The following contains spoilers from Nightwing #92, on sale now
Few heroes within the DC Universe have changed as much, or as dramatically, as Dick Grayson. After serving as Batman's stalwart sidekick for over two decades, Dick stepped out of his mentor's shadow by becoming a founding member of the Teen Titans before eventually setting out on his own as Nightwing. Throughout its run, Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo's Eisner-nominated Nightwing series has reflected the former Boy Wonder's growth as he embraces his new role as a public figure fighting for positive change in Blüdhaven.
In Nightwing #92 (by Taylor, Redondo, Adrianno Lucas, and Wes Abbot), Dick's past and present collide as he thwarts Blockbuster's attempt to sabotage his newly-built homeless shelter, and Redondo's art reflects this clash of ages by incorporating numerous throwbacks to DC's history. By looking back on Dick's growth through the lens of nostalgia, Nightwing #92 highlights how the character and his relationships with Blüdhaven and the Bat-Family have matured.
Nightwing #92 opens with a flashback depicting Dick, then Robin, disobeying Batman's orders by confronting a mob of thugs running rampant during a blackout. During this scene, Redondo's art undergoes a drastic shift in both coloring and shading, calling back to a pre-digital style right down to the inclusion of messy dots and sketchy strokes. Unfortunately, while this artistic choice might be a throwback to the optimism that colored the Golden and Silver Ages of Comics, the results certainly aren't. The flashback ends with Dick being overwhelmed by the mob and nearly beaten to death until Barbara Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth save him.
When the issue returns to the present, the art shifts back to a more modern style, but throwbacks to the past continue to pop up. For example, while walking the streets of Haven, Dick and Barbara pass by "Marv & Georges' Pizza." The food truck's proprietors live up to the name as they're clearly Marv Wolfman and George Perez, the veteran comic writer and artist who worked on many of DC's most well-known series. Wolfman and Perez's appearance is especially poignant, as their run on The New Teen Titans saw Dick adopt the mantle of Nightwing for the first time. Moreover, with Perez's recent passing, what could've just been a cute hat tip takes on the air of bittersweet tribute.
Later that evening, following a successful opening ceremony overseen by Jonathan Kent's Superman, henchmen working for Nightwing's archnemesis Blockbuster attempted to sabotage Haven. After taking some time to analyze the situation, Nightwing leaped into action and used the experience he'd gained since striking out on his own to overcome an obstacle he once struggled to overcome. However, as the battle unfolds, the past once again collides with the future as cartoonish "Bap!" and "Bam!" pulled straight from Adam West's Batman television series eclipse Nightwing's blows.
By calling back to Grayson's past, Nightwing #92 portrays the former Boy Wonder's growth as a hero and a person through the lens of nostalgia. During his time as Robin, Dick's status as Batman's sidekick defined him with many of his early adventures painting him as the wide-eyed, idealistic hero whose naive mindset reflected that of the many children who read Batman comics. However, as the flashback that kicks off Nightwing #92 establishes, we often romanticize the past. Additionally, change is the natural order, and Dick quickly learned he had to mature to meet the challenges ahead of him.
This focus on nostalgia also reflects the element that has always set Dick apart from Batman. From the moment he first became Robin, an indomitable desire to help people drove Dick, even if and when it cost him the secrecy Batman valued. This desire to help others more openly has been the defining factor behind his decision to use the inheritance Alfred left him to improve Blüdhaven through humanitarian work. In doing so, he's taken a significant step in defining his own superhero identity.
Throughout its run, Nightwing has maintained the forward momentum that Dick's decision to become a charitable public figure set in motion by pushing every element of Dick's personal life forward. Once limited to the occasional flirtatious comment, his relationship with Barbara has gradually evolved into something much more sincere. Inspired by the example Dick has set as both a vigilante and the founder of the Alfred Pennyworth Foundation, figures within Blüdhaven's infamously corrupt political structure have tried to turn things around.
Whether it's the initial tragedy that set him on the path to becoming the hero he is today or the many traumas that have befallen him since then, Nightwing can never reclaim the simple-minded perspective he enjoyed as a child. However, by combining elements of his past with his current mission, Nightwing #92 demonstrates that leaving the past behind, while challenging, is necessary to move forward and become the hero he wants to be.