When I was growing up, one of the first comic books I got for myself was a copy of New Teen Titans 39 created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. The title of the book was ‘Crossroads’, and it involved then Robin ‘Dick’ Grayson giving up his mantle as Robin.
I’ve heard and read of Dick Grayson as Robin before that issue, but this was the first time that I became truly a fan. I’ve been following his adventures since, and even back read some of his older ones. Now, he is much older than me in years, but younger than me in form. Figure that time warp out.
I saw Dick grow from kid sidekick to Nightwing to Agent 37 and back to Nightwing again. I love his character development, and how he was able to grow out of the shadow of the big bad Batman. He become his own man, and was better for it. Truly there are a lot of similarities between the two characters. The suave demeanor. The cultured outlook. The calm persona. But, there are also aspects of Dick’s personality that stand out from his mentor, Bruce Wayne.
For one, he’s a better team player, and leader. Whereas, Bruce Wayne/Batman was always dark and brooding, Dick/Robin/Agent 37/Nightwing was light and flamboyant due to his circus acrobat background. But, the aspect of Dick Grayson that I loved so much was the fact that I saw him grow. In fact, there was a time that he grew up with me. Or I grew up with him. I could see the changes in his growth and personality as his story progressed, particularly during his time as leader of the New Teen Titans and beyond.
Because of this, Dick Grayson is a more relatable and intriguing character than Bruce Wayne will ever be to me. Maybe some would say they grew up with Batman. I grew WITH Dick Grayson. He is the one character that I see myself as. With that, I’m not surprised that Robin/Agent 37/Nightwing—-Dick Grayson has lasted this long, and has a very loyal fan following.
As Dick Grayson’s adventures continue on, and I’m quite sure they will outlive me, I look back at a character who showed me how to be a team player. A character who showed me that fear isn’t the mind killer. A character who is calm and collected without being being ‘the night’. A character who is not afraid of having relationships, but rather builds on them as a strength and not a weakness. This is a character who has inspired me to be the best version of myself. This is a character who challenges me to take that leap of faith even though there is no safety net below. And, why not? So long as you have a strong sense of where you are going, you don’t need to look down and see if you’re falling.
Happy 80th birthday, Richard ‘Dick’ Grayson. May you have many more to come, and inspire more people to take that leap of faith with a smile on their face.
Soft Places 