WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Future State: Teen Titans #1 by Tim Sheridan, Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona, Alejandro Sanchez, and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
"Death Metal" has come to a close, and with Perpetua's defeat comes a new era of change for the DC Universe. What the future holds is never certain, but Future State: Teen Titans provides a glimpse of what's to come. The Teen Titans of this future have suffered from tragic losses of their students, their teammates, and their home.
In an age that is as bleak as this one, it's surprising that Dick Grayson would swap his black and blues for something more colorful. Nightwing's new costume is more than just a callback to his most daring look, it's an homage to one of the darkest times in his life.
Titans Tower has been destroyed, and the remnants of the team have been holed up in a safe house somewhere underneath Queens doing all they can to fight back against the Horsemen of Apokolips, one of whom is currently possessing Wally West. While the rest of the team regroups and hammers out a plan, Nightwing and Red Arrow go to visit what remains of their former home in the hopes that they might find some game-changing weapon. While Emiko looks about the same as ever, Dick is dressed far differently. In fact, his new costume looks remarkably similar to what has lovingly come to be known as the disco suit.
Dick Grayson's history with Bruce Wayne hasn't always been a pretty one. There came a time, after so many years under Batman's wing, when the Boy Wonder was finally ready to leave the nest. Dick would go on to become Nightwing on his own after so much time spent finding his own way in the world of crime-fighting vigilantes. After finally deciding just who he wanted to be, it was time for a costume change, and the classic black and blue bird emblem was born. Not long after this, a more flamboyant look became the standard for the character, flashy yellow bands stretching from the shoulders alongside garish bright blues, all adorned with an upturned collar that bloomed from the V on Nightwing's chest. Often considered the most iconic (and worst) of Nightwing's outfits, it was later upgraded to something a bit more practical, or at least more intimidating. Now, it seems that Dick has decided to bring that concept back for another round of adjustments, but the decision isn't purely aesthetic.
Not only has Dick gone through a change of costume, but he's also gone through a change of mentor as well, and it shows in his new suit, including a mask that is strikingly similar to that of his longtime arch enemy Deathstroke. It isn't all that surprising that Nightwing would, in a future where hope seems lost alongside so many other things, harken back to some of the darker and more isolated moments throughout his career, but it is still shocking that anything could make Dick Grayson embrace the visage of a man who for so many years tortured and tormented himself and his loved ones. If Nightwing is trying to send the message that he is no longer part of the family he grew up with and fought alongside, it has been heard loud and clear.