Summary
WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers forNightwing#115!
Thanks to his new debilitating weakness,Nightwinghas been shot… again. Fortunately for Dick Grayson—and for fans who hated the Ric Grayson story arc—he avoided a headshot this time. Therefore, the Original Boy Wonder won’t be suffering from long-term amnesia or adopting a bizarre taxi-cab driver persona again. However, there’s still a case of mistaken identity involved.
For several issues now,Nightwing has grappled with a newfound fearof heights. However, this fear has now evolved into a debilitating weakness akin to Kryptonite, severely impacting his ability to perform his usual acrobatics and leaps. This vulnerability reaches a critical point inNightwing#115 by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo.
Unwillingly dressed as Heartless and armed with a heart-removing gun due to Sheldon Lyle’s machinations, Dick finds himself pursued by the police on a rooftop. Despite the opportunity to escape by jumping off, Dick is paralyzed by fear.This hesitation leads to him being shot by the police, captured, and unmasked as Heartless.
Nightwing’s Debilitating Fear of Heights Gets Him Shot and Officially Tarnishes His Reputation in Bludhaven
In Nightwing #115,Shelton “Heartless” Lyleorchestrated a fire at a gala/press conference, tricking Dick into helping rescue his butler, Gerald Chamberlain. The duo then drug and transport him to an undisclosed location whereLyle and his accomplices dress Dick as Heartless and arm him with the ‘heart-removing gun' before leaving him for the Bludhaven Police Departmentto find after an anonymous tip-off. As Dick regained consciousness, the police closed in, prompting him to attempt escape by jumping from the rooftop. However, his paralyzing fear of heights prevented him from making the leap.
Therefore, his hesitation to jump gave the BHPD the opportunity to shoot and apprehend him. As they restrained him, they forcefully removed the Heartless mask, perfectly fulfilling Shelton’s plan to frame Dick as the true Heartless. The issue concludes at this critical juncture, but it’s evident that severe consequences will ensue from this case of mistaken identity. Primarily,Dick Grayson’s reputation in Bludhaven will suffer, as he finds himself in police custody, forced to grapple with clearing his name while continuing to thwart Heartless’s schemes.Fortunately, the solicitation forNightwing#117 hints that Dick won’t face this challenge alone.
Batman Will Play a Major Role in Helping Clear Dick Grayson’s Name and Upholding Nightwing’s Honor
The solicitation for issue #117 states, “While Dick connects with the ghost of his past, ‘Nightwing’ takes to the streets to defend his honor. But how can he be in two places at once?” Paired with the main cover depictingBatman donning Nightwing’s costume, it’s all but guaranteed that Bruce will step up to defend his son’s honor. Despite the bleak outlook forNightwingand Dick Grayson following the events of issue #115, it appears thatBatmanand likely other members of the Bat-Family will rally around the Original Boy Wonder, ensuring there’s someone to catch him even if he falls.
NIGHTWING #115 (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.
