With all the news about the new tweaks and changes happening in September when DC's "New 52" debuts, one question has been focused on Dick Grayson and why he is returning to his Nightwing guise after having a successful run as Batman. Nightwing writer, Kyle Higgins, answers a few questions and lays out what it means for Dick to return to being Nightwing.

Comic Vine: Do you feel it's a step back for Dick to go from Batman to Nightwing?

Kyle Higgins: You know, I've been getting this question a lot lately and I have to admit I don't see it that way. Here's the reality of the situation-- Batman was NEVER Dick's identity. It was Bruce's, and it'll always BE Bruce's. Dick filled in, eventually becoming more and more comfortable in the role, but deep down he knew it was going to end-- it had to. And the question of "is it a demotion" is silly-- is it a demotion to go back to being YOU?

This isn't an ego thing for Dick. WE, as fans, view the situation differently because we want our favorite characters to be "A-listers." We want them to be in more books, we want them to be popular, and to a lot of people, Dick Grayson has never been more popular than he was as Batman-- I mean, he was BATMAN! And everyone around the world knows who Batman is. But think about this within the world of Gotham and the DC Universe-- specifically, without breaking the fourth wall: Batman isn't a job you aspire to within your superhero career. It isn't like being an actor and hoping to one day play James Bond (or play Batman for that matter) in a movie-- Dick isn't sitting there going, "you know, it'd be really great for my career if I got to be Batman someday..." And that, to me, is because what these heroes are all doing is part of a higher calling-- Dick isn't being a hero for personal glory. Dick does what he does because he likes helping people.

Now, where I WOULD say it runs the risk of being a demotion-- if I don't do my job right-- is in the villain area. As Batman, Dick went up against the best of the best-- he went up against a rogues gallery (new and old) that put him to the ultimate test. And a lot of those characters are Bruce's villains-- they're villains of Batman. So my job is to come up with new threats that will test Dick as Nightwing just as thoroughly.

CV: Will Nightwing focus more on solo Dick adventures or will we see other Bat-family members pop in (Bruce, Barbara, etc)?

KH: It's a little bit of both-- I mean, Dick is a social character with relationships all around the DCnU and the Bat family. I do want to (and plan to) work Bruce, Damian, Barbara and Tim in-- at the same time, we're focusing a lot on Nightwing solo gigs. Like I said above-- I want to build his world back up with a rogues gallery that tests and challenges him... and I want to get him back to being him.

CV: The solicit for #1 mentions Haley's Circus coming to Gotham, does Dick plan on sticking around Gotham or will he try to find a new "Bludhaven"?

KH: Dick will still be "based" in Gotham, but we're getting him out on the road again with Haley's Circus. The way I look at it is this-- Dick just spent a year being someone else, upholding their legacy, as Gotham tried to break him. When Haley's comes back for the first time since the death of Dick's parents, it provides an opportunity for Dick to rediscover and explore HIS legacy (and what his life SHOULD have been)-- which is all part of him being able to grow as both a hero and a person.

Scott [Snyder] has done a brilliant job in Detective Comics of establishing Dick in Gotham-- of getting him back to the one city he's been avoiding. I'm going to play off that still, but in a slightly different way. And again, I want to assure people-- this isn't Dick running away because Bruce is back. To me, he's not narcissistic or vein in the way that he'd turn his back on a place just to spite Bruce (not at this point).

CV: How much of Dick's civillain guise will we see?

KH: A LOT. We've got a ton of supporting characters, a lot of circus members, some love interests...

CV: Will you be using characters (like James Gordon Jr, Sonia Zucco, etc) and story elements from Scott Snyder's Detective run?

KH: I'd love to use those two in particular, and certainly I love what Scott's been doing-- like I said, my choice to base Dick in Gotham (when he's not traveling) is because of Scott's run. But there's also a big push for "new," regardless of the Bat books maintaining a lot of their continuity. This IS the DCnU, so we're really looking to the future instead of mining the past.

CV: Why had Dick chosen red for his new costume?

KH: That was actually something that was chosen before I came on the project-- it is part of the new direction though. I mean, Dick's making a lot of changes-- the circus, going back to being Nightwing... to me he just decided to try something different.

CV: Thanks Kyle. Now we at least have an idea why Dick is returning to being Nightwing. It doesn't sound as if there's a falling out between Dick and Bruce. It's simply a logical choice. And we will be seeing Dick both in Gotham and on the road starting in September with Nightwing #1.

Interesting that he named Barbara and not Starfire.. That should make all the Dick/Barbara fans happy =)

I present to you: Nightwing!.... And the happiest bat you'll ever see?

The real Batman is back, but he's been there for a while, but i know what Kyle means. You can't have two Batmans, but there were a lot of Batmans before Dick and who knows, he may have to pick it up again when Bruce gets hurt, sick or stuck in time again when he has to fight through the past.

I was going to get this series, but now I'm definitly going to get it! looks fun!

Sounds like this will be a good run since it's been explained right.

Don't mind Dick going back to being nightwing, so long as his character development still progresses and he gets his own rogues gallery

so the costume change is just not a big deal. well I'm a little disappointed with that.

Interesting that he named Barbara and not Starfire.. That should make all the Dick/Barbara fans happy =)

AWESOME he's back as nightwing. He was always best in that role IMO

I still much prefer Dick staying as Batman, but I'm still going to pick this up.

isn't the red Nightwing, the Renegade costume when dick tried to act as a villain under deathstroke

I still much prefer Dick staying as Batman, but I'm still going to pick this up.

Nicely done. I like how it was said that it wasn't a demotion, because its just Dick going back to what makes him HIM. Nothing more.  After all people, we all knew Dick's Batman days would have to come to en end, and now he's back in his true element. Great stuff!

This book is def in the pull list.

I don't like how they made it sound like Dick was never suppose to be Batman. I know this is suppose to be him just making his own path. But wasn't Dick being Robin Batman's way of preparing Dick to be the next Batman? I liked Dick as Batman, I know it's Bruce's role and Bruce is back but I liked Dick better this way. Wally West was the first of the Teen Titans to fulfill the sidekick transition by becoming the Flash. I know Dick has done this before when Bruce was broken by Bane but this was what I saw as him doing the same thing.  Dick is a great character and I am a little disappointing by this. 

Great interview. 
And ya know, seeing Higgins' answers here, I think I'm going to add this title to those I'm trying out in September.  Sounds super interesting with the idea of Dick being part of the circus again and being kind of a "traveling vigilante".  It's something different that sounds really fun.

His first answer
That is what I've been saying ever since he became Batman.

can they please change his name to Richard? i mean who really calls themselves "Dick" nowadays?

Interesting that he named Barbara and not Starfire.. That should make all the Dick/Barbara fans happy =)

This...sounds... AWESOME!!!!

Nice interview.He's exactly right,going back to being you is not a demotion

I don't like how they made it sound like Dick was never suppose to be Batman. I know this is suppose to be him just making his own path. But wasn't Dick being Robin Batman's way of preparing Dick to be the next Batman? I liked Dick as Batman, I know it's Bruce's role and Bruce is back but I liked Dick better this way. Wally West was the first of the Teen Titans to fulfill the sidekick transition by becoming the Flash. I know Dick has done this before when Bruce was broken by Bane but this was what I saw as him doing the same thing.  Dick is a great character and I am a little disappointing by this. 

this is the second interview with Higgins that I've read and I've got to say....he knows the character....anyone who's been saying that Dick going back to his Nightwing identity is a step back never knew the character....Dick is Nightwing....the whole time he was filling in for Bruce he was Nightwing wearing a Batman costume...even other characters knew that he wasn't the real Batman...if he would have stayed as Batman then it would just be more of him walking in Bruce's shadow...I'd rather see him forge his own path than walk behind Bruce

I definitely agree w/ Mr. Higgins, Grayson going back as Nightwing is not a step back!
I can't wait to read this!

I'm a little less excited for this now to be honest. Dick Traveling with the Circus? Meh, not my cup of tea. That being said Higgins' doing a fine job of writing him on Gates of Gotham so I'll give it a chance and see how it strikes me. 

I am definitely planning on picking this up

Now I'm even more hyped about this series. Great interview. Can't wait.

this is the second interview with Higgins that I've read and I've got to say....he knows the character....anyone who's been saying that Dick going back to his Nightwing identity is a step back never knew the character....Dick is Nightwing....the whole time he was filling in for Bruce he was Nightwing wearing a Batman costume...even other characters knew that he wasn't the real Batman...if he would have stayed as Batman then it would just be more of him walking in Bruce's shadow...I'd rather see him forge his own path than walk behind Bruce

Not quite sure about Dick joining the circus, i think its something i'll have to just have to wait and see in practice. Could be interesting, the part about the opportunity for Dick to rediscover and explore his legacy, and what his life should have been has me intrigued. Though just a little confused on how Nightwing fits into it, does he go around patrolling a different town or city night after night, or does the circus just attract a bunch of bad guys or something.

Watching people backpeddle the backtrack is annoying. 
 
Admit it.  DC F&cked the character, we're bringing it back. 
 
The only way to do this is to have a falling out w/ Bruce.

The obsession with the circus thing always amuses me a bit.
 
Dick was what - 8, 9, 10 when he left the circus and joined the lifestyle of a Playboy millionaire?  He'd probably only really have about five years worth of memory about the circus. It's funny to me that they obsess over it so much. I'll give it a chance, of course, and I'm glad the other Batfamily members are going through the book (not that I doubt). I wonder if they'll actually deal with him feeling guilt over basically abandoning Damian, the abandoned kid, or if everyone will be fine and indifferent to the development.

This still sounds like bull. Dick evolved past Nightwing and now is being shunted back because... that still isn't being said. Also, claiming Nightwing is Dick's persona like Batman is Bruce's is a false setup. If that were the case then there will never be anyone who can take up the mantle of Robin, because really Dick is the original Robin. That is a slap in the face of Tim Drake and Damian Wayne, both of whom have taken the Robin persona unto themselves and made it their own before it was passed on. Saying Dick IS Nightwing takes away from his growth. He is no more Nightwing than Chris Kent was or Supergirl was. Nightwing was a Kryptonian hero whose name was given to Dick by Superman when Dick struck out on his own to find himself. This return to Nightwing when he had become more than that just seems disingenuous. Good luck to the writer, I won't be picking this up though.

Good info, I definitely can't wait to read this series, but I wish he'd go back to his blue outfit, Red has always felt like Tim's color and blue was Dick's, just my personal opinion.

I dig it.
 
Dick is still the man.

well have to buy and read to see how it is but im not liking him staying in gotham as a helper instead of having his own city.

Okay then~
Though I wish they could do away with the red bring back some blue into his costume. I mean, this look gives an "evil"-sort of vibe, like whenever Deathstroke mind-controles/manipulates/brainwash the Bat-crew.

Nice interview. I  added this series to my pull list.

I fail to understand how other thinks going back to Nightwing is a downgrade for Dick. Its a step forward!  
 
Sure, he has established himself as being a super awesome Batman! But that's just it, its BATMAN. He was able to fill Batman's shoes, bravo, but there's a complete and total difference of walking a mile in someone else's shoes and walking that mile in your own.  
 
I agree that yes, Dick did make the Robin persona, but it makes sense that he has left it behind. He had his falling out with Bruce, therefore having a fall out with his Robin identity- and grew and made a new mantle to live by, Nightwing! Nightwing is something totally Dick has made his own and becoming a leader (outside, titans, etc, etc) instead of a sidekick. 
 
That isnt to say Robin, isnt an awesome mantle to take up, and that the others arent doing it justice. But if you look at the history of Robins, the side kick costume and name, really is a LAUNCHING point for each of them to bigger and better things. Dick became Nightwing, Jason moved on to Red Hood, and Tim has become Red Robin.  
 
Long and short of it: Im happy Dick is taking up his Nightwing mantle, its HIS. 

dick is not Bruce and Bruce IS the only Batman just like clark IS the only superman but most people are just too stupid to understand that fact.