The Complicated History Between Bruce Wayne & Dick Grayson

[Music] what's up my comic comrades Titan season 2 debuts this coming Friday on the DC Universe streaming service so we thought it'd be fun to talk about the team's leader Dick Grayson but more specifically his complicated relationship with Batman which looks like it might be explored a lot more in season two with that said let's talk about a few of the instances where dick and Bruce have had a falling-out and we'll start with one of their most well known disagreements back during pre-crisis which means before continuity was revamped in any case Dick Grayson Robin has been a member of the Teen Titans since their creation back in the Brave and the bold issue 54 in 1964 but when 1984 is the new teen titans 39 hit stands we found out that Robin was leaving the team Grayson says Wally don't go yet I guess this is a good time as any to make my announcement maybe it's not as big as Wally leaving but it's just as important to me Wally said he wants to grow up a bit in a way so do I I'm giving up being Robin Starfire begs him to change his mind but Grayson says I can't don't you see Robin will always be the back half of Batman he continues to say Robin belongs with Batman fighting at his side trouble is I don't as Grayson continues to talk to the team we find out that yes Robin is leaving the team but he's not just Robin as he's giving up the mantle of Robin as he put it Robin's going back to being Batman's partner and I'm giving up being Robin basically we learned that Grayson has grown out of his sidekick role and in order to discover his place in the world and who he is as an adult he has to leave Batman in the Robin mantle behind he then says it's gonna be a while before I decide what I am and the Titans need a leader in the field so he makes Donna Troy that seems new leader and in tails of the Teen Titans issue 44 Grayson discovered who exactly he would become as an adult and that would be Nightwing now you may be saying that's great but what does that have to do with this falling-out with Bruce well this was all the set up so I can get to that part in Batman issue 416 which takes place post-crisis we learned that there was more to dick dropping the Robin mantle than just wanting to leave Batman's side and figure out who he was on his own in the issue Grayson finds out that Batman has a new Robin via the newspaper that Robin would be Jason Todd this doesn't make him too happy so he heads to the Batcave in full Nightwing uniform when he gets there he beelines it for Batman saying hi Bruce while taking off his mask saying I want to talk Batman's like I haven't heard from you in 18 months why the sudden urge to resume communications Grayson says because you and I left a lot of things on set and I think you owe me an explanation or two bruce says what makes you think I owe you anything Grayson replies the years the years we spent together as Batman and Robin we were the dynamic duo don't you remember dick continues to say I was at your side for six long years Bruce the two of us became legends we took on every criminal and crazy that came our way and beat them at this point we're told about Robins last mission with Batman where the Joker got off a lucky shot which Robin should have seen coming but didn't and took a bullet to the shoulder because of it and while Grayson was in bed recouping Batman broke the news to him that he's retiring him as Robin no ifs ands or buts about it he's like you done son you out Bruce said he couldn't continue to assume the responsibility for a child fighting crime anymore needless to say this pissed grayson off not giving him any say in the matter so he packed his bag and left of course this made Alfred said so I forgave him some money to live on Bruce however didn't even say goodbye back in the present we find out Bruce didn't say goodbye because he was involved with a case at the time which is a total BS excuse he's always involved with the case Grayson then tells Batman have you ever wondered or cared what I've been doing since I left being depressed and not able to concentrate I flunked out of college and bummed around the country for a while but ultimately ended up spending a bunch of my time with my friends the Teen Titans and it was around that time I made a big change threw away the Robin outfit and got a new name and outfit Robin died and from the ashes Rose Nightwing basically he started a new life as the leader of the Teen Titans and regained a new sense of self-worth Greyson then brings up the fact that the man who can't handle the responsibility of having a 19-year old partner suddenly decides it's alright to take on a sidekick he says I think I have the right to know why and Bruce replies that's not an easy question to answer Grayson is like take off the damn mask and give it a try Bruce replies the truth is Nightwing I taught you everything I could it was time for you to step out on your own Grayson is like so you figured the best thing to do was driving me out of your life that's exactly what you do to anyone who gets too close to you Bruce always hurt them before they get a chance to hurt you it didn't matter to you that I didn't have any other life than the one we shared you really are some piece of work aren't you Grayson then asks why the new kid bruce says if I would have left him on his own the boy been dead by now training him to be Robin to focus his anger saved his life but Grayson is like bullcrap I want the truth this pisses Bruce off and he finally says all right I'll admit it I was lonely I missed you now I would appreciate it if you left now Nightwing please get out now this is just the first major falling-out between the two of them there's been several retellings and other instances over the years like this next one from Nightwing 101 in 2005 in this retelling of why Grayson stop being Batman's partner we see that it was because Grayson was spending most of his time with the Teen Titans after a fight with Clayface which Robin was late to because of Titans business which pissed Batman off we see the dynamic duo returned to the Batcave back at the cave Alfred surprised Grayson with a new uniform to which he says looks like I could finally retire the pixies and shorts but Bruce is like We Need to Talk dick interrupts I'm saying I get it you need me in Gotham more and Bruce says this is a war dick Robins my second my lieutenant anything less than total devotion to this cause is simply wasting my time Robin not understanding Bruce repeats himself saying fine I'll say it again you're fired dick get out of my cave Grayson says fine that's the way you want it see you around Bruce then says dick as if to backtrack because he realized maybe he was being too harsh but nope that's not it Bruce finishes his sentence by saying leave the new uniform to witch dick replies fine before leaving the Batcave if you know anything about me I've been watching the show for a while you know that Batman the Animated Series in the DCAU or the Bruce timbres in general is my favorite thing ever and the Bruce Timm verse is also no stranger to Grayson and Bruce having a falling-out if anything this one is actually way more intense in the new Batman adventures episode old wounds in the comic book the Batman adventures The Lost years issue two we see the straw that finally broke Grayson's back dick becomes enraged when he finds out that his ladylove Barbara Gordon is in fact Batgirl to make matters worse he finds out that she told Bruce before telling him but she only told him because Bruce already knew this sends Grayson off the rails but Bruce is like it wasn't my place to tell you which Grayson replies but it was your place to put her in danger Barbara jumps insane it wasn't like that I volunteered dick says you think you did but you don't know Bruce like I do he manipulates pull strings anything to get what he wants Batman's like I thought had the same goals Grayson finally says things change I changed game over Batman I quit and when Batman says Robin wait Robin turns around and lays Batman out with a right hook then throws his mask and cape on the ground pretty much dick f ed up with Bruce as he thought he was just a manipulator and Bruce not telling dick about Barbara and putting her in danger pushed him over the edge but wait it gets better their falling-out is expanded upon in the Batman Beyond 2.0 comic which is in continuity with Batman the Animated Series and the rest of the Timbers it all starts in issue 26 the story picks up after the flashback sequence in Batman Beyond return of the Joker where we see Tim Drake Robin get infected with Joker toxin we see that Tim is resting in barbara and alfred are hoping for a full recovery with the help of dr. Thompkins Barbara then goes into the Batcave where Bruce is ignoring her so she says fine don't talk to me it makes this simpler I told you at Arkham I'm done I don't want this anymore and the other part between us that's over too yeah that's right Bruce and Barbara started dating after dick left Gotham Bruce says I'm sorry you feel that way Barbara but I can't say I'm surprised in the next issue we see Grayson return to Gotham and go to Gotham library where Barbara works saying I came as soon as I could are you okay the two then just hug each other they then go outside on our park bench and just talk about Tim and dick says if I had been here instead of blüdhaven if I was just out with him that night maybe I could have stopped it Barbara then asks him how long he's staying in Gotham and he says I don't know right now the only thing I do know is I want to be close to the people I care about then an issue 28 we see that Babs and dick have gotten back together and it was going so well dick bought her an engagement ring the only problem is Barbara finds out she's pregnant she then goes to tell Bruce I'm seven weeks pregnant Bruce says I'll have to congratulate dick to which she says he's only been back three meaning it's Bruce's kid Bruceton asks her does this change anything between us to which she says no Bruce then says you should tell him however you think is best I don't want a medal Barbara I just want you to be happy but guess what Bruce meddled anyway going up to dick when he was thinking of a weights proposed telling him we need to talk he tells Grayson Barbara and I were in a relationship dick asks how long Bruce replies it's not important this pisses dick off saying you've known how I felt about her since I was in college of course it's important Bruce then says when you left her Bludhaven things changed Barbara made her own choices as hard as this is I thought you needed to know before you did anything rash like proposed dick replies basically saying that's not it this is you just not being able to have something and trying to sabotage it for me and guess what I don't care Bruce Barbara and I are happy Bruce then looks at dick and says she's pregnant needless to say dick starts attacking Bruce in the middle of all this however Barbara sees a crime going down in an alley and goes to stop it but in the ensuing fight she miscarries the baby all of this led everyone to go their separate ways and that my friends is what we call family fallout but yeah I mean this one is really messed up come on Bruce you knew that was his girl and also show a little tact I will say it does make for a great story and I was shook the first time I read this but this brings us to Batman Beyond hush where we get a flashback sequence of dick telling Terry about a time a few years ago after the whole love triangle incident where Nightwing and Batman would fight side-by-side once again when the Joker kidnapped Alfred it was years since they work together and years since Bruce had worked with a partner and Batman being rusty working with a partner made a move that caused a Nightwing to get shot several times by the Joker the wounds were so bad Grayson was hospitalized for a long time and even lost sight in his right eye which explains why when you see future Grayson he wears an eyepatch after this Bruce caught the Joker and rescued Alfred and retired soon after but never came to visit Grayson in the hospital because as Dick said he knew he screwed up but he had grown so unbelievably cold after all he lost his pride wouldn't let him apologize he did however send Alfred to give him a note that said I've got a new uniform waiting for you but that's as close as he got to an apology and that was the last time dick heard from him I love me some Batman and Bruce Wayne but man he could be a cold sob anyway there you have it friends a breakdown of big Grayson and Bruce Wayne's complicated history I definitely think they have one of the most complex and interesting partnerships slash relationships in comics their ups and downs have been nuts and there's even moments I didn't get into but this definitely gives you a solid look at why there's been tension between the two over the years with that said at the end of the day the two do have a strong bond and love for each other with each looking at the other through the lens of a father-son relationship it just so happens that they also have their differences and don't always see eye to eye especially with Vic being a much more optimistic person than Bruce but let us know what you think about the relationship between these two DC Titans in the comments section below first up for the week of September 4th we have absolute carnage issue 2 I'm a 90s kid so I'm all about the symbionts so the fact that scream has her own title tyne it's absolute carnage makes me extremely excited now we have Batman vs al Ghul issue 1 Gotham City is under siege by terrorists and Batman is determined to find the source but when Boston brand tries to intervene he discovers an even more disturbing in deadly truth the terrorists are led by an inhuman monster here we have absolute carnage symbiote spider-man issue 1 this issue gives us an untold story of the Venom symbiote as it turns out the first host wasn't spider-man or Eddie Brock next up we have Justice League 31 the Justice due in part to all I have to say about this issue is the Justice Society of America returns and it can not wait here we have House of X issue 4 writer Jonathan Hickman continues his reshaping of the x-men universe as Xavier dream turns deadly for some of his students and finally we have spawn 300 this is a groundbreaking issue tying for the record of the longest-running independent comic and issue 301 is going to break that record and that's gonna bring another episode of grants to a close but if you enjoyed this episode be sure to check out this one right here and if you like the channel be sure to subscribe I'll see you guys next time when I talk about all things comics

Channel: Variant Comics

Views: 951,206

Keywords: Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, DC, Titans, Justice League, Teen Titans, Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, Joker, comic books, history, comics, Variant, DC Comics, Batcave

Id: VThWRRs7rR8

Length: 12min 35sec (755 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 05 2019