Dick Grayson is a bastion of nobility and goodness in the DC Universe. I like to think of him as the perfect balance of Superman and Batman’s best qualities: he has the human attainability of Bruce and the pure heart and trustworthiness of Clark. He’s a hero who is looked up to by others, an all-around good guy who always does the right thing. That’s been the crux of Tim Seeley’s current run on the Nightwing title, and one of the traits that makes Nightwing great.
But… what if he went bad?
Screen Rant have revealed details about an upcoming miniseries that plays with that very conceit, as it sees Nightwing cast in the role of a totalitarian leader. Set 12 years in the future, Nightwing: The New Order will follow Dick Grayson as he leads a band of Crusaders against the world’s superpowered heroes. The official synopsis:
NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER is the story of a future world without “weapons”—where superpowers have been eliminated and outlawed. The man responsible? None other than Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing, now leader of a government task force called the Crusaders who are charged with hunting the remaining Supers. But when events transpire which turn the Crusaders’ aim toward Grayson’s own family, the former Boy Wonder must turn against the very system he helped create, with help from the very people he’s been hunting for years—the last metahumans of the DC Universe.
This is some pretty heavy material, and some very tricky subject matter. I mean, making one of the most beloved characters in the DCU a villain? That’s a tightrope only the best of acrobats can walk. With a creative team like Kyle Higgins and Trevor McCarthy, who have previously worked together on Batman: Gates of Gotham, this just might work though.
The “12 years in the future” setting may seem alarming, but considering the preview pages have a red-trunks Superman and Nightwing with his (sorely missed) finger stripes, I think it’s safe to say this is out of continuity with the current DCU. Time will tell, though. In the meantime, head to Screen Rant and Comic Book Resources for more information, including a first-look at some of the interiors from McCarthy.
The miniseries will debut on August 23, 2017.
UPDATE: Here are a few words from Higgins himself.
Truly, it’s his involvement that has me most excited. And hey, as long as the finger stripes are back.
