This page may contain one or more affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through that link, I may receive compensation. The links will be identified with the text "affiliate link". Click to learn more.
Death reaches us all, even for Dick Grayson. In the Injustice comic book series, Nightwing dies by the hand of an annoying brat who, frankly, should have been killed instead. Damian Wayne, Batman’s biological son, is often portrayed as bitter and naive, which makes comic readers question of the validity of him becoming Robin, since his attitude tends to be the polar opposite of the original Robin, Dick Grayson.
The story is that Arkham Asylum has been broken into (yes, again) and Harley Quinn opens the doors to all the cells. She did it from a standard computer terminal with virtually no security. No wonder criminals kept escaping from that place. Anyway, Batman’s son Damian playing the role of Robin destroys all dignity he had by throwing his stick at Dick Grayson. The result? He trips and breaks his neck over a rock, and Nightwing dies. Talk about rock bottom, he really hit it.
Just like that, the man who was able to dodge bullets like The Matrix is killed by an inanimate rock. So Nightwing dies for no good reason, and Damian is left to look like the douche he is. Naturally, Batman freaks out and Superman has to console Damian for his mistake.
Let’s talk about the irony of the situation. The acrobat extraordinaire, known for his death-defying stunts, meets his end by tripping over a tiny rock. It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? One would expect a grand and heroic death for such a legendary character, but instead, he meets his demise in the most mundane and embarrassing way possible. Talk about a plot twist. Looks like he finally found something he couldn’t flip over.
But let’s not forget the real victim here – the rock. It’s not every day that a rock gets the opportunity to take down a superhero. This rock must have been feeling pretty proud of itself, thinking it had accomplished something great.
It is things like this though that make me smile. The thought that someone unstoppable like Dick Grayson could be killed by some rubble on the ground gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. So if you like knowing that Nightwing dies and Batman losing his marbles, be sure to read (Affiliate Link) Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Impact on Batman
It’s hard not to compare Nightwing’s death to when Bruce Wayne lost his parents in Crime Alley as a child. His death sheds light on a profound aspect of Batman’s origin story. It uncovers the intricate emotional process that Batman undergoes whenever he loses one of his protégés, delving deep into his psyche. Beyond the agony of the loss itself, there is a complex internal journey that connects back to Batman’s own childhood, revealing a primal sense of abandonment that resonates within him, regardless of whether his protégés eventually return. While Batman may not overtly express his affection for his “sons,” the heartrending reaction he experiences upon Nightwing’s demise in Injustice: Gods Among Us exposes the depths of his grief, unearthing a darker and multilayered sorrow that often goes unnoticed by many devoted fans.
Contrary to what fans may expect, Batman’s reaction to the death of Dick Grayson, also known as Nightwing, in the depicted instance from Injustice: Gods Among Us, showcases the multifaceted nature of his grief. It becomes apparent that his love for his sons, despite his inability to explicitly express it, is genuine and profound. This heartbreaking reaction unveils a grief that is darker and more layered than what is commonly perceived by fans.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
It makes you wonder though: has Dick Grayson died in comics before? Well some have mentioned that he may have died during Crisis On Infinite Earths, but that hardily counts. Was it canon? Yeah I guess, but that was the entire point of the mini-series. The idea was to simplify the countless DC Universes by combining them, which required killing lots of people in the process. Obviously there could not be 50 different variations of Superman, and in the same way there could not be a million versions of Robin. So yeah, Dick Grayson died hundreds of times, technically.
But the Dick Grayson from Earth-2, specifically? Yeah, he’s toast. To confirm what I read, I had to go through the miniseries all over again. And let me tell you, Crisis On Infinite Earths is not for the faint of heart. It is extremely convoluted, and the story does not get good until at least a third into this way-too-long story. When I was just about to blow my brains out, I finally found the area where Dick Grayson dies. It is in Final Crisis, the last chapter.
But like I said, although Robin from Earth-2 died, there was still a Dick Grayson left over. Kind of like a convenient back-up, know what I mean? Unfortunately, The Huntress version that was Batman’s daughter died as well. I bet that pissed a lot of fans off at the time.