Nightwing’s New Crime-Fighting Tactic Is a Radical Change Batman Will Struggle to Forgive

WARNING: Contains Spoilers for NIGHTWING #119!

Nightwing is officially adopting a Red Hood-approach to crime-fighting, and it’s safe to say that Batman won’t be a fan of this change given his hard, unmoveable stance on dealing with crime. This radical shift is one of the most thrilling developments in Dick Grayson’s character in years and promises to usher in one of Nightwing’s most compelling eras in comics.

Dan Watters, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini, and Wes Abbott’s Nightwing run launches with issue #119, heralding one of Dick Grayson’s most thrilling and transformative chapters yet, as the very foundations of Bludhaven tremble with a significant shift in the power hierarchy.

Following the death of Heartless in Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s run, the city was starting to find its rhythm, with the bosses and underbosses of Bludhaven’s leading gangs coming together to form an alliance aimed at taking down Nightwing. However, instead of forging an alliance, the gang leaders meet their doom when the building they’re convening in explodes.

Nightwing Will Be Fighting a Meta-Clown, a Militarized Police Force, AND Bludhaven’s Gangs

The explosion that kills the bosses and underbosses of Bludhaven’s most prominent gangs marks the debut of Nightwing’s newest villain—an unnamed, seemingly meta-powered clown with an unhealthy obsession for Dick. While Nightwing remains unaware of this villain’s existence and role in the bombing, he fully comprehends the impending consequences: absolute chaos as the gangs, now leaderless, engage in bloody turf battles.The situation worsens when Dick visits his sister, the Mayor of Bludhaven, only to discover her striking a deal with the CEO of a shady weapons company.

This deal will essentially arm Bludhaven’s corrupt police department with military-grade weapons, further intensifying the already escalating gang violence and putting Nightwing in even greater danger as those weapons will likely be pointed at him, too. Despite his disagreement with his sister’s decision to weaponize the police, Dick recognizes that, with the crime bosses gone, it’s only a matter of time before the conflict among the underlings erupts into a bloodbath—unless he makes “a call not everyone is going to like.” This call is Nightwing’s decision to control crime rather than fight it, indicating that he’s taking a page out of Jason Todd’s book.

Nightwing Takes a Page Out of Red Hood’s Book in Crime-Fighting

Instead of Stopping Crime, Dick Is Trying to Control It

After deciding that drastic times call for drastic measures, Nightwing makes his rounds around Bludhaven, breaking up the various battles between the warring gangs. However, rather than arresting the offending perpetrators, Dick makes each gang the same offer: he’ll find out who killed their respective bosses, and until he does, he won’t make any arrests as long as the gangs cease their retaliation and turf wars. He then gives the underlings a communication device, instructing them to call him if any other gangs come after them, assuring them that he will handle it. Thus, rather than fighting Bludhaven’s gangs, Dick is taking the approach of controlling the crime.

Despite not participating in or facilitating the crime himself, Dick Grayson essentially becomes the Crime Overlord of Bludhaven, stepping into a role that is completely unexplored for his character. For fans of the Bat-Family, it’s hard not to see the similarities between this approach to crime-fighting and the one Jason Todd took in Judd Winick’s Batman: Under the Red Hood. Jason is the trailblazer in the Bat-Family when it comes to combating crime through less conventional means—he, too, chose to control crime rather than attempt to stop it completely. However, there are key differences between Jason and Dick’s methods.

Jason notably took a much more direct role in controlling crime, actively participating in criminal activities and eliminating other crime bosses in Gotham. He had no qualms about killing the most despicable criminals and villains. Nightwing, on the other hand, adopts a more passive approach, allowing the gang members to operate freely under certain conditions—such as prohibiting turf wars. Dick is most definitely not going to don a pair of guns or kill anyone; instead, his approach focuses on keeping everyone, even the criminals, safe. Nevertheless, the parallels between Dick and Jason’s approaches remain undeniable.

Batman Is Going to HATE Nightwing’s New Crime-Fighting Approach

Comic Page Comes From Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1 (2023-)

Despite Nightwing’s relatively G-rated approach to controlling Bludhaven’s crime, both he and Barbara “Oracle” Gordon acknowledge that this decision is likely one Batman would disapprove of. Barbara explicitly states, “…I’m not sure [Batman would] approve of putting four gangs of brutal criminals under your protection. He’d probably be more for punching them in their faces.” While Dick acknowledges her point, he believes that his method will result in less bloodshed among the gangs and prevent them from being massacred by the soon-to-be-weaponized police.

Although Batman has yet to catch wind of what Nightwing is doing in Bludhaven, fans can rest assured that he will be far from approving, especially considering Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1 (2023). This issue makes it clear that Batman has an absolute “no quarters” attitude toward crime. Thus, Dick’s willingness to allow any type of crime, particularly that of four violent gangs, directly conflicts with Bruce’s stance that no crime should be tolerated: “We stop crime. We don’t allow some crimes simply because they appear more acceptable than others.” With this in mind, the inevitable confrontation between Dick and Bruce looms large.

Nightwing’s New Crime-Fighting Tactic Is His Best Character Development in Years

Main Cover by Dexter Soy for Nightwing #121 (2024)

Dick’s new role as Bludhaven’s crime overlord and gang protector represents one of the most thrilling developments for Nightwing’s character in years. This transformation showcases a more nuanced approach to crime-fighting, stepping into morally gray territory. Watters has done an impressive job of smoothly transitioning Dick into this role; the rationale behind Nightwing’s choice, combined with Oracle’s support, makes this decision feel organic and true to his character. Fans are undoubtedly eager for news of Nightwing’s new crime-fighting method to reach the Bat-Family, so they can witness the family’s reactions to Dick’s innovative approach.

Nightwing #119 is available now from DC Comics!