DC Comics’ crime-fighting superheroes are best known for their brightly colored costumes and superhuman abilities. Rarely, however, one of these characters gains notoriety for a physical characteristic unrelated to their god-like powers. Superman’s chiseled jawline or Powergirl’s—ahem— ample bosom are both anatomical attributes that have become just as iconic as the characters themselves. Another recent example is Nightwing, the beloved sidekick-turned-superstar. Specifically, the sidekick’s bottom. After retiring as Robin, the newly-christened Nightwing began receiving buttloads of attention for the way he filled out his skintight uniform. Recent depictions have further accentuated Dick Grayson’s derrière and sent bottom-loving readers flying by the seats of their pants.
Beginning in 1940, Dick Grayson served as Batman’s original Robin for forty-four years. In that span, Dick was often portrayed as Batman’s preteen subservient, whose buttocks were appropriately hidden behind green trunks and a yellow cape. It wasn’t until Grayson’s estrangement from Bruce Wayne and a subsequent solo career that the Boy Wonder gradually grew into a Man Wonder. These changes remained subtle throughout Nightwing’s early “disco suit” period, an era in which his costume was high-collared and flamboyantly colored. Dennis O’Neil’s Nightwing #2 in 1995 depicted a full-grown Dick Grayson in a toned-down costume that finally brought Nightwing’s backside to the forefront.
Gail Simone and Nicola Scott’s Secret Six #9 in 2009 firmly established Dick Grayson’s superior posterior as one of his defining features. In an attempt to subvert and lampoon female tropes such as the “butt pose”, Scott positions Dick Grayson facing away from readers with his best side in plain view. Subsequent creators have embraced this depiction of Nightwing, and more recent issues such as Nightwing #20 and Grayson #6 have also been booty-centric. The latter even shows fellow superhero, Midnighter, deducing Nightwing’s secret identity by recognizing his rear. Dick Grayson’s flock of fanny fans was most recently stirred up when promos for WB Games’ upcoming action role-playing video game, Gotham Knights, revealed Nightwing as a playable character.
Dick Grayson first appeared as Robin in 1940’s Detective Comics #38 and made his transition to Nightwing in 1984’s Tales of the Teen Titans #44. Non-comic merchandise such as a statue sculpted by Naoya Muto in 2018 and a series of Nicola Scott’s prints released in 2019 has also caused Nightwing’s backside to trend on Twitter. WB Games’ Gotham Knights is slated for release sometime in 2021 and will be available for PC, Xbox, and Playstation. The game depicts a Gotham City in which Batman and Commissioner Gordon have both died, and Nightwing, Batgirl, and the remaining Bat-family must come together to defeat the Court of Owls.
Historically, comic books have objectified female characters and presented them in all manner of skimpy costumes and compromising poses. This is easily explained, if not condoned. Most comic book creators are men, and the largest readership demographic has traditionally been males between the ages of 13 and 34. That said, it seems only fair that in the modern age females be depicted in a more sensible, less sexual light, and male characters be allowed to explore their sensual side. Nightwing has become the poster child for this effort and charged butt-first into the future of comic books.
Source: The Bootylicious History of Dick Grayson's Greatest Superpower: His Butt