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Off My Mind: Where Should Nightwing Fight Crime?

With Dick Grayson giving up being Batman, where should his home base be?

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Starting in September, we will see Dick Grayson back in his Nightwing identity. It will be interesting to see him go back to his former guise. Being Batman would be a big deal for any of Bruce's former sidekicks but Dick has well established he is capable of being his own person.

Dick as Nightwing is always what made sense to me. We've recently seen an amazing transformation and growth in his character in the pages of Detective Comics. As cool as it has been to see Dick evolve into Batman, we all felt it wouldn't last forever. Having mulitple Batmans (or Batmen) was cool but it might be best (and less confusing) to have just one.

With Dick returning to his Nightwing roots, what does the future hold in store for him? In other words, where should Nightwing set up his base of operations? Where is the best place for Nightwing to fight crime?

== TEASER ==
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What's wrong with Gotham City? Dick has established himself in Gotham these days. He's had an active role at Wayne Enterprises and has even been helping out Commissioner Gordon with their upgraded crime-fighting technology.

Gotham City is Dick's home and it makes sense for him to continue to operate there. Is Batman going to continue his worldwide mission of establishing Batman Incorporated? If so, having Nightwing watch over the city (and Damian, of course) makes sense.

A lot will really depend on why Dick is going back to being Nightwing. If he and Bruce had (another) falling out, I could see Dick wanting to take some time away from Gotham. Especially if Batman told him his time was over as Batman. I don't see that being the case though.

Another thing to consider is with Dick being more in the public eye at Wayne Enterprises and sort of with Batman, Inc, going from a bat-cowl to the domino mask might make keeping his secret identity more difficult. After all, we did have Vicki Vale basically uncovering all of their identities.

What about finding a new Blüdhaven? I know Blüdhaven is toast. It was Dick's way to really establish himself on his own. A way to get out of Batman's shadow and away from the Teen Titans. Also, Blüdhaven was a mess and needed its own hero. With all the other members of the Bat Family in Gotham, perhaps Dick should find himself another city in need of a hero. Right before Battle for the Cowl, he was establishing himself in New York City. Is it time for him to make a trip back?

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In the solicit for Nightwing #2, there was a mention of Haley's Circus. He is going to be torn between his life as a circus performer and his life as a hero. If he did rejoin Haley's Circus as Dick Grayson, I would assume the circus would travel around. If Dick chose to travel the world, performing in Haley's Circus again, it could give him the opportunity to take his personal war against evil on the road. There's plenty of crime and corruption outside of Gotham City. The problem would be ensuring no one got overly suspicious if Nightwing kept showing up whenever Haley's was in town.

What would probably be best is if Dick found a new home base close to Gotham City. Bruce will not always be in Gotham. Tim Drake is going to be busy with the Teen Titans.

Should Dick have an established location where he fights crime? There are benefits to staying in one area but then again, it's not like the villains only commit crimes in the same place. Dick needs some time away from Gotham but should be close enough if he's needed.

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RedheadedAtrocitus

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He belongs in Bludhaven. Plain and simple I think.  Or the Big Apple.  Personally I think he'd work wonderfully in Los Angeles, but that's just wishful thinking (alright perhaps a little parochial/provincial thinking as well!).

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GraveSp

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Edited By GraveSp

I liked him in NYC, but I like him working Gotham.  Maybe there is another Bludhaven or they can have him defending a rebuilt Bludhaven.  

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shawn87

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Edited By shawn87

I'd prefer him to be mostly in Gotham

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Duo_forbidden

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Edited By Duo_forbidden

Gotham, Bludhaven and New York are fine locations.  However, it's about time that Buldhaven gets rebuilt. If Buldhaven is the location, it would be good for him due to the fact that him being Batman for quite some time makes him better prepared to tackle crime there.

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blur1528

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Edited By blur1528

A fictional city. New York always felt weird to me

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digimod

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Edited By digimod
@blur1528 said:

                A fictional city. New York always felt weird to me
           

Agreed.  Real cities might work for Marvel - but one of things that has always attracted me more to DC is it's setting where the mood and tone of the 'fictional' cities have a very intimate relationship with the heroes. 
 
Nightwing is part of the Batman family and I think his ties need to be rooted in or close to Gotham.  There is so much crime in Gotham that he would not be stepping on Bruces toes and we are talking about street level heroes here, not Supermen.
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GBrutality

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Edited By GBrutality

i know i'm probably one of the only ones still fighting and yelling shenanigans over the inevitable DC overhaul, but this, this right here, is one of my absolute main reasons for hating it with such a crazy passion. superman, flash, green lantern, whatever, fine. don't care that much. but the bat-universe had gotten to be such an interesting place because of all the wheels in motion and everyone working together the way they were. yes, dick wanted to be his own person, but that's such a teenage, fresh out of college way of thinking. him accepting the mantle of batman made me feel like all that, "i'm not you, dad!" was behind us. nightwing wasn't bad, dick grayson is the man, but his dynamic with damian, him taking on the mantle and sticking with it was what i was really hoping for here. he had also been making all these new bat-enemies that really seemed like they could become cool. will they appear in nightwing? probably. but it won't have the same effect. you hear 'nightwing' and the lunatics probably just thought of the-kid-who-tried-really-hard-to-not-be-robin-anymore. you hear 'batman' and all they can think of is the fact that you were badass enough to take up the namesake of batman. that's not like if superboy became superman, those are powers. he should eventually get there. becoming batman is a totally different level of intense. tim drake is good at being on a team, better than all the others even, but red robin is one of my favorite titles. tim drake has always been my favorite robin so to not see solo adventures in favor of going team titan is a little bit of a drag. same with stephanie, cassandra, and all the others. maybe i'll be proven wrong and the amount of change will be that the robin capes are similar to the characters in the show battle of the planets (the capes are really dumb looking). in any case, if they really can't be inventive enough to make dick's growth as batman stick, then i would have to say at least keep him in gotham. let him be with everyone still.

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Cervantes

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Edited By Cervantes

Realistically, he'd stick near Gotham. Don't forget, when his parents were murdered, a rich man basically adopted him, and Batman (mostly) got the murderer. THE SAME MAN DID BOTH. 
I think the writers forget that sometimes in favor of rebellion themes, when really only Bruce Wayne can understand his pain, and only Bruce helped him with both aspects. He would not want to be too far away from this incredible presence in his life.

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jubilee042

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Edited By jubilee042

new york!!!

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Skaddix

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Edited By Skaddix

Bludhaven 
But Chicago would be interesting.

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ArtisticNeedham

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Edited By ArtisticNeedham

I think he should find his own city, visit Gotham and team up with Batman a lot more and be on better terms.

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Eyz

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Edited By Eyz

Can't Blüdhavenbe retconned like Roy Harper's arm?

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batmanary

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Edited By batmanary

Gotham should be where he works. And put him back as Batman. :(

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doordoor123

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Edited By doordoor123

He should go where ever he wants. There are enough heroes in the world, why not go where he wants?
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xerox_kitty

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Edited By xerox_kitty

I liked that Dick Grayson used to be a policeman in training... Fighting crime officially... and unofficially.

I'll be sad for him if they're going to unwrite all of Dick's backstory, to make him into a fresh-faced crime fighter. He's been fighting crime all of his life; longer than Batman (who only started in his adult years).

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fodigg

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Edited By fodigg

I liked Bludhaven, but I wouldn't mind him in New York with Static. Heck, I wouldn't mind him in Chicago, which will always be connected to Gotham in my mind after all the filming they did there.

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howlettgrowl

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Edited By howlettgrowl

he should try out chicago or boston

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Green ankh

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Edited By Green ankh

 
New orleans
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TheGoldenOne

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Edited By TheGoldenOne
Bludhaven or Gotham.
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gui22

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Edited By gui22

Maybe they will rebuild  Blüdhaven would be nice to see how nightwing would react to the return to a city he failed to protect. 
Also,i just rebembered that assassin in the Nightwing solicits what if he wants revenge on Dick because he failed to save  Blüdhaven?

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punisher1313

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Edited By punisher1313

He should go to Marvel.

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Darthtravis

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Edited By Darthtravis
@Green ankh said:
new orleans
 
That is a great idea.  New Orleans could create a ton of awesome stories.  The city alone is diverse in regards to both people and architecture and could provide excellent locations and new characters.   I think Dick Grayson needs to be on his own in his own city.  IMO, he has earned that right.  He will always be part of the Bat family, but that doesn't mean he needs to be in Gotham.  Gotham already has a lot of heroes.  I can't think of one hero in the DC universe that calls New Orleans home.  It is time.  
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spaceboy

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Edited By spaceboy
@punisher1313 said:
He should go to Marvel.
They already got Daredevil...
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FalcomAdol

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Edited By FalcomAdol

Tony, you keep mentioning the "it would be harder to keep up the secret identity now" canard.
 
It's a fictional work, a character keeps their secret identity as long as it is convenient for the plot, not as long as it makes sense.
 
Superman has carried off Clark Kent for 75 years now with nary a hitch with nothing more than a pair of non-prescription glasses (the glasses aren't the issue when someone knows his identity).
 

 Duchamp - Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2
 Duchamp - Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2
Put another way, the depiction on the page artwise is not necessarily a "pixel-perfect" realization of the character's "actual disguise" as held by the storyline.  Does Batman have long ears or short ears on his cowl? Depends who is drawing it, but we recognize it as the same character and don't presume that Alfred is busy adjusting the outfit every time there's an artist change.
 
Similarly, the domino mask is not necessarily an accurate depiction of the "real" costume worn by the idealized character, it is just an interpretation that is convenient for artist and reader. 
 
Duchamp didn't actually "see" this when he painted the woman descending a staircase:
 
It's art, a representation to communicate the impressions that one gets perceiving an ideal.
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FalcomAdol

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Edited By FalcomAdol
@howlettgrowl said:
he should try out chicago or boston
Boston would be pretty cool (<--Boston).  Or how about Hartford?
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Top Flight Security

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Jersey?

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fenixREVOLUTION

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Edited By fenixREVOLUTION

I'd like to see him stay in Gotham, but I think Gotham is good considering how many people are protecting it. Bludhaven could be rebuilt, but fighting crime while in the circus could be fun.

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entropy_aegis

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Edited By entropy_aegis

Gotham

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TDaddy3000

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Edited By TDaddy3000

I agree with Jersey. Snooki must be stopped!
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the_stegman

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Edited By the_stegman  Moderator

well i like the travelling circus idea, also i'd like to see him in a city like Chicago, maybe more of a detective than superhero, i know he's no where near Bruce's detective levels, but he claims to be the world's second greatest detective, that has to count for something!

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marvelunivers_deleteme

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europe

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SmoothJammin

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Edited By SmoothJammin

Blüdhaven was built for Nightwing. It was close enough to Gotham that he could literally cross a few bridges to get there, and far enough to establish itself as a seperate entity. Blüdhaven can easily be retconned back into existence. This time Nightwing will have grown enough as a crime fighter/detective to play the star of his own comic, instead of catering to a lame supporting cast whom the story actually centered on to drive the plot. Also, give him a strong rogues gallery. All the villains from Morisson's run on B&R(Flamingo, Pyg, Band of Fiends; White knight and Deathstroke too) are all colorful villains. New York has the Justice Society. Gotham has Batman. As for a job, why can't DC merge elements from the Flashpoint universe with Earth-2? He could share Thomas Wayne's affinity for gambling and start up his own casino, be a sort of James Bond. Like Wayne he can keep an eye on crime lords who pass through and have a fixed income so he's not soley reliant on Bruce.They already share the same color scheme..  
 Also, Nightwing NEEDS to be in a team setting, he shines naturally under a leadership role--place him in Stormwatch with Wally, idk. Whatever keeps him away from Batman (unless it's absolutely necessary for a crisis/big crossover). Ditch Babs too, that relationship has been run into the ground. Match him up with PG instead.
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Nightwing1105

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Edited By Nightwing1105

I have really enjoyed watching Dick as Batman, but it will be nice to see him back as Nightwing.  I would like to see him get out of Gotham for a while, but stay close by in case he is needed.  Also, I wouldn't want to loose the interactions between Dick and Damian.  
 
Bludhaven rebuilt sounds cool.....

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TheCrowbar

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Edited By TheCrowbar

I'd like to see him become the enforcer of Batman Inc. Making sure the other Batmen don't go off the deep end.

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GT-Man

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Edited By GT-Man

I like his New Costume
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Rudyftw

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Edited By Rudyftw

Los Angeles sounds promising. It's the only place that isn't really burnd-out.

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Emperormeister734

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Definitely L. A. besides there no crimefighter of the Bat Family over there 

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spideybigtime

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Edited By spideybigtime

I think he still belongs in Gotham. Batman and Robin can't handle all the villains and crime on his own can he?

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blur1528

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Edited By blur1528
@digimod: I concur. I'm also not opposed to Higgins creating his own city if he so wants to.
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dernman

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Edited By dernman

1 Bludhaven: good idea, if they retcon it back into existence it's close enough to Gotham to help yet far enough for him to stand out of Batman's shadow.  Nightwing should have his own rogues gallery while still being able to use Batman's without depending on it.
 
2 Gotham: OK idea, Gotham is a big place with a lot going on. It's much to big for one man to handle on his own but it's to easy for him to get overshadowed by Batman and not grow enough to come into his own. 
 
3 Traveling: OK idea, it might be good for awhile but not for the long run if he has his own book. Nightwing book needs to have its own unique feel and being in one city will help that. Metropolis, Gotham, Central City, Star City, all feel like they have their own soul and Nightwing needs that if he wants to be something other then just the former Robin
 
Although I always saw Nightwing as Batman's connection to the larger metahuman community because I never felt comfortable with him on teams like JLA, JLI, or Outsiders so traveling could be a good thing.

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crusader8463

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Edited By crusader8463

WW2 Germany.

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ThanosIsMad

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Edited By ThanosIsMad
@Duo_forbidden said:
Gotham, Bludhaven and New York are fine locations.  However, it's about time that Buldhaven gets rebuilt. If Buldhaven is the location, it would be good for him due to the fact that him being Batman for quite some time makes him better prepared to tackle crime there.
Makes sense for it to be rebuilt, too, since Captain Atom sucked away all of the radiation.  The metahuman construction companies could've rebuilt the majority of it by now.
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NightFang3

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Edited By NightFang3

Rebuild Blüdhaven, that's wear Nightwing truly belongs.

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Urthiln

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Edited By Urthiln

I would like to see him in a completely new city.  This is a great opportunity for DC to start up a new location from scratch with tons of new villains. 

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guardiandevil801

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Edited By guardiandevil801

Bludhaven or Gotham
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Donovan Montgomery

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Since Vic is dead and I don't think Rene isn't going their anytime soon, maybe Dick should head on down to Hub City.  I'm sure it still needs a little clean up.

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ChadwickDavis

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Edited By ChadwickDavis

Monument Point. or Suicide Slum. 
Technically Superman gave Nightwing the name so technically it makes sense that he take residence in Metropolis, and suicide slum is the closest thing to a crime infested underworld like Gotham.  

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Grandmaster_Fro

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Edited By Grandmaster_Fro

Dick Grayson will fight crime wherever the hell he wants to

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JonesDeini

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Edited By JonesDeini
@Duo_forbidden said:
Gotham, Bludhaven and New York are fine locations.  However, it's about time that Buldhaven gets rebuilt. If Buldhaven is the location, it would be good for him due to the fact that him being Batman for quite some time makes him better prepared to tackle crime there.
Yeah, I want him back in his OWN city. He can hit Gotham for the big Bat Fam events.

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