Warning: Spoilers for Batgirls #8!
The original and iconic Bat-Family members of Dick Grayson aka Nightwing and Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl have seen their fair share of brawls over the years, and now while fighting the latest threat to hit the streets of Gotham, Nightwing admits that his current love interest and forever Bat-partner, Batgirl, is a much better combatant than him!
Admitted during the events of Batgirls #8, by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Robbi Rodriguez, Nightwing guest stars in this issue to help a trio of Batgirls to save the evil hacker named Seer. Held hostage by The Magistrate offshoot group calling themselves The Saints, Seer has recently turned a slight corner in her nerfarious ways, leading Barbara to call on the skills of her boyfriend, Nightwing, to help her rescue Seer.
Switching from their undercover duds to their superhero ones, Batgirl and Nightwing are soon beset by members of The Saints and are forced to split up. Taking on Valentine, a villain who “specializes in close combat,” Nightwing goes toe-to-toe with a baddie that’s just as good a fighter as he is, if not better.
Trading blows with Nightwing, Valentine eventually gets a solid punch in, prompting Dick to ask, “Was that your best shot?” leading Valentine to sock him again and say, “Hah. Your girlfriend fights better than you do!” Dodging another incoming blow, Nightwing admits this comment is entirely valid, saying, “Part of what I love about her,” telling fans without a doubt who’s the better fighter in this Bat-romance!
Both trained by the Big Bad Bat of Gotham City, Nightwing and Batgirl have been at this vigilante thing for longer than any of the other members of the Bat-Family, and have honed their skills not just on the streets but as a heroic duo that has now finally grown back to being something romantic. Often complementing each other’s skills in the field regardless of who they face, Nightwing giving Babs props where they've always been due is a surprising but welcome reveal, as it could easily be misconstrued that Nightwing is the better brawler given how Batgirl has been relatively hands-off as the hacker known as Oracle as of late, rather than the avenging hero known as Batgirl. But if anyone can confirm that Batgirl still has the combat chops to beat even the toughest of opponents, it’s the always active and always ready for a fight, Nightwing.
So although the time may never come for Nightwing and Batgirl to truly put their skills to the test against one another in the field of battle, Dick admitting Babs is a better fighter than him is a big revelation for a hero who can usually give Batman a run for his money. Batgirl deserves the shoutout for her combat skills, with Nightwing’s endorsement making the reveal even more special for this iconic member of the Bat-Family.
Batgirls #8 is now available from DC Comics.