Warning: spoilers for Nightwing #97!The DC universe has entered a new era following Infinite Frontier, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Nightwing's latest story. The new era is characterized by the idea that "everything matters," allowing writers the creative freedom to combine pre-New 52 lore with the world of DC's Rebirth era. As this philosophy deems every bit of canon fair game - even dipping into animation and live-action movies - Nightwing embodies the new approach by bringing back perhaps the last character Bat-Family fans would expect: Ric Grayson.
Ric Grayson comes from one of Nightwing's most controversial storylines and eras. As part of Bane's plan to "break the Bat" in mind and body, he hired KGBeast to shoot Nightwing in the head in Batman #55 - an act Nightwing's 'killer' is still paying for. This caused Dick Grayson to lose his memories of his time as a crime fighter and a member of the Wayne family. This launched a nearly two-year run from October 2018's Nightwing #50 to September 2020's Nightwing #74 where Nightwing adopted the persona of angsty cab driver Ric Grayson. Though Ric swore he wanted nothing to do with the life of a vigilante, he repeatedly assisted a group of Nightwing-inspired heroes without fully taking on his own persona. Ric also encountered the Court of Owls and Joker during this era of Nightwing's history before eventually getting his memories restored and going by Dick Grayson once again.
Over two years after Ric's disappearance, Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo's Nightwing #97 sees Nightwing and Batgirl - after rejecting superhero cliché and recommitting as a couple - hole up in a bunker of Batman's in the Gotham Woods. Here, the duo are protecting crime lord Salvatore Maroni before he can testify on Blockbuster's crimes in Blüdhaven when they see a taxi appear outside. As the duo go to investigate, a familiar visage appears in the car, saying, "Hey, Nightwing. My name is Ric Grayson. I need you to get in the cab."
Nightwing Bringing Ric Grayson Back Is Good, Actually
This final page of Nightwing #97 is a shocking moment that pushes the "everything matters" concept to the brink, bringing back one of the character's most maligned eras. Upon further examination, however, the return of Ric may actually be a great decision. With Ric being hated in and out of universe as one of DC's most baffling and poorly executed modern story arcs, Ric Grayson truly has nowhere to go but up as a character. Bringing the morose taxi driver into a run as successful and beloved as Taylor and Redondo's Nightwing comes as a bold and rather exciting move for the series that makes good on DC's promise that even the strangest pieces of lore are now fair game. Fans who stuck with Nightwing through the Ric era are having their faith justified as the character returns in an interesting new way.
The final page of Nightwing #97 already shows the comic's willingness to have fun with the character, as Ric's inexplicable appearance in the middle of the woods provides a comedic contrast to his gloomier days. With Nightwing #98 set to introduce Nite-Mite, it's likely that Nightwing and readers alike are getting played by a Fifth-Dimensional imp. But no matter why he's here, the inclusion of a Nightwing character as maligned as Ric is a genuinely hilarious touch that fully capitalizes on the Infinite Frontier promise that, in DC's modern era, truly everything matters.
Nightwing #97 is available from DC Comics now.