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Apparently, on account of the New52 reboot downplaying and later eradicating the existence of the earlier Titans groups, Dick would truly present up extra usually in the pages of Justice League or in League-related tales. These embody,
Rejecting membership in #18…
Getting unmasked in Eternally Evil…
And a flashback story in #51
However there’s a story arc through which Dick seems in the primary Justice League title. I say seems and never joins as a member as a result of this arc was a tie-in to Darkish Nights: Loss of life Metallic named (sigh) Doom Metallic. And it appears to have been written particularly to wrap up free ends from Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV’s run on Justice League. Specifically, each main character from that run that Snyder was growing and acquired dropped like a sizzling potato in order that Marvel Lady and the Batman Who Laughs may very well be the two opposing forces of Loss of life Metallic, like Lex, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter.
There’s an try and make Dick really feel like he’s main a Justice League of his personal, particularly with a flashback of Dick as Robin sneaking onto the WatchTower and staring in awe at the League working actually laborious to make us really feel like we’ve come full circle one way or the other. However the fact is that this arc has to wrap up a number of threads like J’onn and Kendra’s relationship, Lex making an attempt to claw his manner again to energy after Perpetua favored the Batman Who Laughs over him, getting the Legion of Doom to the place they must be in the primary occasion, and so forth. Even Dick has a subplot after two years of being “Ric Grayson” about not feeling like he’s 100% Dick Grayson but, with Cyborg and Starfire being there as his help. Doom Metallic isn’t dangerous per se, it’s only a pizza with too many toppings. It would style nice, but it surely would possibly do a quantity in your abdomen the subsequent night time.
One in every of the issues that every one of you’ll have seen from the title, and the articles on this collection generally, was that Dick, both as Nightwing or as Batman, solely grew to become a part of the League when Bruce wasn’t round. The reasoning behind that’s fairly easy: Nightwing doesn’t add a lot to a League that already has a Batman. Barbara’s stellar laptop expertise as Oracle make her an asset in a manner that units her aside from Bruce (when writers are literally allowed to reference that she’s Oracle), however Dick doesn’t actually have that. Positive, he’s extra personable than Bruce, however that’s much less of a superpower and extra of a life ability.
So, how does DC resolve the downside of a younger grownup not being allowed to develop up and attain his full potential as a result of his predecessor seemingly holds the business collectively?
That’s proper. Reject the probability to be part of one thing greater and as an alternative hang around together with his buddies endlessly (the remainder of the Titans fall below this as properly. Besides Wally, who truly grew up).
And contemplating what we noticed of Dick as a member of the League, it’s a rattling disgrace.
Subsequent week: a musical theme that lasts… Eternally!
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