If there's one thing that can be said about Nightwing, it's that he's undoubtedly one of the most beloved members of the Bat-Family and new fam art shows him as their leader. Among fans, Dick Grayson has one of the most stellar reputations due to his incredible heroism and huge heart. Nothing says where he stands among fans better than a new piece of fan art that puts Nightwing right where he belongs: front and center.
Though he began his career as the first Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson eventually desired to become his own man and step out from the long shadow cast by Batman. Shedding his identity of Robin and adopting the mantle of Nightwing was a needed step for Dick to grow as a character and, thankfully, it was a direction that was received warmly by readers. Since becoming Nightwing, Grayson has shown himself to be one of the most capable heroes in the Bat-Family.
Which is probably why he gets to be the center of attention in a new piece of fan art. Artist Colm Griffin tweeted out "#nightwing calling in the big guns" and an image of the Bat-Family in action. As rain pours against a crimson skyline, the Bat-Signal shines, calling Batman and his allies to action. Batman along with his Robins, Batgirl and Nightwing all leap into a fray as Red Hood looks on. Interestingly though, while it's usually Batman leading the charge in tableaus like this, Nightwing appears to be the image's focus. The billboard in the background seems to reinforce this saying "The World Famous NIGHTWING Featuring The Bat Family."
First, it can't be understated how incredibly cool Griffin's work is. There's nothing quite like seeing Batman and his cadre of highly trained fighters diving into action as a cohesive unit. Works like this truly emphasize the "family" aspect of the Bat-Family and show what makes the squadron so incredibly unique in the world of comics. But what's really interesting about the work is that Griffin chooses to put Nightwing in the starring role of the family as opposed to Batman.
As Batman's oldest crimefighting partner, Dick is largely seen as the second-in-command of the Bat-Family. After all, aside from Batman, no one in the crew has been in the superhero business as long as Nightwing. But Griffin's decision to put the focus on Grayson suggests that, in some ways, he already is a leader of the family. Batman may have brought his sidekicks in to the life of crimefighting, but as the proverbial big brother, Dick is the one who is turned to for guidance and advice.
On a meta-level, one could read Colm Griffin's work as Nightwing arguably usurping Batman's role as the head of the team in a tongue-in-cheek manner. But it could just as easily be read that Nightwing takes the lead because he's the heart of the Bat-Family.
Source: Twitter