A recent social media contest asked fans to post their best Nightwing fan art and one winner went above and beyond with an entry that will tug at the heartstrings of any Dick Grayson fan. Amid a flood of creative submissions, one entry captured the spirit of Dick Grayson's character in DC Comics with a short story in only four panels.
The conditions of the contest were simple; draw Nightwing on a Post-it note while tweeting at comic art gallery The Black Diamond and Nightwing artist Bruno Redondo, while adding in the hashtag #PostitBruno. Encouraging anyone with any level of talent to submit, the contest promised a comic signed by Redondo as well as bragging rights for the victor. For two weeks, users submitted Post-it sketches of Dick Grayson smiling, jumping into action or just being the generally positive icon he is. The contest closed December 30th, and a week later, the judgement finally came in.
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The contest wound up with many fantastic entries, so in an unexpected twist, The Black Diamond was forced to pick two winners. Bruno Redondo retweeted that the overall winner was artist @tigerinmarch, who drew a Christmas themed Nightwing along with his recently adopted puppy, Haley (drawn wearing an absolutely adorable set of reindeer antlers). The victory for @tigerinmarch was well-earned, but special credit was given to Damian Navarro (@DamianNava_Art) in a Tweet by Redondo for their entry. In four Post-it notes, Navarro's submission tells a story in a few short sentences "I was his. I even was him. But who I really am...is me."
Along with the quotes are several pivotal moments that tell Dick Grayson's life story and his path towards becoming his own person. He started out his career as Bruce Wayne's sidekick, a moment that gave him direction and changed his life forever. When Batman was assumed dead, he stepped up and served in the same role, even being a mentor to a child who had recently lost a parent. So much of Nightwing's life and who he is is built on his association with Batman, but Dick's journey has long been centered around growing out from under Bruce's shadow. Dick stopped being Robin when it was clear he was struggling under a lack of his own personal identity and was tired of being seen as an extension of Batman.
His creation of the Nightwing persona was symbolic of Dick finally embracing the person he was inside, a noble daredevil who fights crime with a smile on his face and in his heart. No matter how close a connection Dick has to Bruce, his greatest personal development was successfully becoming an independent hero. Navarro's story may be short, but the four Post-its tell Nightwing's story so succinctly and beautifully, their victory is certainly deserved.
Source: Twitter