In the DC Universe, superhero identities are often mantles for different characters. Character often change identities or 'graduate' into a new guise. For a long period of time, Dick Grayson was known to comic fans as Nightwing. Before that, he was Robin. He even spent some time as Batman.

Now, Dick's given up being Nightwing with the world believing he's dead. He's spending his time in the secret spy ageny, Spyral, and just goes by Grayson, or Agent 37. As much as we'd love for Dick to return to being Nightwing (and with a return to the blue costumed version as well), we're really enjoying watching the events unfold in GRAYSON. We say, let Dick be a spy for a while longer but the name and guise of Nightwing is too good to let go to waste. Perhaps it's time for someone else to graduate and become the new Nightwing.

Cassandra Cain

Cassandra Cain has a long history in the Batman Universe. Unfortunately, all of that has changed with the New 52. She will be returning to current continuity in the pages of BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL. Previously she's gone through different identities as Batgirl and Black Bat. Batgirl is being used by Barbara Gordon and I never cared for the Black Bat name for her (plus that name belongs to another comic book character).

PROS: Back in 2011, we suggested Cassie become Nightwingwhen Dick was Batman. She has a strong following and is a highly skilled fighter. We're not sure what her return will mean for the character or where she'll be in her own timeline. She deserves a good name.

CONS: This could be a Cassie with less experience. We don't know how long she's been fighting. It'd be hard for her to graduate to the mantle without any prior connection to Batman. Unless, as last we saw her in the pre-New 52 universe, she's been working undercover for Bruce in Hong Kong.

Harper Row

What has Harper been up to lately? We saw her have a good sized role in BATMAN ETERNAL. When she first started appearing, especially after the death of Damian, it felt like she was being set up to become the next Robin.

PROS: She picked up the name Bluebird during BATMAN ETERNAL. It feels similar to Nightwing and would be close to the blue-suited version. Harper is a tough, no nonsense character. Bluebird doesn't really evoke a strong tough vibe. Then again, neither does Robin. Harper is already in the Bat-Family's good graces.

CONS: It seemed there was some resistance among certain fans when it appeared Harper was getting closer to Batman's inner circle. She has helped out Batman in some dire situations but still doesn't quite feel like she's done enough to fully earn the title.

Tim Drake

Tim Drake quickly became a fan favorite when he discovered Batman's true identity on his own at a young age. There may be the controversy of whether or not Tim actually spent time as "Robin" or simply has always been known as Red Robin but he's still the highly intelligent and skilled crimefighter. We're also seeing him in the 'future' as Batman Beyond. If he can take that identity, why not one more?

PROS: Tim Drake needs to be back in the Bat Universe. He's had some decent stories in the New 52 with the Teen Titans but it feels like something is missing with this version of the character. Some feel he should become Batman some day. Let's bump him up a little. He also might want to distance himself from the growing number of Robins with the We Are Robin team.

CONS: Tim as Nightwing would be cool but it's possible he might lose some of his own identity by taking on the role. Time has so much potential and his current role in the DCU needs to be straightened out before he tries taking on a new identity.

Duke Thomas

Duke Thomas is the kid seen during the Zero Year arc. He's currently appearing in WE ARE ROBIN (as one of the new street fighters) and is also up to something as seen in BATMAN #43 when he grabbed the seed from Mr. Bloom in Bruce Wayne's office at the community center. He wanted to fight the Riddler during Zero Year to save his family (and Gotham). You can feel that he's being groomed for something in the DCU.

PROS: Besides currently being in WE ARE ROBIN, he's also been seen in two possible futures in different guises. In BATMAN AND ROBIN: FUTURES END, he was Robin. In the weird future vision Bruce had in BATMAN #35, he was seen in a different costume with the name Lark.

Then again, Harper was also in that vision with a different Bluebird costume. Maybe she could still become Nightwing.

CONS: Duke is still pretty raw in the training department. He's showing some great tenacity in WE ARE ROBIN but he's barely a Robin right now. He should definitely get some more experience before becoming Nightwing be it does look like he's a really fast learner.

Carrie Kelley

Why the heck was Carrie Kelley introduced into the New 52 universe? She was brought in to seemingly throw off readers after Damian died. She was seen in a Robin suit at a costume party (even though it's been reestablished that none of the Robins wore the short short and pixie boots in the New 52 timeline). Maybe there's still something to her?

PROS: Actually, we can't really think of anything. She was good in THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS but we can't just figure out why she's here.

CONS: She hasn't done anything to earn the right to be called Nightwing. There'd likely be a huge outcry if this came to be.

Someone Else?

Could we see a new character take on the role? We could joke further and suggest Bruce Wayne since he's not currently Batman. There's also Jason Todd since he literally stole Dick's guise (in NIGHTWING #118 through 122) but that didn't end well. Damian? Jim Gordon? This could also be the chance to create a new character that could take on the role.

It's possible we simply won't have a Nightwing for some time. Maybe Dick will return to the role after he's done with his spy stuff. We're not necessarily in a rush to see that story end.

Who do you think should become Nightwing? Should the name just be left alone until Dick is ready to return?

cassandra cain or harper row

none of them and bring back Grayson as nightwing.

Also while you're at it, give Red Robin/Tim Drake an ongoing, and make it pulp-y.

thank you very much.

Give it to Tim. He needs a new identity. Enough of this "Red Robin" crap, adding Red to the name doesn't distinguish him from the Robin identity.

Here comes the comments about Dick being the one and only nightwing.

~MiB

As far as I'm concerned, pick either Cassie Cain or Duke Thomas or Harper Row.

Out of the choices here, I'd go with Cassandra Cain.

Grayson created the persona of Nightwing so he could be his own person and come out from Batman's shadow, if we turn it into a mantle like Robin it kinda defeats the purpose.

@hollygrove20 said:

Eh, we really need another Nightwing? I would prefer if these characters keep their existing name or create a new one.

Dick Grayson.

for some reason I don't like the name Harper Row

I'm guessing it's cause it's too close to Roy Harper

Cant all these characters just go by their own name? Is there a character name limit in DC? Why rehashing the same names with different people. It makes it less special. I already am tired of so many Robins. Now you want the same thing to happen to Nightwing too?

No one is worthy enough.

@marcohtx:

I kinda feel like the minute they'd be taking over the mantle, dick would stop being a spy in like, a month, and go back to being night wing. I really think that Nightwing should just stay a one character mantle, just because he doesn't feel like a character thats of that level yet. I feel like only founding Justice league level characters deserve that. Or sidekicks. But NIghtwing is neither.

@theocitylegend: no, Character stealing is a legacy.

While Harper Row is a strong possibility, I would have to say Cassandra Cain is up for the Nightwing mantel.

I like where they are now.

None of them, the Nightwing mantle was intended to assert it's own separateness from a legacy and craft a new path, making any of these 5 (3 of whom are absolutely useless characters to begin with) defeats the purpose.

How about Dick Grayson as Nightwing?

It's not like he's been the only Nightwing though.

Pretty sure Superman used the mantle when he didn't have powers on Kandor. Likewise, Chris Kent went by the name when working with Flamebird.

I don't see Nightwing as a mantle name. Dick created it, and while he's partnered up for a few story arcs, there's never really been a "Nightwing and..." duo. He's had no sidekick, and it's typically sidekicks who take on mantles.

However, the Bat-Fam does think Grayson is dead (with the exception of Batman) so I could see someone stepping into the Nightwing role as a legacy mantle.

In that event, I could see Barbara Gordon dropping the Batgirl role and becomng Nightwing.

Tim could definitely take it on as a legacy mantle. Chuck Dixon tried to steer Tim towards being the next Blue Beetle, when he established that Ted Kord had a heart condition, but DC axed it. It doesn't feel right though, since Tim was never Robin. He's no longer following in Dick's footsteps, and as Red Robin, he's been his own man all along.

I'm really surprised to be saying this, but I feel that the best candidate for following Grayson as Nightwing is Jason Todd. DC has had a real problem with him over the years. He was a punk d-bag as Robin, which is why fans 1-900-voted him a crowbar cranial cuddling. When they brought him back, he was out for revenge on everyone, even impersonating Nightwing, making Grayson's life hard for a bit. Later, he became the new Red Hood, and has bounced in that gray hero of sometimes-villain/sometimes-hero. As of New 52, he's been put in more of a hero role as Red Hood, but it doesn't really feel right, because Jason is still that punk kid, no matter how much good he does.

As Nightwing, DC could really grow the Jason Todd character, transforming him into the hero that they so desperately want him to be. It's a matter of him taking the name and costume of Nightwing, then having the Bat-Fam (one or more of them, over time) that if he's going to wear Grayson's costume, then he has to live up to the name. It's learning to honor the legacy that he's taken on that transforms Todd into the hero he needs to be.

Later, when Grayson inevitably returns, it would be really cool to see Todd hand the Nightwing mantle back to him, but appropriate the Blue Beetle costume and Bug, reminding us of the way he first lifted Batman's tires. At this point though, he should be hero enough that it's accepted that he'll be a great Blue Beetle... with a little bit of a JT-twist to make him still his own man. This would also draw Blue Beetle into the Bat-Fam- something I am always looking for DC to do.

@cbishop: I thought Dick got it from Superman?

Post-COIE, he got the Nightwing name from a story Supes told him of a Kryptonian vigilante that was sort of a mix between Batman and Hawkman, named Nightwing.

Pre-COIE, Nightwing & Flamebird were the Batman & Robin of the Bottled City of Kandor- Nightwing (Batman) was Supes, who had no powers inside the bottle, and Flamebird (Robin) was Jimmy Olsen. (I think that Bruce & Dick actually pulled the Nighwing & Flamebird gig once to help Supes out [I think]). At the time, Dick created the Nightwing persona to honor both of his mentors at once- a much cooler origin than that contrived Kryptonian vigilante stuff.

When I said Dick created the identity, I was thinking in terms of Bruce didn't, so it's really not for him to approve or disapprove who gets it next, like he's done with Robin and Batgirl in the past.

What would be the purpose of a character adopting the Nightwing name and costume?...

Nightwing isn't a set of superpowers or gadgets, nor is he a symbol or a protector of a certain city, etc. If Bluebird or whoever started calling themselves Nightwing, what changes...?

And since it doesn't mean anything, why does anyone have to be 'qualified' to call themselves Nightwing and dress up like he did?

I also have to say, the Nightwing name is cheesy. It doesn't mean anything. It's just two cool words put together.

Personally I hope Dick never becomes Nightwing again

Never liked the idea of different characters taking over other "mantles". Just stick with, or make your own.

@marcohtx:

I pick Alfred!

On a more serious note:

If it had to be someone I would go with Harper Row or Cassandra Cain but I like them in their own persona better. It would be cool to see Dick switching from his spy-persona to nightwing for different missions. That's basically what I hope for Grayson or a new Nightwing series to be once the Spyral storyline ends.

Don't know if Nightwing is an identity that needs to be passed on, it's not essential the way Batman became. But if it was to be, I'd rather it was Dick who passed it on rather than someone else handing it over or taking it. As for the candidates... Cain, gotta be Cassandra Cain. Duke and Harper just seem like the kind of disposable characters that will either die or just vanish (and then die) once Snyder moves away from Batman.

Dick should go back to Nighwing until he's an older man ready to retire from superhero life. Then he can pick up this spy stuff. After that you can give it to the only alternative choice IMO Cassandra Cain.

I don't think any of the characters in this list have to make Nightwing, because everyone there already has its own identity. Nightwing don't is a title that should pass as the Flash, Green Lantern and etc.

What if we go the extreme route and do what happened when Dick was Batman; bring back the Kryptonian Nightwing and Firebird?

@cbishop: gotcha

Harper Row has no business being in the Bat-Family, much less being Nightwing.

I think if they do get a new nightwing it might be talon Calvin rose because on the batman thanksgiving thing it teased spoiler coming back and there was also a blonde nightwing

And Tim would be a bad nightwing along with Cassandra and Stephanie but the rest would be fine but best would be uhh nightwing pennyworth

Dick Grayson is coming back to Gotham

Cassandra Cain hasn't even appeared in Post Flashpoint yet.

@rubear said:

@marcohtx:

Explain why Tim's called 'Condom Head'?

I hope its Cassie just so she exist in the new 52.

Is Nightwing even good enough to deserve being called a mantle and being passed? He's not a legend like batman or anything.

Duke or Cassandra

I think Duke is being made into the Lark. The Lark character has been popping up a lot lately, what with the hallucination mentioned in the article and also in the 75th anniversary issue it showed a Lark costume in the batcave. It seems like Snyder really wants to introduce this new character and Duke seems like the perfect fit

Honestly, I think a depowered Superman (like he is now) could make an interesting Nightwing.

" CONS: This could be a Cassie with less experience. We don't know how long she's been fighting. It'd be hard for her to graduate to the mantle without any prior connection to Batman. "

In the previous continuity, at the age of 5, Cass was already speed-blitzing assassins and mercenaries, to the point that it toke high-film-cameras just to see her moving...not to mention dodging bullets at point blank and tanking bullets without even flinching.

Anyway, Cass i'd say, its out of question, in a recent interview the main artist for the weekly series Tony Daniel, said this words: "Cass won't be Batgirl or anything like that", pretty much implying that she won't have a specific code-name, or at least not one that we would recognise.

As for the others, Tim its already Red Robin and Harper Row it's already Blue Bird, so we are down to Duke and Carrie Kelly. (no disrespect to Carrie, but Duke gets my vote).

I would say, "Anyone but Stephanie Brown", but I'm pretty sure I'm just naturally biased against her.

Harper Row? Nah. She needs to come into her own, and as much as I like her personality and how she makes up for her combat inexperience by being tech savvy (which automatically sets her apart from the others), she needs to be her own character. But I'm not a fan of the name Bluebird, or her color scheme.

Duke Thomas? Maybe. In the future, possibly. But not now. Make him his own character, set apart from Robin. In fact, if Dick Grayson is brought back into Gotham (or just starts back being a vigilante), then make Duke Thomas his sidekick. I like him.

Tim Drake? He's better off as Red Robin. Just change his costume.

Cassie Cain? She'd probably be the best fit, but again, she deserves to be her own character. Plus she hasn't even been established in the main continuity yet. Give her some time first.

I think this entire article is kind of jumping the gun.

@scouterv: You are correct but for the purposes of this discussion we are only talking about the name "Nightwing" as it relates to Dick Grayson and the Batman mythos. Chris Kent and that non cannon Superman story line are not relevant at the moment. At least not beyond recognition of the fact that in the original origin of Nightwing Dick got the name from stories Superman had told him about a Kryptonian folk hero.