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Dick Grayson

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Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman, Teen Titans and Justice League. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940 as the original and most popular incarnation of Robin, Batman's crime-fighting partner. He is the eldest child of Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, the first child to be adopted by Batman. In Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July 1984), the character, after becoming an adult, retires his role as Robin and assumes the persona of Nightwing.

As Robin

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In incarnations of Teen Titans

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  • "With you guys, it seems like I'm hot stuff … a know-it-all … but I've been back with The Batman again, and next to him I feel like I'm a stupid kid repeating fifth grade … for the third time." (New Teen Titans #20, 1982; by Marv Wolfman).
  • Batman: You lead the Titans well, Robin -- I guess even the teacher can learn from his pupil... his former pupil.
  • Robin: Thanks, Batman! But you know what they say... a pupil is only as good as his teacher... and I had the best there is. (Batman & The Outsiders (first series) #5, 1984, by Mike W Barr).
  • I grew up surrounded by a sea of faces awash with the myriad emotions of all mankind. The rapturous joy of circus-goers, the panicky fright of fleeing felons, the warm tenderness of fast and good friends. So many faces. Good. Bad. Indifferent. All drawing me to them like some swirling tide about to suck me under. Sometimes I have to come here, simply to be alone before my mind fairly explodes with confusion. But most of the time I can't escape." (The New Teen Titans (first series) #38, 1984; dialogue by Marv Wolfman
  • Donna Troy: You didn't have to do this, Dick, I would've understood.
  • Dick: And ruin my reputation as the teenage Ellery Queen? M'lady, when Deadeye Dick takes on a case, he doesn't give up. (The New Teen Titans (first series) #38, 1984; dialogue by Marv Wolfman

Robin: Year One

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  • Two-Face: You were the only choice for a comrade-in-arms?
  • Robin: I was the best choice. (Robin: Year One, 2001; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).
  • Dear, Bruce... I guess it's time for me to move on. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do if I'm not allowed to help you anymore. Alfred doesn't need to worry about entertaining me and taking care of you, too. You don't want a partner. And you don't need a son. I'm sorry I failed you. I won't forget everything you've given me. Thanks for teaching me how to be strong. - Dick. (Robin: Year One, 2001; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).

Other

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  • Robin: Hey, Batman, what're we gonna do once we finally get rid of all the criminals and everything? Move to another city?
  • Batman: I don't think that's something you have to worry about, Robin
  • Robin: Okay,so, then we'll just stay in Gotham and keep doing this, right? Forever and ever?
  • Batman: We'll do this as long as it's effective. And feasible.
  • Robin: Right. Like I said. Forever... (Nightwing #75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)
  • Batman: "It's not that I don't think of you as an adult, Dick. It's … "
  • Robin: "That's just what it is, Bruce. You can't get over thinking of me as a kid, as Robin, the Boy Wonder. Well, I'm not a boy wonder anymore, Bruce. I'm a full-grown man, a detective, just like you." (Batman #331, 1980; dialogue by Michael Fleisher).

New 52's

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  • Dick: So...I'm going to be in the Justice League someday?
  • Bruce: No. (turns and walks away) You're going to lead it.

As Nightwing

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From Incarnations of Teen Titans

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  • "The Batman taught me, guided me, trained me. What I am I owe to him. What more can I say? And Superman. I grew up in your shadow, too. You taught me honor, selflessness, and the true meaning of the word 'hero.' … I'm the sum of so many people who have influenced me, shaped my thinking, and given me love. Mom and Dad, you were the first … what you gave me will never leave. It's forever locked in my heart and in my soul. Batman, you took in a young, frightened boy. And you showed him how to become a good man. Kory, it's so funny. I spent the better part of last year fighting to forget what made me me. I almost alienated everyone, but you stuck by me and I love you for that. I gave up being Robin because that tied me to Batman. But now I become someone new who commemorates all those who made me someone special." (Tales of the Teen Titans #44, 1984; by Marv Wolfman).
  • "Hard to imagine me without the Titans, either. I think the Titans helped define me. I was always the bottom half of Batman and … Now I'm Nightwing, myself. No junior partner. Whatever I do from now on is my choice. It's scary sometimes. But it's always a lot easier to let others tell you what to do. Don't quite feel like an adult yet, but I think I've grown up … I certainly don't make decisions rashly anymore. And I wouldn't quit college today just to rebel against Bruce. Fortunately, some mistakes can be fixed… Yeah, I'm grown up, but I still don't know what I'm going to do when I'm really grown up…. Doctor, lawyer, indian chief? They all sound good to me. What do I do when I take off my costume? If I were Batman, I'd become Bruce Wayne, professional cypher. I think he'd give up being Bruce in a second if he thought Batman could go out during the day. I can't. I need my normal life. Bats need the night. Robins need light." (The New Titans #71, 1990; by Marv Wolfman).
  • "You molded me and taught me, Bruce. For years, I lived under the shadow of The Batman. I wanted to get away, to be my own man. Yet, when I chose a costume and a name, they reflected you. You're a part of me, Bruce. I can't deny it. And I don't want to any longer. I just wanted you to know that. That, and one other thing -- I'm proud to have been Robin." (Teen Titans Spotlight # 14, 1987; dialogue by Michael Reaves).
  • "I just want to get married. That'll make everything fine. Y'know, Donna's wedding went so smooth. Bruce isn't coming, and I can tell everyone thinks I'm doing the wrong thing. I just don't get it, Roy. Things used to be so simple, so clear … so black and white. When did the world become so gray?" (The New Titans # 100, 1993, dialogue by Marv Wolfman).
  • "Parents, friends and lovers, you taught me, helped me, nursed me and cared for me…. Nightwing's got his act together. He's still going to do what he can to keep the world from spinning into chaos … but Dick Grayson needs some time to figure out what he wants. I want you to be proud of me, but even more importantly -- I want to be proud of myself. It may be a couple of days or weeks or even months, but I'll see you guys soon. Till then -- I love you." (The New Titans # 114, 1994; dialogue by Marv Wolfman).
  • "Try to understand our position here, Batman. You began training to be a hero as a young adult. For me and a lot of the other Titans -- like Vic -- that training shaped and influenced most of our childhood. Unlike the JLA, the Titans aren't just about a promise to the world -- it's also about a promise to each other … to ourselves. We swore on our childhood nightmares that we'd be there for one another. If I don't honor that I don't honor who I am." (JLA/Titans # 2, 1998; dialogue by Devin Grayson).

From "Nightwing: Year One"

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  • And I'm unique in this family, a talker among writers. Alfred's got his journal. You've got your files. Babs keeps an account of everything. While I've only ever recorded a message like this once before... the first time.
  • [Alfred] always had faith that the dynamic duo could survive anything. Except maybe each other.
  • Sometimes I'm surprised I can even stand on a high ledge after what happened to the Flying Graysons. Boss Zucco could have sabatoged Haly's Circus any number of ways to drive down business and get his protection money. Instead he gave the crowd that night a show they'll never forget. I know I won't. When my mom and dad died, attendance actually went up.

From the Nightwing series

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  • "What I've gotten is the realization that you did the best you could with what you had. You weren't a perfect father but that's okay because -- probably nobody's a perfect father. No family's perfect, either. I was lucky. I was privileged. Not because of the big house and the money, but because you gave me a lot of yourself. You taught me, you showed me, you encouraged me -- you never lied to me and you never demanded that I be anything I'm not. I didn't imitate you because you insisted that I do so, but because I wanted to. Of all the men I knew, you were most worthy of imitation." (Nightwing Vol 1 4, 1995; by Dennis O'Neil)
  • "I've got one more thing to say. You and Alfred gave me a home and you gave me what we don't mention. The L word. You were the best family I could have had. Thanks." (Nightwing Vol 1 4, 1995; by Dennis O'Neil)
  • "I've always taken it for granted that I'm fighting the good fight, I guess mostly due to my faith in Batman. But I have to admit, up here on the urban highwire, I take a lot of liberties. I tell myself they're all justified, but isn't that what everybody tells themselves? Does anybody wake up thinking, 'Today, I'm going to cross the line'?" (Nightwing Vol 2 5, 2003; by Devin Grayson)
  • "I'm the protector of this city. I know how arrogant that sounds, and I know that I operate outside of the law sometimes -- but I also know that I've trained hard to do this work, and that I fully understand the complexities of the job. I have experience, I have motive, and I have backup. So as insane as it is to be out here at all, I'm the closest you'll get to the real thing. And I am asking you 'Tarantula,' who do you think you are?" (Nightwing Vol 2 75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)
  • "My first thought is for this new Tarantula's safety -- the assumption that she is a potential casualty. That's a Batman thought. My second thought is for my safety -- the possibility that she's a potential enemy. That's a Batman thought too. It's not until she's actually doing it that I allow myself to hope that she might be helpful -- a potential ally. Thats a Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson kinda thought. My thought. Two and a half seconds in. But better than nothing."(Nightwing Vol 2 75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)
  • "Who do I think I am? Good question, really, and I'll answer like this: I've seen too much to be Robin, but I'm still too optimistic to be Batman. I'm Nightwing. I'm Officer Dick Grayson. I'm Barbara's boyfriend, Bruce Wayne's adopted son, and the last living member of the Amazing Flying Graysons. I'm happy." (Nightwing #75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)
  • "Every now and then I have the feeling I've totally lost my mind. It's a great feeling." (Nightwing #86, 2003; by Devin Grayson)
  • "What are we doing, Bruce? When I was growing up with you, I always knew exactly where the line was... exactly what we did, exactly what we didn't do and why. But Jason didn't know what the hell he was doing or why, and Tim spends half his time trying to decide if it's even worth doing, and Stephanie... [whisper] Stephanie went up against odds so bad that even I would have to say it couldn't be done. [regular volume] Do you still know? Do you still know what we're doing? Because you seem murky to me, Bruce, you seem closer and closer to the line every time I look at you, and that line keeps moving, and me... Bruce, I'm lost." (Nightwing #99, 2004; by Devin Grayson)
  • "The effect Bruce has had on my life is profound. There's no question that knowing him had changed me, changed my relationship to the world, profoundly. I'll admit that there were times when I felt restrained somehow... bridled. There were times when the mission seemed like alot to carry... Times, even, when I wondered if the whole thing didn't go against my essential nature. More often though, though, this work that I've done with Bruce has felt like an advocation, a perfect expression of everything I've ever been capable of becoming."(Nightwing #100, 2005; by Devin Grayson)
  • "My father and Bruce both taught me similar moral codes, for vastly different reasons. Both considered their codes immutable, but somehow my dad's always expanded enough to let me grow into it. Whereas Batman's was, of course, completely inflexible, and every bit as inspiring as it was impossible. Who's son will I turn out to be?" (Nightwing #100, 2005; by Devin Grayson)
  • I may not be your partner anymore. But I'm just as committed to your crusade as the night you made me swear the oath. I wanted you to know that. And something else... You were the best father you could be. Given the circumstances. (Nightwing #100, 2005; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon)
  • "No killing. As you just saw, I'll happily beat anyone you point me at so badly that your mark won't move a single muscle independently over eight months. But I do not kill. No cops. No capes. And no kids. Ever." (Nightwing #107, 2005; by Devin Grayson)
  • [Talking about what Rose Wilson said earlier] It wasn't just a thought, it was a wish. A wish for family. It pervades this place. Rose wants to know the dead half-brothers she probably never met and every girl in this facility wants someone they can count on and call their own. We all want something that will last forever. But what we get is love. Batman would say that morals are the bottom lines, the thing that lasts. I've heard him say that no matter what depend on yourself to respond with predetermined ethical integrity. I know that's true for him, but I'm not so sure I agree with the principle in general. I think most of us surprise ourselves a lot. Most of us run on the fly. Maybe what matters most is the person we're hoping to impress. For years and years, I tried to evaluate every move I made through Batman's eyes. I was morally reliable, almost predictable. Whether or not he actually held me accountable to standard I set for myself in his name was irrelevant. I was inspired. When I finally let go of that. I was lost. I could still operate on habit, but everything felt empty. I didn't belong to anyone. I had nothing to live up to. For a short, wonderful while I had Barbara, and that worked, that was more than enough. She was a friend an intimate and an inspiration. And she was smart enough to know I still had some growing up to do. Suddenly, I have a whole new appreciation for Batman. Having someone count on you for their physical and emotional safely is intense. It's another another set of expectations you have to live up to. And maybe they're even more demanding than the ones you set up yourself. Ultimately, I'm sure we have to frow to become our own judges, and mentors, and charges. And I'm also sure that that's going to be the hardest goal of all to live up to." (Nightwing #112, 2005; by Devin Grayson)
  • "Babs, I know we've been through a lot together, and I haven't always been the man I've wanted to be for you. And I realize now that I still have a long way to go, but... but I'll never get there without you. Barbara, I have to leave in a few hours to try and save the universe and I don't even know if I'll be alive tomorrow, but if I am -- will you marry me?" (Nightwing #117, 2006; by Devin Grayson).
  • "We're a nation of somnambulists. And where there are people awake, there's money to be made... There were lots of theories on why we don't sleep enough-- everything from stress at the office to too much caffeine... But I got my own, simpler theory... I think a lot of people just lead lonely lives... And there's something comforting knowing there are a lot of other lonely people out there too, watching the same crappy movie you're watching at two in the morning... Yeah... it's about being alone... in a city of millions... I can relate." (Nightwing #123, 2006; by Bruce Jones).
  • "Sometimes there's simply nothing you can do... nothing. Batman warned me about that long ago. I nodded, but I didn't believe him... Nobody's helpless, I thought. Nobody's totally without resources. Man, I was wrong. Still am, maybe..." (Nightwing #124, 2006; by Bruce Jones)
  • "Long ago we realized we can't possibly solve all the world's problems. And maybe we shouldn't even try. We understood that we needed to develop out hearts and minds and not just our fighting skills. With all the good that needs to be done, it was impossible to accept that nobody should ever do what we do 24/7. That way lies madness. Trust me, I know. If you come to believe you're a god and you fail, where does that leave you?" (Nightwing #125, 2006; by Marv Wolfman)
  • "Rule of thumb: when one gets bogged down, stop thinking, get a massage from a beautiful woman and let your mind wander ..." ( Nightwing #126, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)
  • "I had asked myself what I want to be when I grow up. That's assuming I'm allowed to. The voice - the one that won't go away - keeps reminding me I was supposed to have died. Not once. Twice. I think I'm living on borrowed time. But at least I'm living. So why don't I feel … I don't know … happier?" (Nightwing #128, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)
  • "'When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.' And unless you're stone, it changes you. It has to. There I was. Six feet under. Buried over. And I'm not stone. Never wanted to be. Never thought I had to block out the rest of the world and never wanted to hide from it. Still, sometimes late at night, half asleep, half god knows what … it suddenly bothers me that they say the nut doesn't fall that far from the tree." (Nightwing #128, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)
  • "A chapel is sitting peacefully on the hillside and I wonder if it can really help me find peace. Then I wonder, would I know what to do with all that quiet? My parents didn't much talk about God. Bruce never did. Though I'm pretty sure he believed in the devil." (Nightwing #128, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)
  • "Early on, Kory asked why do I do this? [...] She asked why, when I get up in the morning, I look forward to putting on my costume and fighting the bad guys. But we got interrupted by the Fearsome Five or Deathstroke or some other nutjob super-villain. I never answered her. Always thought I was a fairly well adjusted guy who looks forward to wearing a costume. I mean I'm not out for revenge. I don't need to prove anything to myself. And I have money. More than enough to buy my own island hideaway. So why do this? Why do I do any of this? Barbara would say it's because I know it's the right thing. 'When you look into the abyss...' But no. She's wrong. It's impossible to think of anything other than the immediate moment when you're trading punches with some meta powered glandular reject. When your fist connects with flesh, you're not thinking of the past. When their fists dislodge bone, it's hard to think of some stupid thing you said to someone you love … that sent them running away. And when you are half-dead on the ground, half-blown to pieces … it's impossible to think. Period! I should find Kory. I should find her and tell her that I don't do this because it's the right thing to do. I do this because it's the only thing I dare let myself do. I do this because its easier … 'the abyss also looks into you' … easier than having to think." (Nightwing #128, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)
  • "We go topside. I Ching stays to secure the Lazarus Pit. Says 'To prevent forever from happening again.' I say 'I want to party with you cowboy.' The reference is lost on him." (Nightwing #139, 2008; by Fabian Nicieza)
  • "They say skydiving is for people with a death wish. I've come to learn it's for people with a life wish. A wish for things to be as amazing as jumping out of a plane on a beautiful clear day from so high up that you feel you can almost touch the stars. And thats what I am going to do soon. Make the great leap. Touch the stars. Not as Nightwing. Not as a Titan. Not as an Outsider. Just as me. Richard Grayson." (Nightwing #141, 2008; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "I close my eyes now for a few moments and I can see my parents riding the air current with me. Forever young. Forever strong. Their faces wide with excitement, big smiles on their faces, enjoying the adrenaline surge even more than I do. And there is one thing I am sure of … my parents would be proud of my life." (Nightwing #141, 2008; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "Whenever someone's asked what power they wish they had, flying is always at the top of the list. But I have to admit. I've learned to love falling too." (Nightwing #142, 2008; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "Impressive, Doctor Pennyworth. I'm gonna call Doctor Mid-Nite and maybe you guys can team up for a new reality show: "The Brave and the Bald."" (Nightwing #148, 2008; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "Life's a carnival, Barbara, believe it or not." (Nightwing #150, 2008; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "Okay Mom and Dad, your 'Flying Grayson' is about to take the great leap. Or as they say in French, Le Grand Saut. Down, down, and away. I'd say I wish you could see me now, but I know you're watching me - I can feel angels on my shoulders. And probably a bat too. You said some records aren't meant to be broken, Bruce. But more than anything, I wish you were down there right now watching with Alfred and Tim as I break this one." (Nightwing #151, 2009; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "I think you should look at the sword I used today, Ra's, as a reminder that I'll always be there to face down evil, wherever it goes, wherever it hides. Always. (Nightwing #152, 2009; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "Commuter train's a a good way to come into Gotham. Could've taken the shuttle from JFK to Goodwin Airport - a forty minute ride instead of a six hour one. But this time it felt like steel wheels were the way to go. I wanted to be closer. So I can see the enemy … and the people I"m here to protect and serve." (Nightwing #153, 2009; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "Never been one for collecting things - holding onto stuff … less is more. There's a freedom to keeping possessions down to a minimum - going a little Spartan isn't a bad way to go through life. Sounds hypocritical coming from the guy who now lives in the manor on the hill, but its not my manor and its not my - ah, who am I kidding? It's really the only home I've ever known - I have to own up to that." (Nightwing #153, 2009; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "Bruce has given Tim, Alfred and me an incredibly comfortable life free from want. The Wayne family name's always been synonymous with public service. And honoring the Wayne family name is the particular way that we do every night will always be our responsibility. My responsibility." (Nightwing #153, 2009; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "Thinking of Bruce kneeling here alone in the blood of his mom and dad - the cordite of the fired gun still fresh in the air … it takes everything I have to hold the tears back. So much loss. It's strange how in the end that cold, evil deed even dictated my own future. I see Bruce. I see me. And seeing those old wax spots on the cave floor a few weeks ago got me thinking about the oath I made to Bruce … and what it really means. The light from the candle didn't just help us see the words better that night … The light from this candle was a beacon for the wounded soul of a young boy … it helped me see a path of selflessness and devotion. Devotion to the common good. And this light must always shine no matter what. In those single life-altering moments … we both had to depend on the kindness of strangers. And lucky for us … they were caring and loving people … at the end of all that pain and horror. Thank you, Bruce. There will always be hope in Gotham City." (Nightwing #153, 2009; by Peter Tomasi)
  • "I'm done taking any more day jobs. It's simply not necessary. Gotham needs my attention 24/7. I owe it to Bruce-- hell-- I owe it to Gotham. I grew up there, it's my hometown, it's in my bones." (Nightwing #153, 2009; by Peter Tomasi)
  • We want the same things, Mr. Wayne. And if you'll let me, I want to help you fight for them. (Nightwing Vol 3 0, 2012 by Kyle Higgins)
  • The city has thrown its worst at me. It's taken its best shot... twisted creations and all. But I'm still standing. I'm still here. Now, Gotham has nothing that can scare me. (Nightwing Vol 3 1, 2011 by Kyle Higgins and Rod Reis)
  • I want to save the soul of Gotham. (Nightwing Vol 3 10, 2012 by Kyle Higgins)
  • This is the first time I've been out here since Damian saved the city. The first time since...Robin died. Two weeks ago, Joker turned my world upside down. He burned Amusement Mile. The people I trusted -- and who trusted me-- either died or left for good. But Damian was there. He was my brother. And now...now I'm supposed to move forward. Right. Forward. (Nightwing Vol 3 18, 2013 by Kyle Higgins)
  • "You know everything has just changed. Part of you thinks your life is over. The other part thinks that's just something people say. You're in shock. It does feel real. Your friends are there for you. But they don't understand. You're only sure of one thing. You want to hurt the person that hurt you... Time moves on. You start a new life. Part of it's a defense mechanism. You don't want to defined by the terrible thing that happened. You don't want to be hurt anymore. You want to be someone stronger. So you "try on" different people. Until you find the right you... Then one day, your old life comes back. It turned out different than how you imagined. You friends have changed as much as you have. You wonder if that's somehow your fault. If you're the reason things feel apart. If you should have done something different. A lot of things go through your mind. You start to question what you've become. What you could have been. What some say you should have been. You worry you haven't done enough with your life. That your parents wouldn't be proud of you. You swear you're going to do better. You're going to be better. You're going to build a legacy. But sometime you don't get the chance. Sometimes you do let people down. But not always.(Nightwing Vol 3 29, 2014 by Kyle Higgins)
  • Part of it's a defense mechanism. You don't want to be defined by the terrible thing that happened. You don't want to be hurt anymore. You want to be someone stronger. So you "try on" different people. Until you find the right you.(Nightwing Vol 3 29, 2014 by Kyle Higgins)
  • "The last few years haven't been easy. But for every Court of Owls, every Amusement Mile... There's a morning like this. There's a Jen. And most days that's enough. To focus on the positive. To keep looking forward. To really give someone a chance. Because when you get down to it, my life isn't about the costumes or the bad guys. It's not about the cities or symbols. It's way simpler than that. I mean, I grew up in a circus. It's always been about catching people when they fall." (Nightwing Vol 3 29, 2014 by Kyle Higgins)
  • "We fall because someone pushes us. We get up to push back." (Nightwing Vol 3 30, 2014 by Tim Seeley & Tom King)

" I owe it to mom and dad to face fear with a grin. And I try to pay Bruce Wayne back by doing for others what he did for me. By being their net. By catching them before they hit the ground." (Nightwing Vol 4 1, 2016 by Tim Seeley)

  • "I trusted someone. And people died. Just like you, Jimmy. It made me question who I trust. If I even trusted myself. But when I look in the mirror, I don't see a monster. I see a human. Someone who makes mistakes, and tries to do better. Like the Run-Offs. Like Shawn. You went looking for monsters. Because what you see in other people... it's your own reflection." (Nightwing Vol 4 14, 2017 by Tim Seeley)
  • "For a second I think I'm still in the ocean of worlds. But this my world. My story. I'm the hero. And this is most definitely the villain." (Nightwing Vol 4 17, 2017 by Tim Seeley
  • "I've spent so much time making sure I'm not driven by tragedy. By revenge. By anger. It's important to me. Having that pregnancy scare and everything we went through, made me realize I want my child to learn that from me." (Nightwing Vol 4 23, 2017 by Tim Seeley
  • "When someone dies, their passing does something strange to everyone who knew them. It forces a reset. In the seconds, minutes, days after, you ask what life will be like without them. And you ask if you're doing the most you can...with the short amount of time you've got. Who are you? Why do you do what you do? And what do you really want?" (Nightwing Vol 4 28, 2017 by Tim Seeley
  • "You were supposed to be watching out for her from the shadows. If you'd followed Zucco, you'd have seen him put acid on the line. But instead you saw the bigger get. The better hand. So you built a new brand to hide behind. You cobbled together a costume taken from a half-dozen different super-heroes to convince yourself you weren't the bad guy. You built a metal glove and named it after the Romani wizard Suyolak, chained to a rock to prevent him from destroying the world. You caged the fingers that had betrayed you and destroyed your world. You blamed Bruce Wayne. The rich. The elite. Me. Anything to avoid blaming yourself. Dealer wins." (Nightwing Vol 4 32, 2018 by Tim Seeley
  • "Yeah, well...I had everyone fooled. Everything they called me back then...The young daredevil! A living hurricane! Hard-fisted little-scrapper! I was punching and kicking and joking all the time...everyone forgot what I had been through. I was still a kid who saw my parents killed. Becoming a crime-fighter wasn't a cure for my grief. It was an outlet. And sometimes, all that pain...it made me reckless" (Nightwing Vol 4 37, 2018 by Sam Humphries)
  • "Yeah. I mean -- of course. They have to take responsibility for the things they did, but -- none of us are our worst moments" (Nightwing Vol 4 41, 2018 by Sam Humphries)
  • "...While it's great to be a person that others can rely on, a person they need. I've learned that it's okay to need them, too. That's what friends are for, right?" (Nightwing Vol 4 43, 2018 by Michael Moreci)
  • "Something happened last night. Something I can't quite make sense of. As Dick Grayson, I'm a guy who will always choose a face-to-face conversation over a phone call or an e-mail. And as Nightwing, I'm the kind of hero who prefers to crack a jaw or sweep a leg over chasing some invisible threat. But bank robbers no longer wear ski masks and carry shotguns. They hack accounts. And assassins don't position their rifles on rooftops. They program drones. How do you fight? How do you date? How do you even talk to anyone anymore. The rules keep changing. It's honestly hard to know how to be alive right now." (Nightwing Vol 4 44, 2018 by Benjamin Percy)
  • "Can we please go back to the days when all you needed to be a hero was a grappling hook and a tireless supply of punches?" (Nightwing Vol 4 46, 2018 by Benjamin Percy)
  • "I'm not going to pretend to be the best motorcyclist in this race. But once you get me up in the air... it's no contest. This is the equivalent of a violent trapeze. And with circus physics on my side... I can deliver the endgame." (Nightwing Vol 4 49, 2018 by Benjamin Percy)

Other

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  • You'll never know if you can fly unless you take the risk of falling
  • If you want Robin to stay dead, that's okay with me. But you've trained me too well -- made me what I am. You can't keep me from pursuing my own destiny.
  • He raised me to think. But he’s no longer thinking. He taught me the importance of justice, but lately he hasn’t been just. He was like a father to me, and I loved him… and though he could never bring himself to say it, I know he loved me too. I feel like the child of an alcoholic - you know the problem isn’t yours, but it is. You want to help, but you don’t know how, so you lie awake at night in fear and confusion, and nothing gets resolved. I’m not sure, but I think Bruce is going crazy, and I’m lost not knowing what to do.
  • I used to think he was more real as Batman than as Bruce Wayne...but because he can't just be some cold super-hero around me, I think Bruce is becoming more real too. Look, I know what we're doing is important, but it's not everything. Mom and dad always taught me to enjoy myself, I think maybe I'm helping Bruce to enjoy himself, too.
  • Dick: You weren't the perfect father but that's okay because -- probably nobody's a perfect father. No family's perfect, either. I was lucky. I was privileged. Not because of the big house and the money, but because you gave me a lot of yourself. You taught me, you showed me, you encouraged me -- you never lied to me and you never demanded that I be anything I’m not. I didn’t imitate you because you insisted that I do so, but because I wanted to. Of all the men I knew, you were most worthy of imitation. Then I blamed you for letting me be who I was. Pretty dumb.
  • Bruce: Dick, I don't --
  • Dick: Hold it. I've got one more thing to say. You and Alfred gave me a home and you gave me what we don't mention. The L word. You were the best family I could have had. Thanks.
  • [Talking about Blüdhaven] It's a hopeless case. A lost cause. A town so mired in corruption and sin that it's drowning … When Batman sent me here, I thought I'd solve one case and book. But then I realized … if I could make a difference here -- well, that'd be something. This filthy old town needs me…. Surrounded by a dozen of my worst enemies. No way out. Nowhere to hide. The little brat was right. I do love it.
  • Lady, every morning when I drift to sleep, I hear the screams of loved ones I didn't save. Don't you dare lecture me on what I know.”
  • [Talking to the new JLA during the Obsidian Age] The transition is going to be... difficult. The more I look at the shoes we're suppossed to walk in, the more it scares the hell out of me. But it doesn't matter. We were chosen to be here. Out of many other possible candidates...He chose us. A master of human condition. A cynic, a believer. He chose us to carry on where he fell... and we accepted. We will not mess it up. End of speech. I don't want to make another one. I hate making speeches. So... the first official roundtable of the Justice League is now in session. Let's do some good.
  • I had a good teacher, except for the interpersonal skills and the ability to work with others. That was me.
  • You prepare yourself for this day … well, prepare is the wrong word … Do you prepare yourself for the sun to rise, or for water to flow from a tap? No. These are knowables. These are eventualities. I knew I would never see him as an old man. No, he'd leave us in a box, with jet black hair, and the only lines on his face would be ones brought by injury. You knew it wouldn't end well. Despite all the training. All the brilliance. All the strength … under it all there was just flesh, blood and bone. And a man who never feared death. You know as well as I do he was frightened of a great many things, but his own mortality barely made the top hundred list with him. I just … I … I just wasn't ready to lose him.
  • You know, maybe it's a good thing the Watchtower was destroyed. Maybe it's time you guys stopped playing God from on high and started remembering how the real world operates.
  • This fight can't be won if we pull our punches.
  • There are things that none of you are willing to do. Things that have to be done for the common good. I will do these things.

Roy had the idea for this team. He said it'd be all about work this time. We wouldn't fight alongside friends. Or family. It would be about the job. I don't like it very much. And I don't think I'm very good at it. I got this team to this place that Checkmate felt the need to step in and step on us. That shouldn't have happened.

  • I always wanted - expected to-to grow up and - and become him. And the hero bit, I'm still all in. But that thing inside of him, that thing that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of his mission, that's not me. I don't want to be Batman - anymore.
    • (Young Justice (TV series), 2010)
  • I don't care who my ancestor was. Or what the Court of Owls wanted me to be, I don't. We are who we choose to be, Bruce. Not the role the past says we should play. The court of Owls is just another bad guy, Bruce. They're little grayer around the temples is all. Yes, you made a mistake and underestimated them but they're not Gotham City, Bruce. And neither are you.
  • Any sheep-rattler can win with a fist, yeah? Only we can win with a story.
  • He [Batman]caught me before I hit the ground. He was my net. He taught me to focus my anger. To stop myself from hating the world. From blaming everyone for the evil of a few. And then I realized how lucky I was. I realized I had to pay it back. I owed it to other people to be their net. I had to dedicate my life to being there to catch anyone who needed it.
  • I was Robin. I was the first. I wore the colors you're wearing. I bled them black. That means I get the blame for what's going on here. For all of you. For what you're done. What you're going to do. You're wanted by the police. You need help. You need to become what you think you are. That's my fault. And that's my responsibility.
  • I miss you. Every day, I think about you both, and I wonder... I wonder what you would say if you could see me now. Mom, dad... would you still be proud of your son if you could see what I've become? Would you cheer me on? Or would it scare you to death that your son is a vigilante?
  • Agent 37: Summer Camp
  • Agent 1: What?
  • Agent 37: When I was a kid, Bruce decided to send me away for a couple of weeks in the summer. He'd been as a kid, and figured it'd do me some good. Camp White Fawn, it was called. There were kids from all over. Jersey city. New York. Gotham Academy. A bunch of strangers lumped together in tents and cabins to build birdhouses, play tug-o-war, and swat mosquitos. And the weird thing was, all of these kids who started out was total strangers became friends, enemies or "romantically involved," like right way. It happened so fast. Something about everyone starting from the same place... Alone, excited, scared, and missing home... It made all those relationships so much more intense. That's what "being a spy" is like. Summer camp.
  • They say in Spyral, the only operative you can trust is yourself. But I'm starting to think that they couldn't be more wrong. After all, there's no one better at lying to you... than you
  • Oh, Otto. You stupid, evil maniac. Always forcing yourself into places you shouldn't, thinking you're invincible. Always falling into traps. Risk is what I do. Risk is who I am. What's one more leap without a net? Tsuchigomo.
  • He saw that we could be better than him. That our lives didn't have to be defined by our traumas like his was. You don't understand Batman. You don't understand Robin.
  • Titans. We're not kids. We're not sidekicks and wannabes. We're not children you can prey on. We're not the Teen Titans. We are the Titans.
  • ...So we learn. Fast. And save people. We don't kill and we don't let others kill. That's the Titans' remit. My team. My rules.
  • The rational part of me, the grown-up, says we're totally screwed. The problem is too big and terrifying. But the kid in me? You know, the Teen Titan? He's fearless, and his hope is absolutely limitless. You know that feeling, Raven. It's why we all choose this life. And that's why it has to be the Titans. Together. Fearless as kids, strong as the Justice League.
  • Lesson one: Improvise. Leap first. Figure it all out on the way down
    • (Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, 2020; Marv Wolfman)
  • Ignore your mentor do what you do best. Be you.
    • (Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, 2020; Marv Wolfman)
  • I am in the Titans, remember. Black holes. Alternate universes. Aliens.
    • (Nightwing: Our Worlds at War Vol 1 1, 2001; Chuck Dixon)

As Batman

[edit]
  • "If only Jason could have reached out to us. Any one of us. He could have saved himself. But you know what? Some people don't want to be saved. Because saving means changing. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the mirror and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that you should have been. The you that got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural trajectory and twisted it. Changing it into something unimaginable … or even incredible … giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your destiny, and finally realize that you are Batman.
  • This is it. Batman and Robin. Together again for the first time.
  • Don't ever let me forget the golden rule, Alfie. The show must go on.
  • Comissioner Gordon: … I allowed you access to a suspect and you dragged him screaming through the the streets? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?
  • Dick: I'm Batman. (Batman and Robin #3, 2009; by Grant Morrison)
  • Batman is NOT dead. And I don't mean this in some spiritual pep talk sort of way. That he now "...lives on through all of us." I'm not being sentimental. What I mean is, the world cannot know he's dead. Most don't even know he was human. Vampire. Demon. Ghost. We all know the myths. But that's all we have left of him. The fear he instilled. That is his legacy. And we need to honor that. We need to honor him. To acknowledge his passing flies in the face of everything he fought for. Everything he was. The criminals, the monsters, the ones who dedicate themselves to doing wrong need to think he can't die. They need to think he's still out there. Batman lives. Always.
  • I believe Bruce would have 'smoked' the place … meaning he'd drop a few flash bang grenades, and the joint would have emptied in a panic. But he'd leave a batarang in the wall to let them know he was there. Better to instill fear and be unseen. He and I are different in a lot of ways. I was born into a circus. A trapeze artist. I know that sometimes people need a show … and I'm a born entertainer.
  • I've spent years as a student of my own behavior. And I mean that in the least egocentric way. When you devote much of your life to putting your life on the line, you have to take great care in what you do and how you do it. There's very little room for carelessness. Carelessness is born out of complacency. Or out of cockiness. Sometimes it's a combination of the two. That said you can learn from your mistakes. You dissect the situation, find where you erred, and plan for 'next time.' That is if you haven't screwed up so royally that you might now survive your own idiocy for there to be a next time. If it seems like I'm being too hard on myself, it's because two major league psychopaths are trying to kill me.
  • I am not Bruce Wayne. But when lives were lost … and the entire city was at stake … I did what Batman had to do. I acted as the Dark Knight. To the best of my abilities - I became him. And I succeeded. Not at Dick Grayson. And not as Bruce Wayne. But as Batman.
  • Sometimes the lines get blurred. Sometimes the only thing between you and them is the mask and cape.
    • (Batman: Streets of Gotham Vol 1 8, 2010; by Mike Benson)
  • Sometimes the hardest lessons are learned in the midst of a storm.
  • --A Batman who's enjoying the thrill of being expendable. And a robin who's willing to die for the cause. Una memo looked into the heart of what Bruce did without even meaning to. Not this time
  • When I was a boy, my parents kept a big map of the country tacked to the wall of our dressing room. The map had pins stuck in all the places our troupe was going to stop that season. Different towns and cities were marked with different color pins. Blue pins meant small towns … which meant small shows, less dangerous tricks. Red pins meant big cities. So, big shows and more dangerous tricks. All the stops were marked red or blue .. except for Gotham City, which was marked by a black pin. According to my father, the black pin meant no holds barred. Pull out all the stops. Bring down the house. It meant put on the biggest, riskiest show of the season. No catch wires. No safety nets. Everyone pushing themselves to the limit. I remember one time when I asked my father why. What made Gotham so special?And my father, he looked down at me and he said … 'Some places just have a hunger about them, son. And you either feed them what they want … or you stay, far, far away.'I've felt it many times myself, that hunger … the way Gotham will start pulling at you when it wants something, when it wants more … it's been feeling like that a lot lately. Wild and strange, and most of all -- hungry.
  • ...but Gotham doesn't change you. She just reveals things, whether you like them or not.
  • Lately it just feels like the city [Gotham]is getting meaner, wilder. Something is changing. Some nights I feel like I barely recognize it anymore.
  • Gotham is a place you can never get above, a place you can never see clearly. Every time you try to get some purchase, the city changes beneath you, surprising you in new, terrible ways.
  • I am a softy and I do try to see the best in people, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid.

Quotations about Dick Grayson

[edit]

In Fiction

[edit]
He didn't come from a world of privilege. He was a performer. Gifted in that way. And while, at the time, the transition from Robin to Nightwing was... difficult for us both -- it was a day I had long prepared myself for because... Dick was born to be in the center ring.
I've brought a young man -- a boy, actually -- to stay at the house. He's … lost his parents at roughly the same age that I … That I lost you. I don't know what will happen. I don't see myself as any sort of father figure. But … I think I can make a difference in his life.
As I see it, your parents were show business people, Master Richard. Those are your roots. Try to think of your Batman not as a memorial -- you and I know he'd hate that -- but as a performance. Think of Batman as a great role, like a Hamlet, or Willie Loman … or even James Bond. And play it to your strengths. Master Damian will undoubtedly be racing towards trouble as we speak. Curtain's up. And the spotlight is on you now. Everyone is waiting for the hero to take the stage.
  • "Dick is like my own son!....Your honor, I ...I love that boy! Please don't take him from me!" - ("Bruce Wayne Loses the Guardianship of Dick Grayson!",1943 scripted by Bill Finger)
  • "Nightwing. He is the best. The only one I could have picked to lead you. He will honor you. He will make you champions." - Batman (JLA #69, 2002; Joe Kelly)
  • "I'm going to give you a bit of advice. You're ready to graduate. Leading the JLA proves it. You can handle bigger and better than you are now." - Batman (JLA #76, 2002; Joe Kelly)
  • "Dick has always spoken to me without fear. No matter what else has happened to us through the years --- he has earned that right." - Batman (Batman #615, 2003; Jeph Loeb).
  • "The first person I ever revealed my identity to was Dick Grayson. He was about the same age I was when my parents were killed. His parents -- circus acrobats -- had been murdered. And I... wanted to make a difference in his life... The way, if my parents had lived, they would have made a difference in mine... Through the years, I've debated whether it was fair of me to take him in. Train him. Give him another identity to hide behind. But, I've learned that Dick wasn't like me. He didn't come from a world of privilege. He was a performer. Gifted in that way. And while, at the time, the transition from Robin to Nightwing was... difficult for us both -- it was a day I had long prepared myself for because... Dick was born to be in the center ring." - Batman (Batman #615, 2003; Jeph Loeb).
  • "I know you follow a code. And I respect you. You're pretty impressive for someone without super-powers, and I... Appreciate what you tried to do for my boy." - Slade Wilson (Nightwing #80, 2003; Devin Grayson).
  • "[At his parents' graves] I've brought a young man -- a boy, actually -- to stay at the house. He's … lost his parents at roughly the same age that I … That I lost you. I don't know what will happen. I don't see myself as any sort of father figure. But … I think I can make a difference in his life." - Bruce Wayne (Batman: Dark Victory #9, 2000; Jeph Loeb).
  • "In accessing the risk involved for Batman in acclimating new recruits to his team, we would be remiss not to examine the circumstances and consequences surrounding the first addition to the Dark Knight's campaign. Though to call Dick Grayson a 'recruit' is misleading. As well as I profess to know the Batman, even I can't be sure what he was thinking when he agreed to assume legal custody for the orphaned boy who would be the first Robin. I can tell you about this boy. He was fearless. He was effusive. And he was full of grace. So maybe it was just greed that made Batman take him? Maybe it was sympathy for his situation? Recognition? Maybe no good general would turn down the opportunity to implement a gifted soldier. Or maybe the Dark Knight knew, somewhere in the back of his head, that he couldn't face the entirety of his mission alone." (Batman: Gotham Knights #10, 2000; by Devin Grayson)
  • "Deep within the caves beneath my father's house, I remember what Catwoman said. "A father's love can be a terrible thing..." How the rage brought in by the death of The Roman changed Sofia's life … and what the murder of my own father brought out in myself. Now, I see in Dick the chance to help him cope with his own loss … and guide him into being a better man for it." - Batman (Batman: Dark Victory #13, 2000; Jeph Loeb).
  • "Compassion is an honorable quality, Dick. One any father would be pleased to see in his son ..." - Bruce Wayne (Gotham Knights #21 2001; by Devin Grayson)
  • "I'm playing 'chicken' with a kid called 'Robin.' I don't know why he's showing off. I don't know why I'm going along with it. I don't even know where we're going. It could be a robbery. Or prison break. A gang war. Or free donuts at Lenny's. He sees that Bat-signal in the sky and takes off. Like a bird out of Hell. And he just expects me to follow him. And I do." - Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) (Batgirl: Year One #08 2003; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).
  • "The Flying Graysons would be proud... I know I am." - The Flash (Wally West) (Flash plus Nightwing #01, 1997; by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn).
  • Alfred: Ever since you were a child, I have seen in you such luminosity of spirit... It was truly almost visible -- some indefinable and yet unmistakable fire at the very core of your being that allowed you to survive and thrive where so many others... [long pause] But now that very spark seems to have vanished from you, Master Dick, as if it had never lit your heart. I do not know why and I do not know how to help you. But I fear that without it, this life you and Master Bruce lead could well prove... [whisper] unsurvivable.
  • Dick: Alfred, what are you talking about? Bruce hasn't had any innate inner optimism this whole time, and he'll outlast every one of us!
  • Alfred: But of course he's had optimism! He has had you. (Nightwing #99, 2004; by Devin Grayson)
  • "Listen … do you hear? The rumble and honk of trucks and vans. The early deliveries have begun and with them, another day. in an hour the sun will rise over the tallest buildings and the citizens of Gotham will waken and yawn and be about their business. Until then, this extraordinary young man and I will talk of good and evil and the kind of masks we all wear. We will wonder together about what is the most real - the mask or the face. Soon, he will be gone, but I will still be here." - Millicent Mayne (Batman #684 by Denny ONeil)
  • "Dick Grayson. Age twelve. Aerialist. The best I've ever SEEN." - Batman ("All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder #3", 2005; by Frank Miller)
  • "He's a born detective...I've always been the smartest kid in class-- but this Grayson, he's something" ("All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder #8", 2008; by Frank Miller)
  • "This kid's brain is as fast as his hands. He's a natural learned faster than I did. The kis almost scared me, last time we trained. It was the last lame ass spinning kick of his... I thought I could teach him to make it less embarrassing. And Dick shows up already miles past me with a flying triple kick I never imagined. Me. I never imagined it. Me. "Almost scared," Hell. He scared the crap out of me. He might just be a genius. A genius or something worst" - Batman (All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder #9, 2008, by Frank Miller)
  • "Next to Barry, I learned the most from Dick. We had our battle. But in the end I'd miss him an awful lot" - Wally West (Flash Vol 2 #245, 2008; by Alan Burnett)
  • "No one can be [Batman]. But someone can represent what he stood for. The ideals that made Batman -- justice, consequence, and ironclad resolve to protect. And there is none other that has the wherewithal to uphold those ideal than you … Richard Grayson." - Alfred (Battle for the Cowl #2, 2009, by Tony S.Daniel)
  • "Dick's known me longer than anyone else on this planet. Nobody understands me the way he does. He's become a master at hiding... But it's not too difficult to track him down. All I need to so is look in the shadows. That's where he lives now. No matter how long I live on this planet, no matter who I meet. Nobody means more to me than Dick. More than a friend. More than a teammate. More than a lover. From the very beginning, he was my connection to this planet. - Starfire (Titans Vol 2 21, 2010; by J.T. Krul)
  • "He still managed to get words out. Dick was always the toughest." - Batman (Gates of Gotham #5, 2011, by Scott Snyder & Mike Johnson)
  • "I never doubted it, Dick. Given enough time. Enough time I'm sure you'd make an even better Batman than me." - Batman (Superman/Batman Vol 1 56, 2011, by Michael Green & Kyle Higgins)
  • That makes him the smartest guy..." - Owlman (Justice League of America Vol 2 53, 2011, by James Robinson)
  • "Out of all Barbara's friends, you were the one who always seemed the most different from me. You always went around with your heart on sleeve. You were genuinely nice-- that was the thing. It wasn' an act. You cared about everyone." - James Gordon Jr. (Detective Comics Vol 1 881, 2011; by Scott Snyder)
  • "...It made me realize something. Something big. What I realized was empathy, Dick-- Empathy is the greatest human weakness. It's a handicap. A vestgial limp" - James Gordon Jr. (Detective Comics Vol 1 881, 2011; by Scott Snyder)
  • "You see, this place is special, Dick. It is a city of nightmares. And I'm yours. I'm the face you see in the glass. A man with no conscience. No empathy." - James Gordon Jr. (Detective Comics Vol 1 881, 2011; by Scott Snyder)
  • "But some things never change, like the sight of a Grayson on the trapeze. Can't fake that. Can't hide it..." - Jack Haly, Young Justice, 2012 (Tv Series)
  • "...I guess that's why you're you. You got the gift of not dwelling." - Barbara Gordon (Nightwing Vol 3 17, 2013, by Kyle Higgins)
  • "You trust people, Nightwing. It's what makes you who you are." - Damian Wayne (Nightwing Vol 3 18, 2013, by Kyle Higgins)
  • "As I see it, your parents were show business people, Master Richard. Those are your roots. Try to think of your Batman not as a memorial -- you and I know he'd hate that -- but as a performance. Think of Batman as a great role, like a Hamlet, or Willie Loman … or even James Bond. And play it to your strengths. Master Damian will undoubtedly be racing towards trouble as we speak. Curtain's up. And the spotlight is on you now. Everyone is waiting for the hero to take the stage." - Alfred Pennyworth (Batman and Robin #2 by Grant Morrison)
  • "“He likes to free-fall. To him, this is fun. He handles the pressure — the responsibility — all of it, so … effortlessly. I wish I could be so comfortable in my own skin.” - Tim Drake/Red Robin (Red Robin #23; by Fabian Nicieza
  • "So far I'd say you've been my favorite partner. We were the best, Richard. No matter what anyone thinks." - Damian Wayne (Batman, Incorporated #8, 2013 by Grant Morrison)
  • Superman: Everything you've done, everything you set in motion is because you felt you couldn't trust the people around you. And you know what? You can't. But on my Earth it's different.
  • Batman: What happens to everyone on this Earth when yours comes back?
  • Superman: They'll be folded into historical fabric
  • Batman:You mean they'll die.
  • Superman: No. They'll be replaced, just as everyone on my Earth was. But they'll be better. I never lie, Bruce
  • Batman: And what about Dick Grayson?
  • Superman: Yes?
  • Batman: Is he a better man on your earth than he is on mine?
  • Superman: No. (Infinite Crisis by Geoff Johns)
  • "The first robin, Dick Grayson turned out okay, but he always seems like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders" - Beast Boy (Teen Titans Vol 5 24, 2016 by Tony Bedard)
  • "My people muttered name for him. Almanqidh Majhuli Alhuia' 'The Faceless Savior.' The man who came to destroy our quest but instead helped us revive it. The selfish man who acted with selflessness. The liar who helped lead us to truth. I never saw him again. I know nothing more of Agent 37" - Azrael (Grayson Vol 1 3, 2016 by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly)
  • "He was a trickster, a thief, and he didn't know when to shut up. But he was still a better hero than me, even with a ring." - Simon Baz (Grayson Vol 1 3, 2016 by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly)
  • "I'n not like Grayson,... I can't work for someone whose agenda trumps everything else including the lifes of innocents. I can't smile and nod to one face knowing there's at least one more face where that one came from. And I can't be surrounded by liars and murderers without becoming one myself." - Midnighter (Grayson Vol 1 7, 2015; by Tim Seeley and Tom King)
  • * "The Great Rebuilder and Catalyst of Change. Eternally reborn to start anew." - Nightwing (Nightwing: Rebirth Vol 1 1, 2016 by Tim Seeley)
  • "You vouching for someone is worth its weight in gold. It was true in my world, and it's true in this one. In facts, of everyone I've met here, you're the least changed from the version I knew. Always confident, always kind, always cool. Dick Grayson-- The multiversal constant." - Superman(Pre-Flashpoint) (Nightwing # 9, 2017 by Tim Seeley)
  • "Jericho told me... that you had some kind of special talent. That you could almost fly, take down legions of bad men, that you could do the impossible." - Adeline (Titans)
  • "I'm not kidding myself. Nightwing's about the best there is. He got the moves. The speed. Years of world-class training with the greatest in the business. ...I'm good, but he's a damn machine... And there it is. That tiny hesitation. The one chance I was counting on" - Roy Harper (Titans Apart, Part Two, 2018; by Dan Abnett)
  • "You're more important than you realize, Nightwing. You're at the center of a web of heroes and villains. Every choice you make ripples outward and affects them all." - Cimialcinnus (Nightwing Vol 4 49, 2018 by Benjamin Percy)
  • "I hate the boy who fears nothing!" - Scarecrow (Nightwing Vol 4 50, 2018 by Benjamin Percy)
  • "I've become you, Dick Grayson... Bruce's ward. His true confidant. Always there. His best friend" - Hush (Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs Hush, 2018 by Tim Seeley)
  • "I knew a boy once... He simply knew no fear. I thought it was a mask, a facade, but I came to realize it was the greatest weapon he had. Not only had this allowed him to understand and cope with adversity. It allowed him to thrive because of that adversity. I long believed that fear alone-- fight or flight-- was all that kept us safe. But that boy showed me there was another way... And now, Ric, you have shown me that method works. To eliminate fear as an option-- To ignore it's very existence-- is a very... Worthy approach." - Scarecrow (Nightwing Vol 4 54, 2019 by Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza)
  • "Impressive. Richard's superiority is evident, Beatrice. He's everything I dreamed of and more... He is now a true assassin. A Talon born and bred... He is as much as a Talon as I am. Unstoppable and deadly." - William Cobb (Nightwing Vol 4 67, 2020 by Dan Jurgens)
  • "How do I fight him? Dick was trained by the best ever. He's Batman's equal." - Barbara Gordon (Nightwing Vol 4 73, 2020 by Dan Jurgens)
  • "You are not Dicky-Boy. Or even Ric! You are not some anonymous guy in a suit of action! Your name is Dick! And you are no more The Joker's child than I am! You were the first--the best Robin! You built the Teen Titans into an enduring force. Look at that suit! These days, you are...Nightwing!" - Barbara Gordon (Nightwing Vol 4 73, 2020 by Dan Jurgens)
  • "Dick Grayson has been a showman about as long as he could walk. I still remember going to see him at the circus. He was everything I wanted to be. Hell, he still is. He was the first Robin. The founder of the Teen Titans. The first sidekick to go off and make a name for himself. Nightwing." - Tim Drake (Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, 2020; by Adam Beechen)
  • "Before I put on suit, I begged him to take it back. That's Dick for you. Grinning as he offers you the role that everyone and their brother knows belongs to him. He was the first. He's the best. He's always going to be the role model." - Tim Drake (Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, 2020; by Adam Beechen)
  • "Dick Grayson's resolve is far too strong to ever be darkened." (New Teen Titans Annual #7, 1991; by Marv Wolfman)

As a character (in reality)

[edit]
Robin was an outgrowth of a conversation I had with Bob. As I said, Batman was a combination of Douglas Fairbanks and Sherlock Holmes. Holmes had his Watson. The thing that bothered me was that Batman didn't have anyone to talk to, and it got a little tiresome always having him thinking. I found that as I went along Batman needed a Watson to talk to. That's how Robin came to be. Bob called me over and said he was going to put a boy in the strip to identify with Batman. I thought it was a great idea" ~ Bill Finger
Bruce Wayne in my mind came from privilege and I think that's why he's more dour and angry. He's self-made as far as his becoming all of these cool things we like him for... Dick Grayson didn't come from that. Dick Grayson came from a circus family. Essentially people who aren't rich and they are self-made. They're entertainers. They're gymnasts. They're people who live hand-to-mouth and that's something that informs him and his attitude... he's a fascinating guy to me, because he had all the same things happen to him. He's got some of the same negatives as Bruce Wayne and then from a society standpoint -- obviously he was adopted into Bruce Wayne's life... but he didn't start that way. ~ Chris McKay
Throughout his history, Dick Grayson has been an integral part of one of the most famous and financially successful franchises in history. Dick has also repeatedly been on the cutting edge of developments in superhero comics, starting with his inception as the first sidekick and continuing to his adoption of Batman's cowl. But the character can also serve as a lens for viewing the world outside of comics, whether it be moral development, the homoerotic, or gendered readership. Dick Grayson is not simply a one-note sidekick but one of the most complex and developed characters in comics. ~ Kristen L. Geaman
Dick not only saw his parents die, but he was raised by Batman with a strict code of ethics. Whereas Batman festered with his anger, Dick did not. But Dick saw how someone like Batman was able to help him and many others. Since he fought alongside Batman, he saw how much good he could do, and therefore he has the need to continue to do it. But unlike Batman it doesn't come from some long ago need for revenge, it comes from a true desire to make a difference. Therefore Nightwing has a positive attitude rather than a negative one. But it has had impact on his persona life, and now that he's in his mid-twenties, his early decisions are demanding some new thinking. ~ George Perez
  • After 1941 or so, Whitney Ellsworth and his editorial successors steered Batman and robin's career, assigning stories to a variety of writers and artists. That corporate approach froze the characters in place for decades. Panels from the early 1940s look almost interchangeable with panels from the early 1960s.
  • The unchanging nature of those Batman and Robin stories did not hurt their appeal to the young readers who were the main market for super-hero comics. In fact, the team became one of the most popular and enduring in the genre, appearing together in every issue of Detective Comics, and then Batman, and then with Superman on World's Finest. Indeed, the Boy Wonder was popular enough to appear on more ccomic-book covers in the 1940s than Batman himself.
  • Nostalgist Don Edrington (nine years old in 1940) recalled:
    My favorite superheroes were Batman and Robin. I especially liked them because I could identify with Robin-I was sure he was exactly my age. I was positive of that when i first started reading the comics at about age nine, and I was still convinced he was my age when I was fourteen or fifteen.
  • In Manufacturing Desire, communications professor Arthur Asa Berger (seven years old in 1940) wrote:
    Like many other super heroes, Batman provides youngsters with a young side kick hero to identify with-Robin, though it is Batman who captured the imagination of children the most.... During the Batman rage of a number of years ago [presumably the mid 1960s], many children in my neighborhood used to tie a towl around their neck and play Batman. It was always the youngest and weakest children who were forced into the Robin role.
  • Robin was an explicit role model for youngsters. The last panel in Batman #1, spells out the values that he stood for and urges readers:
    "Always be helpful to those who need help!"
    Why not become one of "Robin's Regulars?" No button or badge is needed- the world will recognize your golden acts without them! Be a "Robin Regular" by being regular!
  • Robin was an outgrowth of a conversation I had with Bob. As I said, Batman was a combination of Douglas Fairbanks and Sherlock Holmes. Holmes had his Watson. The thing that bothered me was that Batman didn't have anyone to talk to, and it got a little tiresome always having him thinking. I found that as I went along Batman needed a Watson to talk to. That's how Robin came to be. Bob called me over and said he was going to put a boy in the strip to identify with Batman. I thought it was a great idea"
  • I knew many homosexuals but I certainly didn’t think of Batman in those terms. I thought of it in terms of … Frank Merriwell and Dick Merriwell, his half-brother, who was the kid he was taking care of. … In America we always talk about the Western hero and the pioneer kind of man—the Davy Crockett types—as being loners. They’re never really. They always have a sidekick. … Certainly there’s no homosexual relationship. It’s just part of the American syndrome. … It was just that the author realized that you’ve gotta have somebody to talk to. Sherlock Holmes had Watson—were they homosexuals? Baloney. You just can’t have your hero walking around thinking aloud all the time. He’d be ready for the men in white coats after a time. So we created a junior Watson and that’s all [Robin] was.
  • The character beat I find most interesting with Nightwing is how deeply he experiences frustration and pain, and then how totally done with that he is by the time he's making an actual decision or evaluation. He's not in denial about the darkness in his life the way Batman sometimes is, and in fact he's remarkably self-aware and conscientious, but he acts from a place of loyalty and gratitude and even joy.
  • The dynamic that most interested me about Batman from day one was that he was, in his own weird way, a parent - and that relationship is just as fascinating when you flip it to look at it from Dick's point of view. As Robin, Dick lived out one of the most enduring human fantasies: the chance to be respected by and useful to a hero figure who fills your life with adventure. The price paid for that, though, is having Batman as a parent - Batman who is able to do the incredible things he does in part because he has sacrificed other developmental aspects of himself, such as the ability to be intimate or supportive. And in the face of all of this, Dick has had some resentment and some anger and, I think, a lot of pain, but he has also never for one moment of his life shied away from it, or away from Bruce. He embraces his life and his vocation and his sometimes-difficult mentor with absolute commitment and gratitude. Nothing is wasted on Nightwing - he makes use of every single gift bestowed upon him.
  • Throughout his history, Dick Grayson has been an integral part of one of the most famous and financially successful franchises in history. Dick has also repeatedly been on the cutting edge of developments in superhero comics, starting with his inception as the first sidekick and continuing to his adoption of Batman's cowl. But the character can also serve as a lens for viewing the world outside of comics, whether it be moral development, the homoerotic, or gendered readership. Dick Grayson is not simply a one-note sidekick but one of the most complex and developed characters in comics.
    Surprisingly, especially given the interest in studies of popular culture, Grayson has received scant scholarly attention. Grayson has been connected with Batman for all but the Bat's first eleven months (May 1939 to March 1940), but, even if scholars are not deliberately excluding Robin from consideration, they tend to select topics of inquiry that focus on Batman alone. Those already familiar with the character will note that Grayson played a large role in a number of team books such as Teen Titans and The New Teen Titans. Unfortunately these books have received scant scholarly attention.
  • Bruce Wayne in my mind came from privilege and I think that's why he's more dour and angry. He's self-made as far as his becoming all of these cool things we like him for... Dick Grayson didn't come from that. Dick Grayson came from a circus family. Essentially people who aren't rich and they are self-made. They're entertainers. They're gymnasts. They're people who live hand-to-mouth and that's something that informs him and his attitude... he's a fascinating guy to me, because he had all the same things happen to him. He's got some of the same negatives as Bruce Wayne and then from a society standpoint -- obviously he was adopted into Bruce Wayne's life... but he didn't start that way. He's this guy who has all these negatives and then even more negatives and yet he remains... Those are things why I like Dick Grayson, why I like the idea of Nightwing as a movie.
  • Dick Grayson is kind of this consummate superhero. The guy has been Batman's partner since he was a kid, he's led the Teen Titans, and he's trained with everybody in the DC Universe. So he's a very different kind of Batman. He's a lot easier; He's a lot looser and more relaxed.
  • ...I like him a lot because of his history, he's been around so long, and there's a certain sleek sexuality about the character. He's got a certain sense of everyman, a young swashbuckler type. He's probably the only character to have developed a rabid following. That I find incredible, particularly because he came out as a sidekick - that he's got the strongest following of any character really makes me feel good about Nightwing. He's the only Titan who made the CBG poll, and it was great, you know. The fact that he's still fresh after all these years.
    • George Perez, illustrator and writer. George Pérez Interview -Amazing Heroes #50, 1984
  • Dick not only saw his parents die, but he was raised by Batman with a strict code of ethics. Whereas Batman festered with his anger, Dick did not. But Dick saw how someone like Batman was able to help him and many others. Since he fought alongside Batman, he saw how much good he could do, and therefore he has the need to continue to do it. But unlike Batman it doesn't come from some long ago need for revenge, it comes from a true desire to make a difference. Therefore Nightwing has a positive attitude rather than a negative one. But it has had impact on his persona life, and now that he's in his mid-twenties, his early decisions are demanding some new thinking.
  • … A Nightwing story should have what every good story should have, which is a character you simply want to follow through thick and thin. A character who's adventures you wanna go on. A character with heart, intelligence, and wit. And as I mentioned earlier in a previous interview with ya, Nightwing is a character who can support all kinds of genre inclusion. I don't think there's a box. The world is literally wide open for Nightwing and you can put him on any ride you want and I feel it will work, whether in crime alley land, space land or jungle land. Nightwing is a character who travels well, and has no limits except for the ones a writer puts on him.
  • Dick is a sponge. He of course learned a great deal from Bruce, but I see him as taking what he knows and improvising, using his natural acrobatic prowess in everything he does. It's ingrained in him. He's more fluid. But let's face it; Dick and Bruce simply know how to open a can of whup-ass better than anyone.
  • “Dick has so many connections to other characters. In many ways, even more than Superman or Batman, Nightwing is the soul, the linchpin, of the DCU. He’s well respected by everyone, known to the JLA, the Titans, the Outsiders, Birds of Prey – everyone looks to him for advice, for friendship, for his skills. He’s the natural leader of the DCU.
[edit]

Encyclopedic article on Dick Grayson on Wikipedia

Batman
  Creators     Bob Kane · Bill Finger  
  Characters     Anarky · Batgirl · Barbara Gordon · Dick Grayson · The Joker  
  Live‑action television     Batman · Legends of the Superheroes · Birds of Prey · Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt · Gotham · The Penguin  
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  serials and films   		  Batman (1943) · Batman and Robin · Batman (1966)  
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  The Dark Knight Returns · DC Super Heroes Unite · Son of Batman · Assault on Arkham · Batman vs. Robin · Batman: Bad Blood · The Killing Joke · The Lego Batman Movie · Gotham by Gaslight · Death in the Family  
  With other heroes     Justice League: The New Frontier · Superman/Batman: Public Enemies · Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths · Superman/Batman:
  Apocalypse · Justice League: Doom · Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox · JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time · Justice League: War · The
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  Animated shorts     Chase Me · Gotham Knight  
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