Warning! Spoilers for Future State: Gotham #14 ahead!
While Nightwing has always been a formidable opponent, Future State: Gotham depicts a world where the former Boy Wonder has become the greatest fighter in Gotham City. A recent storyline in the book sees Dick Grayson receiving enhanced abilities after taking the drug brane, and now Grayson is aiming to become the one, true Batman in the dystopian Gotham of the future.
Future State: Gotham continues the storyline seen in the 2021 event, where new legislation in Gotham City sees costumed heroes like Batman outlawed by the dictator-esque Magistrate. A highly-trained task force known as the Peacekeepers are responsible for hunting down “masks,” and Bruce Wayne has lost his wealth and vacated the role of Batman. Others have stepped in to fill the void, most notably Jace Fox as a new Batman, fighting against the Peacekeepers and the corrupt regime of the Magistrate. In the hopes of finding the missing Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson takes the drug brane, which gives him extra-sensory, precognitive powers. He then receives a vision of the future, showing him that the only way the Magistrate can be defeated is by Grayson himself taking up the mantle of Batman. Donning a new suit that pumps brane into his system directly and declaring himself the true Batman, Nightwing soon comes into conflict with his former allies in his single-minded pursuit.
In Future State: Gotham #14 by Denis Culver, Giannis Milonogiannis and Geoffo, several Batmen come into play. In addition to Dick Grayson and Jace Fox, a now-adult Damian Wayne has reappeared, wearing his costume from Batman #666 and calling himself - appropriately enough -- Batman 666. Batman villain Hush has also taken to wearing a Bat-costume and impersonating the Dark Knight for his own nefarious reasons. With all of these Batmen running around, the stage is set for a major confrontation. Readers get the set-up for the “Batmen at War” promised in the title of the story arc when Grayson comes into contact with Jace Fox in Future State: Gotham #14. The former Nightwing gives the new Batman an ultimatum, telling him there’s only one room for one Batman to watch over Gotham City. A scuffle breaks out, and Grayson easily beats Fox - his new extra-sensory powers giving him the edge, as he can predict every move his opponent makes ahead of time.
Grayson was already a trained acrobat and deadly martial artist, so the addition of a precognitive “battle sense” makes the former Nightwing now virtually unbeatable, even seeing possible futures. Brane is a drug that increases the mental capacity of its user, so now that Grayson has designed a Bat-suit that provides a steady dose of it whenever he needs, he’s unlocking abilities he didn’t have before. Much like the hero Midnighter, Grayson can now make complex calculations in his head, seeing what moves his enemies will make before they make them. Even more dangerously, he’s opened himself up to psychic visions of a possible future, leading the once level-headed Grayson to take extreme measures to prevent disasters that haven’t happened yet.
Whatever happens as a result of his extreme measures, one thing’s for certain: with his new powers, Nightwing is now the deadliest fighter in all of Gotham City. Future State: Gotham #14 is on sale now.