One of Batman’s most essential relationships has been with Dick Grayson as a son, Robin, and Nightwing. He was one of the earliest milestones where Bruce Wayne realized he couldn’t go about his mission alone.
And while their dynamic was tenuous at times, Dick truly came into his own when becoming Nightwing and paved the way for some memorable team-ups in the comics. Hush was one of the greatest examples of the ’00s, while The Better Man one-shot is an underrated intimate look at their bond.
11 Hush
Though not as prolific as The Long Halloween or Dark Victory, Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s Hush was a landmark in Batman mythos. It’s also one of the best comics with Batman and Catwoman, with the former tracking down a mysterious figure from his past out to ruin him.
Nightwing ends up playing a rather important role in the plot, supporting the Dark Knight in solving the case, but also with his relationships. Hush saw Batman reveal his identity to Catwoman for the first time, and Nightwing was the one to encourage Bruce to be more trusting.
10 Court Of Owls
The New 52 reboot paved the way for one of the best contemporary Batman runs, with The Court of Owls being an early highlight. This arc saw the resurgence of an Illuminati-like crime organization hidden in the city that the World’s Greatest Detective thought he knew best.
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s The Court of Owls was a gripping event storyline, and it required the force of the Bat family to help him — Nightwing included. While the team-up strained their dynamic, it ultimately helped lead to one of Batman’s most cathartic victories in modern DC comics. Even more tantalizing is Dick Grayson’s revelatory tie to the Court itself.
9 The Better Man
Tom King’s run on Batman during the Rebirth era was seen as a mixed bag of highs and lows, but The Better Man one-shot was undoubtedly the former. Written by King and illustrated by Matt Wagner, The Better Man took place in the aftermath of the wedding that never was.
Batman and Nightwing pair up to handle a string of the Dark Knight’s more cartoonish villains. However, this brief story is so rewarding because it tells parallel stories of some of Dick and Bruce’s most somber moments. It shows they were ultimately there for each other when they needed it most, highlighting the touching strength of their familial bond.
8 Death Of The Family
Snyder and Capullo’s time on Batman was filled with highlights, and Death of the Family proved another monumental arc. It’s one of the best modern Batman and Joker face-offs in comics, with the villain returning from hiatus to punish Bruce’s extended Bat family.
The Clown Prince of Crime wants the terrorize the family to make himself the center of Batman’s world, involving Nightwing in the grisly plot. It’s a Joker story that sells its stakes well, making the danger and stakes feel horrifyingly real for Nightwing, Robin, and everyone else involved.
7 Battle For The Cowl
Though Bruce Wayne remains the definitive holder of the Dark Knight mantle, Dick Grayson arguably showed to be his suitable successor. After the brutal Justice League arc Final Crisis, Battle for the Cowl saw Gotham become a battleground for who would replace Bruce.
Meanwhile, the villains seize the moment to climb up the underworld ranks, making for a believably tense setting on multiple fronts. Tony Daniel’s story arc is a key moment not just in Batman mythos, but also for Dick Grayson’s narrative development. He’s already well-established as Nightwing at this point, but being next in line to don the Caped Crusader’s mantle added a new layer to his character.
6 Prodigal
Even with the impactful events of Battle for the Cowl, it wasn’t the first time that Dick Grayson put Nightwing on hold to become Batman. Spanning various series, writers, and artists, Prodigal follows Dick as he adopts the mantle of the Dark Knight in the aftermath of Knightfall.
The latter was one of the most important Batman ’90s storylines, with its consequences making waves across the mythos. Bruce was still recovering from the spinal injury he suffered from Bane, putting a massive burden on Dick’s mind. It’s a fascinating viewpoint from which to view Batman’s perspective and the weight of what that means. Even so, Grayson triumphantly honors its legacy while making it his own.
5 The Black Mirror
Though more of a Batman/Nightwing crossover in spirit, Scott Snyder, Jock, and Francesco Francavilla’s The Black Mirror is an excellent shout. A Batman arc from Detective Comics, The Black Mirror sees Dick Grayson’s Dark Knight tackle a series of gruesome cases.
It blends the most iconic characteristics of both personas and drips with a moody crime-noir atmosphere. And perhaps the best example of it, The Black Mirror, provides a refreshing point of view of what the Batman mantle means as Dick Grayson. His internal monologuing is a great window into this perspective.
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3 A Lonely Place Of Dying
Primarily a story about Tim Drake assuming the Robin mantle, A Lonely Place of Dying is a pivotal period in the Bat family’s mythos. Created by Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, and Jim Aparo, this arc sees Tim and Nightwing attempting to rescue Batman from himself.
In the wake of Jason Todd’s murder, Tim and Dick coming together in A Lonely Place of Dying is a prime example of how the Dark Knight can’t work as a lone wolf. It’s a fantastic story of Tim coming into his own as the Boy Wonder, but it’s also a noteworthy adventure of Batman, Nightwing, and Robin together against a resurgent Two-Face.
2 The Joker War
During the DC Rebirth era, James Tynion IV and Jorge Jiménez built up to the explosive event arc The Joker War. The Clown Prince of Crime goes after Batman in another deeply personal way, waging war to claim Gotham City and effectively defraud the hero.
Joker might feel saturated across mediums, but The Joker War managed to be a good excuse for an action-packed team-up event. Nightwing makes a welcome guest appearance in suitably charming and stylish fashion, further showing how important his relationship with Batman is after so many years.
1 Failsafe
Both Batman and Daredevil are enjoying top-notch creative teams, with Chip Zdarsky taking on the Dark Knight on top of the Man Without Fear. And in his first arc with artist Jorge Jiménez, Failsafe has the hero witness one of his contingency plans become his worst enemy.
The titular cyborg was designed to counter the Dark Knight in the event Bruce goes rogue, culminating in a thrilling series of team-ups. It took a combined herculean effort from Batman’s friends and allies, including Nightwing. His role doesn’t last long, but Zdarsky and Jiménez handle his appearance with fitting theatrics.
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