WARNING: The next comprises spoilers for Nightwing #88, on sale now from DC Comics.
Dick Grayson has a reasonably notorious historical past when it comes to costumes, each as Robin and Nightwing. These vary from the reasonably revealing basic Robin look to his first two Nightwing “disco fits”, making it look like the so-called sexiest man in comics has a reasonably questionable style style. After all, the “blue v” Nightwing swimsuit that everyone knows and love quickly turned a fan-favorite and is taken into account the most effective trendy superhero costume designs, with each subsequent model taking design cues from it.
This basic costume makes its return in Nightwing#88 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott. Nonetheless, the costume comes with some new options that not solely profit Nightwing but additionally profit Dick Grayson and his new position as a philanthropist in Bludhaven.
Recent from the final try on his life that required Nightwing to sprawl across the metropolis of Bludhaven to avoid wasting his canine, Bitewing from Blockbuster’s henchmen, Dick Grayson as soon as once more discovered himself within the cross-hairs of the crime lord. The assassins Gunhawk and Gunbunny tried to assassinate Dick whereas he was giving a public speech saying the constructing of the Alfred Pennyworth Basis earlier than they have been stopped by the Titans (with the assistance of Oracle/Batgirl). The Flash a.okay.a. Wally West swooped Dick away from a sniper bullet, the place the speedster took him to satisfy with Mr. Terrific who unveils a brand new swimsuit for Nightwing.
This “new” costume bears the basic Nightwing “Blue V” design, the place his blue-bird insignia extends all the best way from his shoulders to his arms and fingertips. A fan-favorite, the costume has been the one most related to the Nightwing character since he first wore it again in his first solo miniseries Nightwing: Ties that Bind (by Alan Grant, Dennis O’Neil, Dick Giordano, and Greg Land). The minimalist type of the costume was a welcome departure from his earlier two “disco fits”, and it remained unchanged for over fifteen years earlier than the brand new 52 debuted the purple v design. Nonetheless, each subsequent Nightwing costume has merely been a reinterpretation of the Blue V (together with the one worn by Brenton Thwaites in Titans), which continues to be unbeaten for its stylistic and minimalist use of coloration, with the blue “wings” extending all the best way down Nightwing’s arms being highlighted by the black in every single place else.
Whereas the finger-tip blue v look completes Nightwing aesthetically, this variation on the basic comes with a twist in its performance. It has been constructed and designed by Mr. Terrific to have the ability to match beneath civilian clothes, while additionally being bulletproof and capable of defend itself towards pointed and sharp objects. These updates are extremely essential not only for Nightwing, however Dick Grayson as a public determine. Along with his public announcement to pour cash into aiding the poor in Bludhaven, Dick Grayson is now a logo of hope for the residents of Bludhaven as a lot as Nightwing is. With Blockbuster’s males now after him, Dick wants to have the ability to defend himself and discover a strategy to turn into his heroic persona every time he or anybody near him results in hazard.
The return of the basic “blue v” costume helps cement the turning level Dick’s life has undergone since turning into a philanthropist in Bludhaven. Not solely marking the return of his most iconic costume however its skin-tight and bulletproof perform spotlight to him the significance of having the ability to shield himself whereas a bounty stays on his head. So in some ways, this costume is symbolic that not solely is Nightwing a hero in Bludhaven, however Dick Grayson himself is as effectively.