#remember ric grayson

[fandomisthe10thcircleofhell]

Hired killer killed if Kory catches him lol

KG Beast had the worst time of his life after he shot Nightwing.

First he got beat up by Batman and abandoned in the snow

Then Nightwing himself beat him up (and told him a pun)

THEN The Batgirls lured him to their turf ON PURPOSE to beat him up

Damian nearly kills him

He gets beat up by a guy at the speed of light

and that's not even counting Kory's reaction!

Entire hired killer career OVER bc he shot one man

[hood-ex]

Remember when Ric told Bruce that every instinct he had was telling him to run away from the batfam lmao. He was straight up just like yeah the person I used to be would probably help you try to keep your little family together but uhhh I don't subscribe to that in my current state. Deuces ✌️.

[commanderantilles]

if the batgirls are operating out of the hill and the red hood is operating out of the hill then who’s driving the bus? (protecting crime alley)

[barbie0303]

31 Days of Dick (Grayson)

Day 2. Nightwing Issue

Nightwing (1996) #150

Nightwing (2016) #42

And uhhh I hope this one counts because it says "Nightwing" on the title, lol:

Nightwing: Future State #2

[faiasakura]

Latest Line Tag Game

Rules: in a new post, show off the last line you wrote and try to tag as many people as there are words.

Tagged by @disniq

For now, he’ll keep the amnesia problem to himself.

Tagging 9 people: @sayasays @qorktrees @tinydance @bookwyrmling @overzelos @surefireshore @khashanakalashtar @alasse-irena @cardinal-paperback-historian

If you see this and want to play, tag you’re it!

[secretidentie]

For Halloween every year dick dresses up as one of his family members. The year he decides to just throw on a cheap nightwing costume the others plan to surprise him during family dinner.

When dick walks in he's greeted by Bruce in full disco wing costume. Bruce, who has clearly been waiting for this opportunity, does everything from unnecessary flips and catchphrases to pretending to taste heroine of the ground to stay in character. At some point in the night he changed into a different version of the disco wing costume with the longer hair. During dinner he refuses to get off the table or stop smiling the whole night.

Jason shows up a little late driving a taxi cab. Fully in character as Ric, he spends the night asking to play poker and pretending he's at a shadey bar. When dick tries to ask about red hood things he insists he has no idea what he's talking about and threatens to burn down the house. Dick finally agrees to play poker just to shut him up but that inspires Ric to go on about all the adventures he's had at an underground fighting ring.

Tim spends the majority of his night hanging upside down from a chandelier. In the original Robin short-shorts, he gives inspirational speeches and keeps asking where batman is. He goes around hugging everyone except Ric and calls himself the boy wonder. Just like disco wing he refuses to sit still but atleast gets off the table during dinner.

At this point Dick is laughing his ass off and is eager to see what Damian is going to wear. He's expecting nightwing but instead Damian comes out in his little green leotard he wore back when he was in The Flying Graysons. Dick is squeezing Damian into a hug and starts crying a bit when Damian starts performing part of his floor routine.

Dick forces everyone to take a bunch of family photos, including Alfred who is dressed as The Target. He keeps this photo hung up in his house and remembers this as "the year his family was a bunch of dicks for Halloween. "

[richardsgraysons]

exes

prompt — dick grayson has a lot of exes. you don't want to be one of them.

tags —  just overall softness after a period of inactivity <3

you've seen them before. there's kory. she's tall and pretty with green eyes and golden skin and curly red hair that turns into literal fire. she's six foot tall and looks like a damn super model with her six pack and toned arms.

she's sweet and kind and understanding and forward. she's gentle with everybody, and treats everyone the same. she's a literal goddess, and you're sure that he would've chosen her as his future wife.

there's babs. now, if you didn't think he'd fall for kory, he would've definitely spent his entire life with her. how could he not? childhood best friends who've known each other since they could crawl. they've been out in crime together. you opt to stay in and not risk your life, and pray that he comes home safe every night.

she's got flaming red hair. she's not as tall as kory, but she's plenty tall enough. she could be a supermodel if she wants. you're pretty sure she's the toughest person you know. you know she's been shot by the joker and paralyzed for several years, and she's still never lost faith in her ability.

dick's often joked about his red hair-girl kink, and when you self consciously look at your own hair, which isn't flaming red like the girls he's adored, he wraps his arms around you and says, "aw, honey! you not having red hair is just proof i love you for you!"

there's bea. you've seen her only once. when he was ric grayson, and still trying to figure out who he is, she was there for him. she's beautiful, blue locs and sharp intelligent black eyes. she's refused to see him after finding out who he is, and he grows soft when he remembers what happened both.

and the huntress. god, the amount of women that have fallen in love with him isn't fair. helena bertenelli is savage, tough, quick, ruthless. everything you want to be. all the women who have fallen in love with him are unique in their own wright, a modern masterpiece.

but he loves you.

and you're sure he does, because when he comes home from patrol, he wraps his arms around your waist and kisses your neck to show you that he's here, he's real.

he does the dishes and the laundry even though he has vigilante duties that night. he kisses you and says "i love you" even when you argue. he never raises his voice.

when you're too tired to do things, he gives you cuddles, even if he deserves them more than you do. he holds your hand in public. he shields you from the invasion of paparazzi.

when you fight, he spends all night trying to figure it out. he makes sure you have date nights no matter what. he blushes when he speaks to you. he stumbles over his words sometimes. his pick up lines are so cheesy that they make your heart sore.

they're just exes. his past.

you're you. his future.

[confusedhummingbird]

You know the thing that gets me most about the "Ric Grayson arc" is it honestly had potential to be very meaningful. Dick is said over and over again to be a linchpin in the hero community he's been a hero since he was 8-9. He grew up around many of the older heroes and sidekicks his age and later mentored and became a big brother figure to others. So to see how the other superheroes would react to him being shot in the head and then not being able to remember anything could be gut wrenching. It could show just how loved Dick is with the other heros and how it would be so devastating. However we only really get to see the Batfamily react to it and even then it's not the whole Batfamily it's mostly Barbara, Bruce, Alfred, and Damian that even get a chance to react at all. And then he moves back to Bludhaven and no one thinks to check on him? He's one of the most connected heroes and no one outside of Gotham thinks to check on him? You're telling me Superman, who watched him grow up and told him the story of Nightwing, wouldn't check up on him? You're telling me the Titans, who he is best friends with and are their leader, Wouldn't check on him? Especially Donna who is basically his platonic life partner and sister figure or Wally who both consider to be each other's best friends.

I also imagine they wouldn't be happy about the fake Nightwings that were running around. Not only for the danger it would present to the ordinary civilians dressed up as Nightwings but also the emotional punch in the gut that your friend isn't himself and there are others out there wearing his costume and trying to be him. Imagine the anger, the hurt, the sadness. Imagine people like Superman or the Titans showing up and wanting to put a stop to it. But no we get none of that.

That's the thing that gets me with this storyline is besides it just being really sucky and far too long. I see the potential that it could have had. It could have gone in a billion different ways that made it more impactful and heartbreaking but no we got none of that and I'm disappointed.

[reidsexual]

Forgotten II

It’s taking everything in you not to focus on the latest news circling Gotham. But everywhere you turn, there it is.

“Just in: Nightwing returns!”

“Nightwing reportedly seen battling against infamous KGBeast!”

“Peacemaker of the Night strikes back!”

So here you were - grabbing some coffee despite the late hour and the chilling breeze that accompanied it. You knew Dick wouldn’t approve, as Bludhaven wasn’t exactly known for its harmless background.

But who cares? He wasn’t here now.

Truth be told, you wanted to see Dick. Scratch that, that was an understatement. You were aching to see him.

But the questionability of the entire situation much outweighed that of your desire to speak to him again. How much of his life does he remember? Does he even want to see you? What would you say to him?

You take a sip of your coffee to calm your thoughts, the glow of the streetlights only enhancing the posters stuck on the walls. All of which were about Nightwing’s latest spectacle with KGBeast in Bludhaven.

You don’t even catch yourself staring until you feel your phone vibrate against your pocket. You peel your attention away from all the candid shots and bold words to look at the caller.

It’s Donna.

You pick up, holding the phone to your ear while simultaneously walking down the road. “Donna?” You speak her name, wondering to yourself why she’s calling out of the blue.

“Have you visited Dick?” She asks, cutting to the chase. You sigh dramatically, seeing your breath hang around in the air from the coolness of the weather.

“No.” Replying simply. It’s probably better to keep your words short and simple.

“No? Or not yet?” Garth butts in, taking you by surprise. You slap a hand on your forehead. Of course Garth is listening in.

“Garth.” Donna warns, and you can practically feel the seriousness of the stare she shoots at him.

“We’re not rushing you. Take as much time as you need to adjust. It can’t possibly be easy, trust me, I know.” Your friend reassures you, warming your heart quite a bit. At times like this, you were grateful to have a friend who understood you so well.

“I know. I know.” It’s been hard for you to focus on how you felt, especially since you didn’t want to give much thought to how devastated you were when Dick lost his memories.

You should be jumping with joy, but you feel so numb. So empty. And what scares you is the fact that you don’t know where it’s coming from.

“You still there?” Donna checks in after a long pause, finding your silence quite unnerving.

“Thank you for checking in, Donna. Garth too.” And with that, you hang up the phone. You toss your unfinished coffee into the nearest trash bin and put your head in your hands. You don’t even like coffee.

You almost curse out loud when you see the words written in spray paint right above the bin. “Bludhaven is safe again! Long live, Nightwing!” It reads, with a drawing of his symbol right next to it.

Your eyes slide to the picture pasted below, barely handing on with a measly piece of tape. Your eyes mist over, a shot of Dick as Nightwing staring back at you.

“Handsome guy.” A familiar voice says, and you can feel your body immediately stiffen up. You can’t turn around. You shouldn’t. But your emotions get the better of you.

Your gaze shifts sideways and there he is. Dick Grayson. Not Ric or Nightwing.

“Dick?” You whisper uncertainly. He puts his hands up sarcastically, though his gaze on you remains intent and soft. “Caught me.”

The back of your eyes prickle and you can feel your throat start to close up. But you can’t cry in front of him - not when this is his first time seeing you after everything.

“How much do you remember?” You don’t know if you can even trust yourself to speak, with how foggy your mind is and how much effort it takes you to even utter a syllable in his presence.

“I remember enough.” He takes a step forward, and you don’t even notice that you take a step back before you see the distraught look on his face.

“You didn’t come to visit me.” His words carry no malice, no hint of accusation. Just plain stating. But your guilt still eats at you either way.

Your face falls, too ashamed to look into his eyes in fear that you might get sucked into them. “I didn’t know how to react.” You say truthfully.

“That’s fair.” Dick nods his head before nodding over to the trash can. “What’s not fair is wasting a perfectly good cup of coffee.”

You know he’s only trying to lighten up the situation, but it only makes you realize that he’s been watching you for longer than he’s been speaking.

“Dick, I just need to get my mind right. Set my thoughts straight.” You start carefully, the near-icy weather making you feel numb and frozen up. Or was it Dick himself?

“I let you slip away from me once. I will not let it happen again.” Before you realize it, you two are a step apart from each other. Your breathings are in sync, and you realize that he’s probably as nervous as you are right now.

“That wasn’t your fault.” You shake your head, your shoes being the only thing you can afford to look at for now.

“Then why are you acting so distant?” He sounds pained, and you know that if you look straight at him - you’ll be as vulnerable as he sounds now.

“A lot of things have happened, Dick. You can’t expect to just regain your memories and have everything work out. It doesn’t work like that.” You know you could be acting quite unfair right now, he’s just trying to make amends. But even ice melts when not taken care of properly.

“Can you look at me?”

You shake your head.

Dick gently tips your chin up, slowly enough to let you know that you can push his touch away. But you don’t.

He’s staring at you now, and you can see the faint rims of red in the corner of his eyes. He’s been crying. You can only hope it’s not noticeable on you either.

“I know you’re hurting. And you don’t deserve that. You deserve to be loved for - and I swear to you, I will make up for all I’ve missed. I can promise you that much.” His voice is so soft, his breath brushing against your lips in a way that threatens bringing back old memories.

It takes a lot of willpower for you to not let his words get to you. So you ask a question you know he’s going to avoid. “And what of Bea?”

He looks like you’ve taken him off guard, his gaze faltering. “I broke up with her.” He discloses, self loathing oozing in his words.

“Why?”

“To protect her from the lifestyle I have. She-she shouldn’t have to-”

“Handle it?” You finish for him, unable to hide your frustration. He doesn’t answer, looking at you like he wants to explain something in a way he doesn’t quite know how.

You grab his wrist and push his hand off your chin. Closing your eyes for a moment, you let yourself speak. Really speak.

“Dick, I love you. I’ve known you since we were kids, do you really think I’m capable of despising you? The affection I have for you will never leave my soul until I’m off this earth.” You ramble, months of holding in your tongue coming to a halt.

“So yes, when you couldn’t remember me or any of us, it hurt! I had to pick myself up, start fresh, throw my emotions on the backseat.” Dick looks like he’s about to say something, but he closes his mouth again to let you speak.

“I’m not blaming you for KGBeast’s actions. And I can’t express how much I want his head on a platter for what he did to you. But did you really think nothing would change between us? It’s unfair.”

You don’t even notice that you’re crying until you feel Dick’s hands on both sides of your face, rubbing your tears away as gently as he can with his thumbs.

The moonlight enhances his features, you think. Giving a soft glow to his facial structure, all the way down to the jawline you would press soft kisses to every morning.

“And you fall in love with this beautiful girl. Who makes you happy, even when you’re not you. You got yourself the life you deserved, and you threw it all away!” You know you’re shouting now, and you pound your fists against his chest.

You know even the strongest of your strikes can’t hurt him, which only frustrates you to no end. And the question rises - why do you want to hurt him?

“Why do you do this to yourself?” You cry out, sobbing in between words. “Why don’t you allow yourself to be happy, dammit, Dick!”

Dick does nothing to stop your punches against his chest, instead circling his arms around your figure and bringing you in closer to him.

You’ve missed this. You missed the feeling of him pulling you in, your bodies fitting together perfectly. But not under these circumstances.

Eventually, your punches slow down, weaken. You break into tears, frenzied arguments turning into broken noises and gasps of air as Dick holds you close. He makes sure you don’t fall to the ground, keeping you standing when you don’t have enough strength to do it for yourself.

Your tears make a wet patch on his shirt and he rests his chin on the top of your head, running his fingers down your hair the way he used to. “I know, baby, I know.” He says soothingly, even if the sight of you like this makes him feel like crumbling to the ground too.

“I’m sorry.” He repeats several times, and you are too. You’re sorry for the future you guys could’ve had together. You’re sorry for the missed time. You’re sorry for letting him go.

[farshootergotme]

That post about Dick's training in contrast to the other Robins...

Canonically, the Justice League trained Dick.

It's mentioned in one of the Grayson comics. Dick is kind of fighting an Amazo robot which has the combined powers of all JL members - and Dick knows how to take it down because he has been trained by and fought beside those Leaguers.

Imagine the Justice League sort of ending up co-parenting the Bat's bouncy little Robin.

Yeah, Bruce is paranoid, but he is also a twenty-something single dad to a hyperactive traumatized little sunshine kid, he will take whatever help he can get.

It is actually canon in the World's Finest comics (both silver age and current) that Bruce and Clark basically act as Robin!Dick's dads. Silver Age World's Finest has them taking the Baby Robin to fairs, parks, or to the Fortress just to hang out and play with Clark's intergalactic pets...

Basically, the justice league collectively trains the little acrobat. Ollie teaching him archery. Diana coaching him in sword fighting and lasso. Clark teaching him kryptonian (and acting skills - how to present yourself to the public as a symbol of brightness, not terror). J'onn teaching him mental defense techniques.

The first Robin is Justice League's collective nephew/student.

So...if it comes to people one trained under... Dick can add the entire Justice League in his resume. And also the Titans, given how they trained together...

Yes, thank you! Dick has trained with others than Bruce. Heck, you could say he trains with most members of the batfam, not just Batman, which is a lot already. And, as you mentioned, he also trained with the Justice League:

Grayson #8

In Robin: Year One (#4) it's shown as well how in his Robin days he trained with a subdivision of the League of Assassins, the Vengeance Academy.

We know that he's trained with the Titans (being a team and all), and that's quite a diverse team, so you know he must've learnt lots of things from his teammates.

And if you want to count it, his training as an acrobat since he was practically a toddler can also be added, his parents and probably other members of the circus being his teachers.

Then, going back to Grayson, you can say he also trained with Spyral. He didn't spend months there just to learn nothing.

And this might be wrong, so don't quote me on this, but wasn't he in the Court of Owls for a bit during his time as Ric Grayson? (could be confused, since I just remember hearing something about it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

And fighting villains such as Deathstroke teaches you some stuff, too.

So, overall, Dick's skills has been learnt through various groups and individuals. To say all his training comes from Bruce is straight up wrong.

[celaenaeiln]

Do you have any fic recs where dicks relationship with the batfam is the focus?

Yes! These are all fics I've adored

FAVORITE!! I place this fic on a pedestal. It's one of the best fics of all time - The primacy of personal conscience

Favorite! Another one of my all time favorites. Dick, Jason, Tim are deaged to their robin eras and Damian and Bruce are in their current ages - Just, How

Dick gets split into three personalities - The choice to be seen

FAVORITE!! - Dick's buried. But like hell is the batfamily going to let it stay that way - The unnecessary requiem

ALL of CamsthiSky's fics focus of Dick's batfam relations and are good reads - Link

Small moments with Dick and the family - Snippets

Dick, Damian, and Tim. Absent parent Bruce and needy Bruce are the same person as always- prodigal

Favorite! Dick and Damian's relationship and evolution - Snapshots

Sad fic if Dick's reaction after Ric was darker - Strength in a Lack of Continuity

Batfamily's reaction to Dick's sexual objectification - I can't hear you, I don't fear you now

Good fic about something I don't remember (sorry! It's been years but I saved it so it must be good) with young justice and batfamily reactions that were accurate - End Days

If Bruce was a lot darker and acted on his overprotective tendencies collection. It's centered around Dick - Darkish Batfamily

How the batfamily reacts to Dick getting shot in the head - Fallen

Dick buys a bunch of plants and bonds with all of them - let your love grow tall

All of Danishsweethearts works are good - Danishsweethearts

Sad fic about Dick being batman again and batfamily's reaction. I think Tim would react differently. Maybe. But it's a fantastic angst fic - My life's going by but it's just begun

Dick, Damian, and Dick's massive group of friend and allies - Missed a spot

Dick's a civilian but he's still their big brother - Those times that Dick Grayson got tangled up with the batfamily

Dick, Peter Parker, Cat Noir, Danny Fenton and their fathers. PS they're all socialite friends. This has to be canon - The Black Tux Gang

Angst story about Dick if he had mental illness. No happy ending - Shattered Tea Cups

Dick is a changed man after spyral and batfamily's reaction - Downward spyral

Someone planning a hit on Nightwing? Not if Nightwing does it on himself first (fun) - Money for daffodils

Favorite! Dick has retrograde amnesia and Bruce struggles to cope - Harbor

Dick died seven years ago. And then woke up - Faith and fate

Dick's secret abilities the batfamily doesn't notice - Unusual skills and habits

The truth of Dick's death and everyone's reaction - Code B

Favorite! Dick is Talon, Tim is Red Hood, and Jason is Red Robin - A New Adversary

Favorite! Jason and Dick are close. Told through the eyes of everyone else - proximity

Soft fic. ABO but Dick acting as Tim and Damian's mother - Your truth is a deception meant to poison me

Dick's gone but the rape of him is not. The batfamily will avenge their brother. The whole world will - Take the night back

ABO robin reversal collection - Robin Reversal ABO

Werewolf au where Dick meets Jason and Bruce comes along - Den and Pack

If Dick got deaged to renegade era - Pause in the Pendulum

Sweet fic about the Batbros seeking comfort in Dick - Haven

Favorite! Duke time! The Batfamily teasing Dick lovingly - Shenanigans

Dark batfam fic around Dick - Gaslight Manor

Dick will do anything to protect his family (Has Constantine/Dick) - Time (to protect you)

If Dick was Terry McGinnis' biological father - Beyond the Night Collection

Talon!Dick in the Teen Titans universe with batfamily - Just a dead kid

Angst, sad fic about Dick getting tired of being the mediator - Please just get along (I can't do this anymore)

One of my all time favorites - Everyday one headcanon about Nightwing

Batfamily mourning the loss of Dick's hair - He's shorn, we're torn

Jason tries stealing in Bludhaven rather than Gotham. He meets Nightwing instead of Batman and his life gets a whole lot better - Hot wheels

Stephanie time travels and meets Robin Dick! - Oops

Favorite! ALL of iloveyourwords' fics - iloveyourwords

Favorite! ALL of ScarlettSwordMoon's works - ScarlettSwordMoon

Angst fic. So much angst. Sometimes Jason's anger gets the worst of him but it's not because he doesn't care - not even rain has such small hands

Favorite! The heroes are forced to forget Dick. And they regret (has constantine/dick/zatanna) - Love that burned green against skin

Favorite! ALL of Kuroaki's works - Kuroaki

Dick, Tim, and Jason watch Encanto and, well, Surface Pressure was made for Dick - Who am I if I don't have what it takes

Pre-robin Dick. Dick's only fault is his over-competence - lightning is the shine (but I've been working on the thunder)

Favorite! Dick's name comes out of the Hogwart's cup. This changes everything and nothing - heavy is the crown

The batkids are unhinged. Poor jason - The AU noone asked for

Dick falls. And so does everyone else (iloveyourwords' fic) - icarus

FAVORITE!! Dick, Jason, Damian undercover on a cruise. Everything goes wrong - Like those foreign stars

YJ where Dick joins Deathstroke and Bruce breaks inside - Fallen son

Favorite! ALL of miss_aphelion's works - miss_aphelion

Here's a starter for miss_aphelion's works - Dick of Troy

Dick and Bruce in the eyes of the JL - Boy on the couch

Favorite! Dick is stuck in his dreamworld and his family just want him back - Happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow

Hunger Games Au! Dick volunteers as a tribute - To get a dream of life again

Dick and Bruce and Dick's graceful manipulation of people - Some men fall from grace. Some are pushed

Dick takes time away from Bruce and finds himself again - Local oldest child takes time away from family

FAVORITE!! One of ScarlettSwordMoon's works - shipping rivalries

FAVORITE!! Dick reveals his trauma through singing - A robin's song

FAVORITE!! Dick's personality gets split in three - Three is a party

Dick runs away to Bludhaven but the batfamily won't let things rest - What stalks in my shadows

FAVORITE!! The batfamily is stuck in a timeloop where they can't save Dick - One thousand, Three hundred, and Nine Hours

Tim being a cute menace and feral Dick - little menace

FAVORITE!! Damian has a few choice words to say about Bruce's treatment of Dick - The threat

Slade saves Dick from the Court of Owls and Rose's view of him - Quiet now, you're going to wake the beast

FAVORITE!! Bruce is gone and Dick is seeing ghosts. The batfamily just wants to protect him - The haunting of Wayne house

FAVORITE!! Deaged Dick and Damian collection - you've always loved the strange birds

Dick's been deaged wakes up in a world with 5 robins no thanks to Slade - persephone's in hell

FAVORITE!! The batfamily's in a time loop trying to save Dick - rewind, remix, retry, redo

Funny fics I'm in love with!

Hilarious and all-around fun - Batbros Wreck Havoc

Favorite! ALL of pupeez4eva's fics but here's a starter for fun - That Torturous Thing Known as Time Travel

More fun fic (can you tell I like the humorous ones?) - A Bunch of Ridiculousness

Don't mess with Dick from Jason's perspective. Jason, Dick, and Bruce - Dig Down Deep

Accurate fic about batfamily's reaction to Dick dating Joey - Families Ever Changing

AU: Justice League meeting Nightwing focusing on Dick, Bruce, and Barry - Starry eyed

(Sorry had to slip another one in) JL's reaction to Dick - Your call may be interrupted

The batfamily will not let anyone take cover pictures of Dick - The annual Bludhaven firefighter's calander for charity

Another JLA story. Dick was a wild child nightmare robin - Adventures in batsitting

[zahri-melitor]

Also from Nightwing #96 (2016): I think, if you free yourself from thinking about how Dick and Babs originally got together in post-Crisis, this works as ‘Dick/Babs get together conversation’.

Because. In a reversal of their post-Crisis dynamic, Dick has been the main obstacle in their getting together for a while. Since 2011 or so.

Dick has proposed to Barbara three times when the world was ending and married her twice (Infinite Crisis, Convergence and Dark Nights: Death Metal), but actually officially getting back together post 2004 has been a struggle.

Their moments of cosying up together and wondering if they should try a relationship again have been stymied by such events as: Dick 'dying' in Forever Evil (and Babs mourning what could have been in Batgirl #30 2011); Babs being in a relationship with Luke Fox when Dick finally gets back to Gotham from Spyral; Dick telling Babs he wanted to try dating Shawn Tsang, then immediately having a pregnancy scare, in Nightwing #15 2016; Dick and Babs going straight back into flirting mode immediately after he broke up with Shawn, including Babs building him a whole new crimefighting set up, up to "I know we can't give this a name" as they use the honeymoon suite intended for Bruce/Selina, followed almost immediately by...Dick getting shot in the head and becoming Ric Grayson.

And I think people who are irritated that Babs is so 'no, that's bullshit, I want to be in a relatonship with you' are forgetting that their most recent Big Obstacle was 'Ric' pushing away Babs, so she got to be on the other side of the 'what's happened to you doesn't matter to me, I love you, I love every version of you, I want to help you and get to know your new issues' situation. They flipped their dynamic from 'I worry all you see is the chair'/'the chair doesn't change how I love you', to Babs being the one constantly trying to reach out and reassure 'Ric' that she wasn't caught on the past, she wanted to know him.

So, in a situation where Babs is quietly worried about her spinal implant but publicly stating she wants to live her life to the fullest and do everything possible while she's still mostly having good days before it fails again, and Dick's finally back in his right mind, is stable, single, in Bludhaven and flirting with her...why would she send them back into the loop of 'do you think of me as my disability?' Why would she do that, when she's been the one who has been waiting for the majority of the last eight years for Dick to have his shit together and not be about to disappear on her again.

Dick is trying to pull them back into "there is an obstacle that prevents us from being together!" yet again, and Babs isn't having it. Of course she's laughing at him. They've survived worse, both together and apart, and she's shortcircuiting his pity party because she wants to try doing something different to the cycle they've been in ever since n52 started.

(And as noted, Dick's proposed three times at the end of the world since last time they were 'official', and Babs definitely remembers the Infinite Crisis proposal and there's no compelling reason why she wouldn't remember the Dark Metal marriage. She knows this whole 'my identity is known!' pity party has never yet stopped him from wanting to be with her in the worst of times. So she's stopping it before it starts. It's ruthless and I love her for it)

[pokeberry5]

i’m using your inbox as a confessional because i have to tell someone. i think bald dick during the ric grayson arc was actually incredibly good looking (gets booed offstage)

I can see it anon—he’s got that drowned rat rizz

I haven’t read the ric grayson arc and I don’t think I want to, but the concept of him does compel me. It’s about the terror of waking up in a body marred by violence you don’t remember :]

[avalon-of-babylon]

Cop!Dick is equal to Ric Grayson in my eyes. It's my dc version of "The first Punisher movie was the one with Thomas Jane". That shit didn't happen and as far as I'm concerned Dick's job is and always has been gymnastics coach.

The only reason I remembered it happened is because of a Billy Batson ACAB Twitter post I happened upon by @fawcetttweets , and a month from now, I will have purged it from my memory and be able to live in peace once more.

[northoftheroad]

I love Nightwing, but I haven't read a single run of his because I'm terrified of what I might stumble on to. The first time I opened a Nightwing book I unwittingly witnessed Babs being almost being downright abusive to Dick, which is a shame because I wanted to like then together so much😥 I'm a multishipper and I normally like when heros have more than one love interest, but I've heard the fandom complain so many times about DickBabs being abusive (which feels out of character for both of them tbh).

Is there a run with healthy dickbabs, or maybe a healthier relationship?

I've heard most people say Chuck Dixon's run is the place to start, but I don't want his conservative politics affecting the character. I don't want Dixon to turn Nightwing into some alpha male playboy 😖

I mostly just loved his depiction in the 80s New Teen Titans

Do you have a favorite run, or one you think is good to start on? I would love to know your thoughts :D

Hi,

Every volume of the Nightwing solo has its highs and lows, in my opinion. My personal favourite runs (as in written by one writer) are Peter Tomasi in vol 2 and Sam Humphries in vol 4; both are pretty short, unfortunately.

Dick and Barbara in vol 2 is a discussion in itself (just as some people argue that Dick and Kory in NTT is an unhealthy relationship - sometimes it pays to take a breath and remember they’re all imaginary people, written for drama and to entertain, and that the writing will be a product of its time).

Lots of people love the current (soon to be over) run, written by Tom Taylor. You can see that on that it has been selling well, even if it's often bashed by "old" Nightwing fans here on Tumblr.

I find it pretty bland myself, but I guess that's one place to start. Or indeed with volume 4 from the start. Tim Seeley's run had its moments, Sam Humphries was really good. You can always skip a couple of years, I didn't like #44 and forward, including when he was "Ric".

Here are som earlier posts of mine that you might find useful, to sort out what you'd like to read.

https://www.tumblr.com/northoftheroad/630981157157273600/dick-grayson-timeline-also-known-as-the-list-i

https://www.tumblr.com/northoftheroad/620336340461060096/recommeded-reading-for-dick-grayson-robin-and

https://www.tumblr.com/northoftheroad/713431332049633280/dick-grayson-in-the-new-52?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/northoftheroad/722992279873257472/in-the-last-few-years-there-have-been-several?source=share

Good luck, I hope there is something here you will find helpful!

[thethingaboutnapkinman]

sure we all hate on tom taylor's Nightwing storylines, but remember when he saved us from the whole ric grayson thing? We were about ready to give him a standing ovation