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Dick Grayson, as a character, has pretty much been typified as a wise-cracking, light-hearted, optimistic foil to Bruce Wayne’s brooding Dark Knight. But after the events of Tom King’s Batman #55, we lost the upbeat acrobat fans knew and loved. Instead, Benjamin Percy introduced us to “Ric” in Nightwing #50. Scott Lobdell and Dan Jurgens attempted to help tell the story of the amnesiac cab driver who set all his Nightwing costumes on fire, and the team of first responders who took over the “Nightwing” role while Ric brooded.

This arc floundered and tried to find footing, but it had taken away the strongest characteristic of Dick Grayson- his unwavering desire to help no matter how dire the circumstances seemed. And even though Ric smeared soot on his face and came to the Nightwings’s rescue, he fought against the core foundation of the character’s personality.

Nightwing/Dick Grayson doesn’t work as a reluctant hero or an anti-hero. Unlike other former Robins Jason Todd and Tim Drake, who we both see in stories that present them in a style that’s more willing to compromise their morals for results (or an alternate future version of them is willing to do so, at least), Dick Grayson is acknowledged as a universal constant. He is always the hero willing to help, and other heroes trust him.

Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo brought that character back to the page after two long years of Ric and regret.

Nightwing #78, their first issue as the creative team has already sold out of first printing and is on the second. In it, Dick is back to the blue-suited, high flying crime fighter we know and love- with a hit of a refresher that would welcome a new reader. (Ironically, as a longtime fan of Doctor Who, it felt very much like the beginning of Christopher Eccleston’s run as the Ninth Doctor- I already knew the background but can hand it off to my friends as a good starting point.) This new era of Nightwing highlights the very best characteristics of Dick Grayson- the loveable, playful, and slightly dorky man who just wants to do the right thing.

Of all of the highlights of this issue, my personal favorite is the inclusion of a flashback to Dick’s early time with Bruce and Alfred. In a rare occurrence for the character, Taylor and Redondo showed Dick as a student, presumably at Gotham Academy. After he gets into a fistfight with a classmate who was bullying another student, he’s taken home by the police (Okay, by Gordon, but still.) Afterwards, Alfred finds Dick washing dishes, and Alfred tells him how proud he is of Dick Grayson- not for Robin, but for just being a good person.

This scene is then used as framing for Dick’s grief processing in modern day. The letter Barbara brings to Dick as part of Alfred’s will restates that pride and Alfred held for Dick. With the loss of Alfred during the Ric arc, Dick’s grieving would have felt incomplete without this framework. That was a huge fear I had when I realized Alfred was dead-Dead and Ric was still cabbing it up. Taylor, Redondo, and the rest of the team who worked on Nightwing #78 recognized and acknowledged that grief. In doing so, they also demonstrated something their love of the character and his lore in a way that builds my confidence and hopes up for this run. While I already know I liked their work (I literally shared a panel in 2018 from Injustice 2 #51 of Alfred, Athanasia, Batman, and Ace, talking about how much I loved it,) being able to see the character who I most admire handed in a way that is so accessible and emotionally available after the out of character behavior we’ve had for the past few years was exactly the breath of fresh air I was so hopeful for.

The second printing of Nightwing #78 will hit shelves on April 27th with a new variant cover. Nightwing #79 will be released on April 20th.