Nightwing is a former Boy Marvel, however he is equally outlined by the main girls in his love life. These have included a number of heroines throughout the DC Universe, however the two most notable are Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl and the Teen Titan, Starfire. His fellow Batman sidekick could also be who DC is attempting to pair him off with for the time being, however Starfire is his one real love.
Nightwing’s relationship with Starfire has been a significant a part of his character for many years, and it is a part of what helped him change into his personal man. Nevertheless, his romance with Batgirl all the time felt unnatural and compelled, extra of a necessity than an natural improvement. Here is why the Dick Grayson/Barbara Gordon romance pales compared to his love for a sure Tamaranean.
Starfire Helped Nightwing Develop into His Personal Man
The New Teen Titans was greater than only a mega-hit for DC Comics again within the Eighties — it was additionally key to creating Dick Grayson as a personality. Upon assembly the Tamaranean princess, Starfire, in the course of the revamped staff’s first journey, Grayson was ceaselessly modified. His relationship with Starfire was in contrast to some other and as their relationship grew, she constructed up his confidence, pulling him out of Batman’s shadow. This transformation ultimately led him to shed his function as Robin and change into Nightwing as an alternative.
Starfire was a former slave, and it motivated her to assist others overcome their previous traumas, similar to she did. Her love and compassion helped Dick recover from his troubled previous and fears, specifically his issues about his dedication to crime-fighting. This culminated in her and Dick admitting their emotions for one another, later coming into a considerably controversial sexual relationship. The romance was very fashionable amongst followers, and it even lived on in certainly one of DC’s darkest futures. On the planet of Kingdom Come, Nightwing and Starfire obtained married and had a daughter, Ma’ri Grayson, who later turned the heroine Nightstar.
The dissolution of their relationship was extra as a consequence of editorial interference than anything. DC’s inventive staff wished Nightwing to be often called a Batman character and lower his ties to the Titans for some time. Since Starfire was a Teen Titans character, this meant the tip of their lengthy and tenuous romance. There have been rumors in regards to the revival of their relationship in DC Rebirth. However, sadly, the present DC continuity determined to go in a unique path and put Dick Grayson in a way more trite relationship.
The Nightwing/Batgirl Romance Was All the time Compelled
Nightwing and Batgirl’s romance wasn’t launched within the comics in a significant approach till the 2000s. This was as inorganic because it might presumably be and an apparent advertising and marketing ploy to latch Nightwing to a marketable love curiosity within the Batman mythos. 2007’s Nightwing Annual #2 (by Marc Andreyko and Joe Bennett) had a jarring scene wherein Barbara tries to romantically pursue Dick, solely to be greeted by a half-naked Starfire. This awkward scene was meant to indicate that Barbara was Dick’s “one real love,” with the golden-skinned alien interloper merely being a meaningless fling who was “in the best way” of their blooming relationship.
What makes this relationship so clearly compelled is the truth that initially, Barbara was a minimum of 6 or 7 years older than Dick and noticed him as a youthful brother — not a possible love curiosity. Nevertheless, Nightwing being with Batgirl is extra marketable, particularly for the infinite Batman franchise. For this reason the present run of Nightwing has the 2 collectively, as unnatural as it might be. Sadly, the once-venerable Teen Titans property continues to be shafted by DC, and its many nice relationships, together with one of many strongest romances within the DC Universe, are handled as mere footnotes.