14 (January 1997)	Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton is a woman hailing from a long line of British mercenaries and carries an arsenal of exotic weaponry, relics of her ancestor's plundering throughout the centuries. She operated as a hired killer to prevent foreclosure on her family estate and eventually came at odds with Nightwing after a botched contract from a Bludhaven-based mobster when he refused to pay her. She later allies herself with Blockbuster as one of his numerous killers on retainer to get the opportunity to kill him. Unlike most of his villains, Nightwing considers Lady Vic formidable in combat.
Mouse	Chuck Dixion Mike Parobeck	Robin (vol.2) #18	Mouse is an expert thief trained by Catwoman and involved in a relationship with Giz. She was among the many operatives in Blockbuster's criminal organization. In the previous continuity, they came at odds with Nightwing when they helped destroy his apartment building under orders but let go when they claimed they thought the tenants were gone. In DC's Rebirth, elements of her history are changed; while having also been trained by Catwoman, she was also a cohort of Catwoman that was sent to prison after attempting to break out Catwoman with Giz. The pair served their time and joined a Bludhaven-based support group called the "Run-Offs".
Shrike	Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel	Nightwing Secret Files and Origins #1 (October 1999)	Several characters share the name Shrike and serve primarily as enemies of Dick Grayson: The first Shrike was a League of Assassin trainer and assassin who took in young children and trained them to be assassins. After witnessing Dick Grayson's ("Freddy Loyd") fighting prowess against his students when they threaten and threatened him, he takes him in as a trainee. Throughout Dick's tenure within the League of Assassins, Shrike praises him while berating one of his students, Boone. He later learns Freddy Loyd to be a false name and learns that he is Robin when Batman arrives to save Dick. During the alternation, he is gunned down when Two-Face intervenes after an assassination attempt by the League of Assassins from his group of students and killed when he accidentally falls on his blade. The second Shrike, known only by the name "Boone", harbors a long-standing enmity for Dick Grayson dating back to their youth, when the two shared a friendship that was in many ways doomed from its inception. The boy who would become known as the predatory villain known as the Shrike traveled alone throughout the Pacific Rim, gleaning an array of martial arts skills both from a variety of unsavory teachers, including several former operatives of the insidious League of Assassins. Boone's character also shares a brother by the name of "Blue Shrike", who fought as a participant in the League of Lazarus on Lazarus Island, wanting to restore his brother's honor after his reputation was tarnished due to repeated defeats from Nightwing.
Stallion	Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel	Nightwing (vol. 2) #14 (November 1997)	Randy Hanrahan was a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys but lost his promising career when he suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament injury during a pre-season scrimmage. Nicknamed "Stallion" throughout his life, he would work as a bouncer for Penguin in the Iceberg Lounge and moved up in his criminal organization but eventually become a freelance agent and assassin who used his superior strength to kill his targets and has come under the employ of various criminal ganglords such as Blockbuster. While having no formal training, Stallion relies on his steroid-enhanced physique. In DC's Rebirth, the character was re-introduced with most of his origin intact although he is instead cast as a reformed villain as part of the Run-Offs and a closeted homosexual.
Torque	Chuck Dixon Scott McDaniel	Nightwing (vol. 2) #1 (October 1996)	Dudley "Deadly" Soames was the Bludhaven Police Inspector and considered the dirtiest cop in Bludhaven, serving as a secret informant for Blockbuster and one of his lieutenants in his organized criminal organization. When Soames became too dangerous to be in his organization, he attempts to kill himself by snapping his neck. Miraculously surviving, he is rehabilitated from radical drug therapy, and with special glasses with rear-view mirrors affixed to see where he is going, he begins a new criminal career as "Torque".

Higgins rogues

Villain	Creator(s)	First appearance	Fictional biography
Archeron the Demon	Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows	Nightwing (vol. 3) #5 (August 2013)	Archeron is a rhyming demon summoned by Zohna, a witch who is obsessed with a Jimmy Allen Clark, a clown in Haly's Circus who was once her lover. Serving Zohna, she used Archeron to force Jimmy into a soul-binding ceremony. Through his ingenuity, Nightwing manages to banish the demon back to his realm. Archeron is unique in being one of the few Nightwing villains to be outright mystical.
Feedback	Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows	Nightwing (vol. 3) #3 (January 2013)	A former circus performer at Haly's Circus whose real name is Zane, he was a former friend of Dick, Raymond, and Raya. Later in his life, he gained implants that allowed him to transmit radio-based waves to trigger specific emotions, creating illusions of a person's fears and insecurities. Zane became a booking agent for contract killers, operating in Chicago and a known criminal to various government agencies. Nightwing once sought out Feedback to find information on Saiko.
Ghostwalker	Kyle Higgins Brett Booth	Nightwing (vol. 3) #21 (August 2013)	Maxwell Morgan is a detective of the Chicago Police Department with a notable hatred for vigilantes in Chicago and a proponent for their ban in the city. Maxwell would later begrudgingly work alongside Nightwing during his tenure in the city to stop Prankster. In secret, it revealed that he is the vigilante known as "Ghostwalker", a former vigilante sidekick to Chicago's resident hero, Aether, and is responsible for the later systematic slaughter of Chicago's vigilantes. Originally, the character was intended in his "Ghostwalker" incarnation and appears as a primary antagonist in the third Nightwing series with his origin explored. However, the story was scrapped due to the events of Forever Evil, which featured a major status quo change for Dick Grayson.
Prankster	Kyle Higgins Brett Booth	Nightwing (vol. 3) #19 (June 2013)	Oswald Loomis is Prankster, a criminal hacker who sets up death-traps for his victims in his crimes. Oswald would adopt a super-villain vendetta when his father, an electrical engineer, was killed from a sour deal while working on train lines by a group of criminals known as the Cole brothers. Although one was apprehended, he did not rat out his brothers and Oswald promised revenge and was an opponent of Nightwing when he sought to defame Wallace Cole as mayor of Chicago. Nightwing eventually teamed up with Tony Zucco, who faked his death and turned over a new leaf, to stop Prankster from destroying Chicago. Arrested, he would escape and became a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. This version of Prankster was intended to be a complete reinvention of the Superman character of the same name. However, the character would eventually exist concurrently with the former incarnation despite sharing the same name, the relation between the two currently unknown.
Mali the Mimic / Marionette	Kyle Higgins Brett Booth	Nightwing (vol. 3) #19 (June 2013)	Mali the Mimic is an anti-villain woman who suffers from symptoms of multiple personalities, having gained it from being one of Mad Hatter's previous victims as he psychologically molded her to be one of his "Alices" on account of her blonde hair and pretty appearance. Most of her crimes focus on stealing a highly controlled, anti-psychotic drug known as Cranium, which temporarily halts the damage she suffered psychologically though she developed an addiction to it. As her name suggests, she is a mimic capable of mimicking abilities she has visually seen. Her second name, Marionette, refers to the fact that her multiple personality disorder can fool others, having once fooled Nightwing's tactical ability to analyze people although he suspected there was part of her that was genuine about wanting to find a cure for her mental illness.
Paragon and the Republic of Tomorrow	Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows	Nightwing (vol. 3) #2 (December 20111)	Paragon is a cult leader of a Gotham-based group known as the Republic of Tomorrow, a cult with hatred for Gotham-based vigilantes for perceived negligence of their actions on ordinary citizens. He comes into conflict with Nightwing, having framed him when 3 of the founding members began supporting vigilantes by killing them with a discarded escrima stick during his battle with Saiko, putting the hero at odds with the GCPD detective Travis Nie. A genius in the field of thermodynamics and engineering, he created technology that allowed him to utilize electrified whips, has suitable combat skills, and is a skilled manipulator.
Saiko	Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows	Nightwing (vol. 3) #1 (May 2012)	Raymond McCreary was a former circus acrobat and one of Dick Grayson's childhood friends following the new continuity established from Flashpoint. When Dick's parents were killed and he was consequentially taken in by Batman, Raymond was chosen by the Court of Owls as his replacement, the shadowy society faking Raymond's death. Failing to meet their expectations despite his brutal training and scarring in the eyes, he was released and Raymond sought revenge on Dick, attempting to kill him and using Raya to lure him into a trap. He is killed when he was eventually defeated by Nightwing, choosing to end his life rather than having Nightwing save him.
Shox	Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows	Nightwing (vol. 3) #6 (April 2012)	A minor villain that acts as a right-hand man to Terrence Clark, a well-known booking agent for assassins and contracts killers in the Southwest region of the United States. He is based in Austin Texas. His superior was hunted when Nightwing suspected him to have a connection to Saiko, the villain battling Nightwing until he is defeated. Shox is most notable for using a robotic suit in combat.
Spinebender	Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows	Nightwing (vol. 3) #4 (February 2012)	Spinebender is a shape-shifting thief with powers of elasticity that has an interest in advanced technology. Foiled by Nightwing and Batgirl, he held a grudge against the former and followed him to Chicago and made an attempt on Nightwing's life in suicidal rage though he survives his own suicidal attempt to kill Nightwing.
Zohna	Kyle Higgins Eddy Barrows	Nightwing (vol. 3) #5 (August 2013)	Zohna is a witch who was once the lover of Jimmy Allen Clark, a clown of Haly's Circus who broke up with her due to following the supernatural. Obsessed, she sacrificed her family and created a magical ring to summon Archeron, binding the demon to her will and using him to kidnap Jimmy and perform a soul-binding ceremony. She was foiled by Nightwing and taken into custody. John is unique in the fact she is one of the few Nightwing villains to be outright mystical.

Seeley/King Grayson rogues

Villain	Creator(s)	First appearance	Fictional biography
Mister Minos	Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín	Grayson #1 (July 2014)	The former director of Spyral during Dick Grayson's tenure as Agent 37; Calling himself the "Man with the Labyrinth Face" about his face being disguised as a spiral by an advanced version of Spyral's Hypnos technology, he aims to collect the biological robotic parts of "Paragon", an android whose super-powered organs grant him powers associated with the Justice League, to learn their secret identities through DNA testing. It would be later revealed that he was unwittingly a mole supplied by Checkmate and Maxwell Lord to infiltrate Spyral and use their resources to learn the identities of the Justice League. Unknown to him, he was used by Agent Zero to lure Dick Grayson into Spyral, finding his tendency toward unmasking secrets to be similar to the crazed obsessions found in other Batman villains. Mister Minos's access to advanced technology included two other light composite android versions of himself; while the first android was killed by Helena Bertinelli, the real Minos was later killed by Agent Zero before he could publicly reveal the identity of the Justice League. A rogue Minos android later resurfaced and impersonated Patron/Agent One, taking revenge against Nightwing and Huntress while believing himself to be the real Minos, and is eventually destroyed.
Doctor Elizabeth Netz / Frau Netz	Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín	Grayson #1 (July 2014)	Daughter of the founder of Spyral Otto Netz and the sister of the first Batwoman, Kathy Kane (real name Katrina Netz), she appeared as both a scientist of Spyral and an assistant to the directors of Spyral. Secretly, she plotted to later ascend to being the new director of Spyral alongside Agent 8, believing it to be her birthright and wanting to follow in her father's footsteps. She is later fatally injured by her sister when it was revealed that Otto Netz, never intending to give up control to both sisters, pitted the two against the other. She is later visited by a Maxwell Lord wanting Minos's files on the identities of the Justice League. She deletes the files before seemingly succumbs to her injuries. It was later revealed that she was healed by Leviathan and offered membership. She refused and gave Amanda Waller Leviathan's technology, Mark Shaw responding by having her obliterated. Frau Netz was characterized by her intelligence and skills as a scientist, having invented the nanite technology used by Spyral and having given up her dreams of singing to follow in her father's footsteps. She was also incredibly infatuated with Dick Grayson during his tenure in Spyral.
Christopher Tanner / Old Gun	Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín	Grayson #3 (September 2014)	A one-shot villain; The Old Gun was an assassin for hire who became blind after being shot by a madman during a school shooting, in which said man gunned down his two sons. He underwent experimental surgery that allowed him to visually see through the tip of his guns and became an assassin. He comes into conflict with Spyral during their arms race for Paragon's body parts as he comes across the android's eyes, based on Aquaman's own, to restore his sight and have the ability to see his only surviving son, Christopher Tanner Jr. Not compatible with his body, Dick appeals to his better nature to give it up but is gunned down by Agent 8. In retaliation, he shoots Alia in return before dying in front of his surviving son. While an expert marksman, the Old Gun appears to have minor metahuman abilities as he was able to survive multiple gunshot wounds and survive an experimental surgery to reattach his ocular nerves to his guns.
Agent 8	Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín	Grayson #3 (September 2014)	One of the top agents of Spyral, she appeared to have a romantic relationship with Agent One while briefly having a one-night stand with Dick Grayson despite Spyral's policy against romantic ties with other agents. While initially appearing to be Dick's ally, she later impersonated him as she goes about killing other spies around the world, gaining the attention of the Syndicate and secretly implicating Grayson. It is later revealed that she was a double agent for Frau Netz and Leviathan as their ploy was done to disrupt Agent Zero's plan of having Dick Grayson as an agent of Spyral. Her deception is later revealed when Frau Netz attempts to take control of Leviathan and Spyral. After Frau Netz is defeated and Otto Netz's resurrection is foiled, Agent 8 is later killed by Agent 1 upon his promotion to leader of Spyral as Patron.
Doctor Poppy Ashmore	Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín	Grayson #2 (August 2014)	A former member of the British Secret Intelligence (T.H.E.Y), biologist, and member of several think tanks. She was also secretly an agent for Batman's villain and human trafficker, Mother, who took in traumatized children and molded them to suit the needs of her clients. Having been disturbed by the supernatural and extraterrestrial findings and conspiracies witnessed during her tenure in T.H.E.Y, she would come across an opportunity to arm humanity against conflict by experimenting with Paragon's stomach, an enhanced organ that contained the powers of the Flash. She would implant the organ into her body, discovering her super-speed also gave her insatiable hunger, forcing her to become a cannibal as spies of different organizations kept targeting her, giving her a supply of food without international notice. Agent 37 and Matron are sent to retrieve her and Matron offers her a job and a suitable stomach replacement in return for her enhanced organ. Poppy becomes one of Spyral's scientists and doctors for a time until she reveals her allegiance to Mother and betrays them. While no longer being a cannibal, Poppy's eccentric characterization includes preferring to eat in a Morgue or Graveyard.
The Syndicate	Tim Seeley Tom King Mikel Janín	Grayson #9 (June 2015)	A group of spies who are considered the top espionage agents in the world and work to maintain peace and alliances between all intelligence organizations. They come into conflict with Spyral over time, whose members were seemingly testing the status quo. The Syndicate would later become directly involved as Agent Zero's ultimate agenda of resurrecting Otto Netz came to fruition as well as Maxwell Lord's attempt to wipe out Spyral and gain the Minos files (which contained the list of the Justice League's secret identities). Membership included existing DC and Vertigo characters such as King Faraday, Bronze Tiger, Frankenstein, Grifter, and Tactical Augmented Organism (aka Tao). It also featured newly created characters such as Gwisin and Keshi.

Other rogues

Villain	Creator(s)	First appearance	Fictional biography
Court of Owls / Parliament of Owls	Scott Snyder Greg Capullo	Batman (vol. 2) #3 (December 2011)	During the "Robin War" storyline, the Court of Owls created a global off-shoot of their organization and became known as the "Parliament of Owls". A shadowy society like the off-shoot, they work to expand their influence globally through their highly trained agents known as "Talons". Due to his bloodline from William Cobb, the Parliament is equally persistent in recruiting Dick Grayson as a Talon due to his skills and status, willing to use both blackmail and even forms of mind-control to achieve their goals.
Talon (William Cobb)	Scott Snyder Greg Capullo	Batman (vol. 2) #2 (December 2011)	William Cobb is one of the talons of the Court of Owls, a near-mythical organization in Gotham City and the great-grandfather of Dick Grayson on his father's side. Born into a middle-class family, William Cobb lost his father at a young age during an occupational accident working on a bridge in Gotham. Unable to support himself and his mother, William juggled and resorted to begging for money. After foiling a pickpocket targeting C.C Haly, he is thankful and invites him into the circus. William is trained as a knife thrower and juggler, becoming extremely proficient and attracting a high society socialite. He is eventually banned from seeing her further, and her father disapproves of his daughter being involved with the poor despite her becoming pregnant with their child. William is eventually indoctrinated into the Court of Owls as their Talon and would kidnap his infant son and leave him in Haly's Circus, giving him the surname "Grayson". Disappointed that the efforts of his working throughout his lifetime cumulated in Dick Grayson becoming a hero of Gotham trained under Batman, he worked multiple attempts at converting his grandson into a Talon.
Deathstroke (Slade Wilson)	George Perez Marv Wolfman	The New Teen Titans #2 (December 1980)	Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) is a mercenary with enhanced physical abilities akin to that of a super-soldier. Initially introduced as a Teen Titans villain, Deathstroke the terminator has a complicated history with Dick Grayson. He is arguably considered to be one of the most substantial archrivals to Grayson. Deathstroke has had numerous conflictual encounters with Grayson from his days as Robin, Nightwing, and even when he took the mantle of Batman. While there is a degree of animosity between both adversaries, to some extent Slade holds respect for Grayson. In the animated iteration of the character, Slade takes interest in Robin and attempts to recruit him as an apprentice. While in the comics he entrusts his daughter to him to help train her. However, there have been moments in the past that show great enmity and resentment in their estranged relationship. Slade held Grayson accountable for his son's demise and at one point even successfully bombed Nightwing's city, Bludhaven. An act that had a detrimental impact on Grayson.
Kathy Kane / Agent Zero	Edmond HamiltonSheldon Moldoff	Detective Comics #233 (July 1956)	The original Batwoman, Kathy Kane's character, and history were revised in the Grayson title while keeping most elements of her previous history intact. While still the daughter of German director and founder of Spyral, Otto Netz, her history also includes a sister with whom she established a fierce rivalry as their father purposely manipulated and pitted them against one another throughout their childhood in an attempt to have suitable heirs. In the Grayson title, Kathy (real name Katrina "Luka" Netz) has since stepped down from her role as "Headmistress" and inherited the codename of Agent Zero to act as the secret spymaster and leader of Spyral behind the scenes. Seeing an opportunity to have Dick Grayson in her ranks, she allowed Minos to assume the role of Director in Spyral, knowing his actions would eventually concern Batman and the now outed Nightwing. She later forces Dick to return to Spyral under the threat of killing an amnesiac Bruce Wayne while attempting to suppress his attempts at learning more of her identity and agenda. It is eventually revealed that her ultimate goal was to resurrect her father using the Spyder AI, which contained his mind and uploads his mind into her body, win the approval of her father, and assume control of both Spyral and the Leviathan Organization. However, both she and her sister, Elisabeth, learn he did not intend for either of them to be his replacement and forced the sisters to battle once more. While Kathy won the bout and fatally injures her sister, she comes to realize the extent of her father's manipulation and attempts to kill him in revenge only to seemingly perish herself.

Critical reception

Nightwing Vol. 3 (2011 – 2014)

Erik Norris's review of Nightwing #1 on IGN was generally positive but with some reservations. He acknowledged that while the issue wasn’t a phenomenal debut, it was a solid and reassuring start for fans of Dick Grayson. Norris appreciated how writer Kyle Higgins demonstrated a strong understanding of the character, as shown previously in Batman: Gates of Gotham. However, he didn't consider it groundbreaking, and the review reflected a cautious optimism for the series going forward. IGN Jesse Schedeen’s reviews of issues #13 to #17 highlight both the emotional depth and the action-packed moments that define the series. He consistently praises Kyle Higgins’ writing and Eddy Barrows’ artwork for their ability to balance the character personal struggles with thrilling sequences.

Melissa Grey's reviews of issues #18 to #25 are generally mixed. She notes that while these issues tackle significant emotional themes, such as Dick Grayson's mourning of Damian Wayne in issue #18, the heavy dialogue sometimes weakens the impact. As the series progresses, Grey points out that the art often struggles to capture the emotional nuances effectively. However, in issues like #25, she praises the balance of darker tones with hopeful themes, appreciating how the art contributes to the overall storytelling.

Collected editions

Most of the original ongoing Nightwing series was collected in several trade paperbacks while the series was being published. Beginning in 2014, the series was reprinted, with new editions including material that had previously been omitted.

Volume 1 and 2 (Post-Crisis)

#	Title	Material collected	Released	ISBN
Original trade paperbacks
	Nightwing: Ties That Bind	Nightwing: Alfred's Return; Nightwing (vol. 1) #1-4	Sep 1997	978-1563893285
	Nightwing: A Knight In Blüdhaven	Nightwing {vol. 2) #1-8	Aug 1998	978-1563894251
	Nightwing: Rough Justice	Nightwing (vol. 2) #9-18	Sep 1999	978-1563895234
	Nightwing: Love And Bullets	Nightwing (vol. 2) #½, #19, #21-22, #24-29	Apr 2000	978-1563896132
	Nightwing: A Darker Shade Of Justice	Nightwing (vol. 2) #30-39; Nightwing: Secret Files And Origins	Dec 2000	978-1563897030
	Nightwing: The Hunt For Oracle	Nightwing (vol. 2) #41-46; Birds of Prey #20-21	Jan 2003	978-1563899409
	Nightwing/Huntress	Nightwing/Huntress #1-4 (mini-series)	Jan 2004	978-1401201272
	Nightwing: Big Guns	Nightwing (vol. 2) #47-50; Nightwing: Secret Files and Origins; Nightwing 80-Page Giant	Feb 2004	978-1401201869
	Nightwing: On The Razor's Edge	Nightwing (vol. 2) #52, #54-60	Jun 2005	978-1401204372
Issues #71-100 are yet to be compiled into any collected edition
	Nightwing: Year One	Nightwing (vol. 2) #101-106	Aug 2005	978-1401204358
	Nightwing: Mobbed Up	Nightwing (vol. 2) #107-111	Mar 2006	978-1401209070
	Nightwing: Renegade	Nightwing (vol. 2) #112-117	Nov 2006	978-1401209087
	Nightwing: Brothers In Blood	Nightwing (vol. 2) #118-124	Mar 2007	978-1401212247
	Nightwing: Love And War	Nightwing (vol. 2) #125-132	Oct 2007	978-1401214630
	Nightwing: The Lost Year	Nightwing (vol. 2) #133-137, Nightwing (vol. 2) Annual #2	Mar 2008	978-1401216719
	Nightwing: Freefall	Nightwing (vol. 2) #140-146	Nov 2008	978-1401219659
	Nightwing: The Great Leap	Nightwing (vol. 2) #147-153	Aug 2009	978-1401221713
New edition trade paperbacks
	Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies	Material from Secret Origins (vol. 2) #13; material from Action Comics Weekly #613-618, #627-634	Aug 2013	978-1401240448
1	Blüdhaven	Nightwing Vol. 1 #1-4; Nightwing (vol. 2) #1-8	Dec 2014	978-1401251444
2	Rough Justice	Nightwing (vol. 2) #9-18, Nightwing Annual #1	Jun 2015	978-1401255336
3	False Starts	Nightwing/Huntress #1-4; Nightwing (vol. 2) #½, #19-25	Jan 2016	978-1401258559
4	Love And Bullets	Nightwing (vol. 2) #26-34, #1,000,000; Nightwing Secret Files and Origins #1	Apr 2016	978-1401260873
5	The Hunt For Oracle	Nightwing (vol. 2) #35-46; Birds of Prey #20-21	Nov 2016	978-1401265021
6	To Serve And Protect	Nightwing (vol. 2) #47-53; Nightwing 80-Page Giant #1	Jul 2017	978-1401270810
7	Shrike	Nightwing (vol. 2) #54-60; Nightwing: Our Worlds At War #1; Nightwing: Targets #1	Feb 2018	978-1401277567
8	Lethal Force	Nightwing (vol. 2) #61-70	Nov 2018	978-1401285050
Issues #71-100 are yet to be compiled into any collected edition
	Nightwing by Peter Tomasi	Nightwing (vol. 2) #140-153	Jan 2020	978-1401291716
Compendiums
1	A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium Book One	Nightwing (vol. 1) #1-4; Nightwing (vol. 2) #1-25, #1,000,000; Nightwing Annual #1; Wizard Presents Nightwing #½; Nightwing/Huntress #1-4; Green Arrow (vol. 2) #134-135; Robin (vol. 2) #55; Detective Comics #723-725, #1,000,000	7 May 2024	978-1779525864
2	A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium Book Two	Action Comics #771; Batman Annual #23; Nightwing (vol. 2) #26-59; Birds of Prey #8, 20-21; Nightwing Secret Files; Nightwing 80-Page Giant; Nightwing: The Target	20 May 2025	978-1799501480

Volume 3 (The New 52)

See also: The New 52

#	Title	Material collected	Released	ISBN
Trade paperbacks
1	Traps And Trapezes	Nightwing (vol. 3) #1-7	Oct 2012	978-1401237059
2	Night Of The Owls	Nightwing (vol. 3) #0, #8-12	Jul 2013	978-1401240271
3	Death Of The Family	Nightwing (vol. 3) #13-18; Batman (vol. 2) #17, material from Young Romance #1	Dec 2013	978-1401244132
4	Second City	Nightwing (vol. 3) #19-24	Jul 2014	978-1401246303
5	Setting Son	Nightwing (vol. 3) #25-30, Annual #1	Dec 2014	978-1401250119
Omnibus
	Nightwing: The Prince Of Gotham Omnibus	Nightwing (vol. 3) #0-30, Batman #17, Young Romance: A New 52 St. Valentine's Day Special #1, Nightwing Annual #1, Secret Origins #1	1 Dec 2020	978-1779507006
			6 May 2025	978-1799501312

Grayson

After the events of Nightwing (vol. 3) #30, Dick Grayson left behind his superhero life to become an agent of the fictional spy agency Spyral.

• See main article: Grayson

Title	Material collected	Format	Released	ISBN
1	Agents Of Spyral	Grayson #1–4, Grayson: Futures End; material from Secret Origins (vol. 3) #8	Jun 2015	978-1401257590
2	We All Die At Dawn	Grayson #5–8, Annual #1	Jan 2016	978-1401257606
3	Nemesis	Grayson #9–12, Annual #2, DC Sneak Peek: Grayson	May 2016	978-1401262761
4	A Ghost In The Tomb	Grayson #13–16, Robin War #1–2	Sep 2016	978-1401267629
5	Spiral's End	Grayson #17–20, Annual #3, Nightwing: Rebirth	Jan 2017	978-1401268251
Omnibus
	The Superspy Omnibus	Grayson #1-20, Grayson: Futures End #1, Grayson Annual #1-3, Robin War #1-2, Nightwing: Rebirth, material from Secret Origins (vol. 3) #8	Oct 2017	978-1401274160
			Aug 2019	978-1401295059
			Nov 2022	978-1779517326

Volume 4 (DC Rebirth, post-Rebirth, Infinite Frontier, and Dawn of DC)

Following the events of Grayson #20, Dick Grayson returns to Blüdhaven, and life as Nightwing.

#	Title	Material collected	Format	Released	ISBN
1	Better Than Batman	Nightwing: Rebirth #1, Nightwing (vol. 4) #1-4, #7-8	TPB	31 Jan 2017	978-1401268039
	Batman: Night Of The Monster Men	Batman (vol. 3) #7-8, Nightwing (vol. 4) #5-6, Detective Comics #941-942	HC	28 Feb 2017	978-1401270674
			TPB	31 Oct 2017	978-1401274313
2	Back To Blüdhaven	Nightwing (vol. 4) #9-15	TPB	20 Jun 2017	978-1401270858
3	Nightwing Must Die	Nightwing (vol. 4) #16-21	TPB	26 Sep 2017	978-1401273767
4	Blockbuster	Nightwing (vol. 4) #22-28	TPB	23 Jan 2018	978-1401275334
5	Raptor's Revenge	Nightwing (vol. 4) #30-34	TPB	1 May 2018	978-1401278816
6	The Untouchable	Nightwing (vol. 4) #35-43	TPB	18 Sep 2018	978-1401287573
7	The Bleeding Edge	Nightwing (vol. 4) #44-49, Annual #1	TPB	31 Dec 2018	978-1401285593
8	Knight Terrors	Nightwing (vol. 4) #50-56	TPB	11 Jun 2019	978-1401291280
9	Burnback	Nightwing (vol. 4) #57-62	TPB	12 Nov 2019	978-1401294588
10	The Gray Son Legacy	Nightwing (vol. 4) #63-69, Annual #2	TPB	19 May 2020	978-1779500212
	The Joker War	Nightwing (vol. 4) #70-77, Annual #3	HC	2 Mar 2021	978-1779505699
			TPB	15 Aug 2023	978-1779521149
The series saw a soft reboot after The Joker War, with Tom Taylor taking over as writer
1	Leaping Into The Light	Nightwing (vol. 4) #78-83	HC	14 Dec 2021	978-1779512789
			TPB	6 Jun 2023	978-1779516992
	Fear State	Nightwing (vol. 4) #84-86, Annual #4 (2021), material from Batman: Urban Legends #10	HC	21 Jun 2022	978-1779515506
			TPB	5 Sep 2023	978-1779520050
2	Get Grayson	Nightwing (vol. 4) #87-91, Superman: Son of Kal-El #9	HC	27 Dec 2022	978-1779517456
			TPB	26 Dec 2023	978-1779523020
3	The Battle For Blüdhaven's Heart	Nightwing (vol. 4) #92-96	HC	27 Jun 2023	978-1779520166
			TPB	11 Jun 2024	978-1779525222
4	The Leap	Nightwing (vol. 4) #97-100, Annual #5 (2022)	HC	12 Dec 2023	978-1779520869
			TPB	30 Jul 2024	978-1779528025
5	Time Of The Titans	Nightwing (vol. 4) #101-105	HC	10 Sep 2024	978-1779525239
			TPB		978-1779529534
6	Standing At The Edge	Nightwing (vol. 4) ##106-109, #111-113	HC	24 Dec 2024	978-1779528544
			TPB		978-1779529435
7	Fallen Grayson	Nightwing (vol. 4) #114-118	HC	25 Mar 2025	978-1799500889
			TPB		978-1799500896
Deluxe Oversized Hardcovers
1	Nightwing: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Vol.1	Nightwing: Rebirth #1, Nightwing (vol. 4) #1-15	OHC	31 Oct 2017	978-1401273750
2	Nightwing: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Vol. 2	Nightwing (vol. 4) #16-28	OHC	22 May 2018	978-1401278922
3	Nightwing: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Vol. 3	Nightwing (vol. 4) #29-43	OHC	29 Jan 2019	978-1401285678
Omnibuses
	Nightwing: Rebirth Omnibus	Nightwing: Rebirth #1, Nightwing (vol. 4) #1-43	Omnibus	22 Apr 2025	978-1799501169
	Nightwing by Tom Taylor Omnibus Vol. 1	Nightwing (vol. 4) #78-100; Batman: Urban Legends #10; Nightwing Annual 2021; Superman: Son of Kal-El #9	Omnibus	22 Jul 2025	978-1799502197

Prestige one-shots

• Nightwing: The Target
• Batman/Nightwing: Bloodborne

Other collected editions

Title	Material collected	Format	Released	ISBN
Batman: Cataclysm	Nightwing (vol. 2) #19-20	TPB	Jun 1999	978-1563895272
			16 Jun 2015	978-1401255152
Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 2	Nightwing (vol. 2) #35-37	TPB	17 Apr 2012	978-1401233808
Batman: New Gotham, Vol. 2: Officer Down	Nightwing (vol. 2) #53	TPB	Aug 2001	978-1563897870
Batman: Bruce Wayne: Murderer?	Nightwing (vol. 2) #65-66	TPB	Aug 2002	978-1563899133
	Nightwing (vol. 2) #65-66, 68–69		20 May 2014	978-1401246839
Batman: Bruce Wayne: Fugitive Vol. 1	Nightwing (vol. 2) #68-69	TPB	Dec 2002	978-1563899331
Batman War Games Book 1	Nightwing (vol. 2) #96	TPB	3 Nov 2015	978-1401258139
Batman War Games Book 2	Nightwing (vol. 2) #97-98	TPB	24 May 2016	978-1401260705
Batman: The Resurrection Of Ra's al Ghul	Nightwing (vol. 2) #138-139	HC	20 May 2008	978-1401217853
		TPB	12 May 2009	978-1401220327
Batman: Night Of The Owls	Nightwing (vol. 3) #8-9	HC	19 Feb 2013	978-1401237738
		TPB	12 Nov 2013	978-1401242527
The Joker: Death Of The Family	Nightwing (vol. 3) #15-16	HC	22 Oct 2013	978-1401242350
		TPB	22 Apr 2014	978-1401246464
Dark Nights: The Road To Metal	Nightwing (vol. 4) #17	HC	22 May 2018	978-1401278199
		TPB	8 Jan 2019	978-1401278199
Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance	Nightwing (vol. 4) #29	TPB	3 Jul 2018	978-1401282981
The Joker War Saga	Nightwing (vol. 4) #74	HC	23 Feb 2021	978-1779511799
		TPB	15 Feb 2022	978-1779514967

See also

• Batman (comic book)
• Batgirl (comic book)
• Robin (comic book)
• List of DC Comics imprints