Nightwing #100 celebrates the DC hero's long-lived career with a special variant cover honoring the late George Peréz, the first artist to illustrate Dick Grayson in his post-Robin evolution.
CBR has the exclusive reveal of the cover, which comes in both color and black and white versions, both of which feature a collage of Pérez's Dick Grayson and Nightwing artwork.
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The Birth of Nightwing
Peréz, who passed away in May at age 67, co-created Nightwing alongside writer Marv Wolfman. Dick's then-new identity debuted in 1984's Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (by Wolfman, Pérez, Mike DeCarlo, Dick Giordano, Adrienne Roy and Todd Klein). The issue is the third part of "The Judas Contract," a famous story arc that saw the Titans battling Deathstroke while being betrayed by one of their own, Terra.
Near the end of the issue, Dick deliberates on what to call himself now that he feels the name Robin is no longer appropriate. "I've run through a hundred names," Dick thinks in the issue. "Nothing seemed to fit. Each one sounded so strange to my ear. But there's one I kept coming back to, and a costume design I couldn't get out of my head. What's strange is both name and costume are based on other people, both mentors and friends. The Batman taught me, guided me, trained me. What I am I owe to him. What more can I say? And Superman. I grew up in your shadow, too. You taught me honor, selflessness, and the true meaning of the word 'hero!' A long time ago you used the name I've been thinking of. It was a name from your Kryptonian heritage."
Dick goes on to name himself after the sum of the many heroes who guided and shaped him over the course of his young life. To celebrate this rich sense of legacy, he takes the name "Nightwing" -- originally an alias used by the Man of Steel in the classic tale "Superman in Kandor," printed in 1963's Superman #158 (by Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan, George Klein and Mort Weisinger). This Silver Age story depicted "Nightwing" as the name of a Kandorian bird. Later stories, particularly 2005's "Nightwing: Year One," would reveal the name belonged to a fabled Kryptonian crime-fighter who inspired Superman, who in turn passed the legend down to Dick Grayson.
The oversized Nightwing #100 goes on sale Jan. 17, 2023, from DC Comics. The color version is a 1:150 variant, meaning local comic shops receive one copy of the cover for every 150 copies they order, while the black and white version is available in whatever quantity the store chooses. Check back with CBR tomorrow for more information regarding the milestone issue's absolutely legendary extended creative team.
Source: DC