WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Nightwing #75, by Dan Jurgens, Travis Moore, and Ronan Cliquet, Nick Filardi, AndWorld Design, on sale now.
Dick Grayson's memory has been restored, and now Nightwing must sort through the aftermath of "Joker War" and synthesize his two selves. At the very least, he hopes to bring one element from this chapter into the next step in his journey. As Ric Grayson, he fell in love with Bea Bennett and the former Robin wants to keep building a relationship with her.
In Nightwing #75, this wish clashes with Grayson's identity as a superhero. Batman deems it impossible for caped crusaders to experience typical domestic bliss, but Grayson defies the advice of his mentor, who is perpetually unable to let himself be happy.
Throughout this latest issue, Grayson hears Alfred's voice while he tries to figure out who he wants to be. "You are free to be whomever you desire," Alfred says. "The decision is yours to make." Grayson is faced with a challenging choice because he knows that, during his time as Ric, he was genuinely happy with Bea. Batgirl and the Dark Knight tell him that, essentially, he's incomplete without embracing his life as Nightwing. Grayson repeatedly emphasizes that he enjoyed his time without the classic costume and codename, so it's not surprising when he chooses a different path than the one Batman stubbornly follows.
Grayson has always been a foil to Bruce Wayne and vice versa, a truth he firmly states here and tells Batman that he's happy with his life the way it is. Grayson's message is echoed by the imagined voice of Alfred, who notes that, unlike Wayne, the former Robin has been able to rise above the tragedy that has shaped his life. He tells Grayson that he can be happy, which is why Nightwing clearly defies Batman's view that superheroes aren't meant to enjoy love the way everyone else is.
"Alfred felt that your life of self-imposed isolation and denial wasn't necessary," he says. "He...encouraged me to break free from that abyss." Later, he reunites with Bea and tells her that he wants to build his new life with her. Despite the amnesia caused by the KGBeast's bullet, Ric and Dick were the same at their core, so he wants Bea to give him a chance with his memories intact. Though fans will have to wait and see what happens next, Grayson's decision to follow his heart is a significant moment of growth.
As for Batman, he remains as obstinate as ever. Grayson repeatedly tries to explain his reasoning to the Dark Knight, but Wayne refuses to back down and maintains that traditional happiness isn't an option for superheroes. In a way, it seems like Batman is trying to protect Grayson because he doesn't want Nightwing to get hurt, but for the most part, Wayne's perspective is shaped by his inability to see past his own romantic failures. Time and again in his life, he has tried to be happy. These attempts always end in heartbreak, one way or the other, so Wayne prioritizes his mission as Batman over everything, so he refuses to let anyone jeopardize that. As a result, the Dark Knight continues to doom himself to a life of loneliness.
To be fair, Batman is trying to change. He's currently on good terms with Catwoman, and the future looks relatively bright for their relationship. However, the journey to this point has been harrowing, as Selina Kyle famously stood Wayne up on their wedding day because she didn't want to rob the world of Batman. There are some discrepancies between Wayne's advice to Nightwing and Batman's personal life, but until the Dark Knight and Catwoman allow themselves to be happy together, it's fair to argue that Wayne still hasn't been able to overcome his worst failure.
In Nightwing #75, Grayson's decision to pursue happiness without sacrificing his career as a superhero feels like a substantial change for the character. His philosophical conflict with Batman is worth keeping an eye on as both men continue on their respective attempts to be happy. Ultimately, Grayson demonstrates that he's his own person, and he won't allow himself to make his mentor's same mistakes.