Batman Battle of the Month VOTING: Nightwing vs. Moon Knight

@jayaaerow: I'm calling it PIS. I'd explain why but we should really keep this on topic.

@monsterstomp said:

Just want to know why the plot needed Richard hitting Cassandra. And you're right, we should.

@jayaaerow: Not PIS per se.

@monsterstomp said:

Then what? O_o

@jayaaerow: Poorly written inconsistency. Does dick do it on a consistent basis? I remember one "stalemate" and one surprise drop. That's all I recall. Otherwise I'd stick with his consistent showings against Slade.

@monsterstomp said:

I recall 4 physical engagements between both characters. First time in comic chronologically, He uses Cassy as a reaction dummy in the Bruce Wayne Fugitive arc. He didn't touch her until a little later. She allowed him too. The second time, she dodged and block his attacks in the Batgir solol book. Some say it was serious fight. Others(this site and DC wikia) said it was a spar. i don't know. Then the one-shot. Then the Ousiders fight is last.

There was another time where they raced and actually were tied. Wasn't a fight and were just being competitive. And it was a draw there too. In all, Dick has fought her on a serious level at least 3 times. The first time I laid out, he was being nice and even modest in saying that he wouldn't worry about accidentally touching her. However, the other 3 were on a level of seriousness. Nightwing was fighting her(spar or not, I don't know) because he question whether or not she should use the Batcomputer. Batman interrupted and assured Nightwing she's trustworthy. Next, Cassy was going to kill DS because of him drugging her and all. Nightwing stepped in and said he had to face justice and gave her the fist of justice(he's a good guy so he was serious about it). The last one was because Cassandra had this network and was recruit those like Riddler and Vigilante. And at the time, he was still getting over Donna Troy's death so he was prone to be more serious then usual.

The times he did touch her were written by Chuck Dixon(Outsiders Issue) and Geoff Johns/Adam Beechen(Titans Issue). Make that of what you will, but him tagging Cassy doesn't seem like poor writing. Especially under these guys. They have some respect with people and the company. In any case, I don't know what more to say. :/ Simply put, him tagging her isn't putting her rep or capabilities down in any way. She still takes down Shiva, something he can't do. It's not that absurd to the point you have to question who was writing it.

@jayaaerow: Damn bro.

@monsterstomp: .____. Did I do something?

Nightwing blindfolded would be a closer fight! MoonKnight? Really? Nightwing wins.

O god i love both but gotta go with nightwing since hez smarter than moon knight

JEEZ! As much as I enjoyed moon knight, he shouldn't be THAT much of a problem to any of the bat-members

Anything he can do, They can do better.

Leaning towards nightwing all though I will wait a day.

Your underestimating moon knight.

Last day to vote.

your an idiot

Based on my own knowledge and the last three pages I'm going for to close to call. Both the combatants are having great fighting styles and have an amazing determination to win.

Before reading the last three pages I was leaning towards Moon knight because he is more ruthless than Dick and his willing to take some hits . But after reading some really good arguments on the last paiges for Batman apprentice and after a week of thinking NW,MK,NW o no wait MK. I'm going for the to close to call button.

This is so close.

While I supported Moon Knight in his battle against Jason Todd several months ago, I have to back Nightwing here. But this is INCREDIBLY close. Here's my breakdown:

Strength: I think Moon Knight has the edge in strength, but it's a slight edge that is almost negligible. Against someone like Nightwing, strength will only matter if you can hit him square, otherwise he is so agile he can "roll with the punches" (so to speak) and not take the full blunt force of them. Which brings me to the nest factor...

Speed/Agility: This is Dick's element. An acrobat since he was a child, he has speed and reflexes that put Batman to shame. Dick is a supremely mobile combatant. He will use various angles and even his environment to his advantage but that all starts with his mobility and capability to leap and flip around his enemies.

Durability: Let's be honest, Moon Knight has this in spades. Dick has some great showings of durability and pain tolerance (his battle with Talon William Cobb where he's stabbed several times but fights on, albeit weakly, comes right off the top of my head), but he is not in Moon Knight's league. Moon Knight has shown durability and pain threshold on a level that would seem to be above his power level, but he has done so so consistently it's impossible to argue as PiS. Moon Knight takes the edge here.

Skill: Both are very experienced, very capable combatants. Nightwing is far better trained, and has defeated tough enemies that even the likes of Batman has struggled with. Again, referencing the Talons since they are on my mind, Nightwing fought two in a row without rest. One while saving the mayor of Gotham, then immediately afterward he was ambushed and battled Cobb. Batman himself had issues with Talons, so this speaks to Nightwing's skill. Moon Knight is trained, and capable, but has always seemed a bit more a brawler.

Equipment: Again, Nightwing's game. Moon Knight carries a small gear set into combat, but Dick was trained by the gadget-master, and follows his training well. Between wing-dings, electrical escrima sticks, wrist darts, grapple gun, shock gauntlets, and the bat-suit, Nightwing has near an arsenal at his disposal. Moon Knight does carry weapons of his own, such as his moon crescents, but not as much gear as Nightwing.

Tactics: This is how they mesh the above attributes. Moon Knight is very direct, while Nightwing is not. Moon Knight is crazy, Nightwing is actually very intelligent. Nightwing uses great situational awareness and the environment to defeat an enemy, Moon Knight engages directly in an attempt to beat down his foe. Referencing the Cobb fight yet again (I think I need to re-read the whole 'Court of Owls' event, it seems to be very much on my mind) Nightwing knew he was hurt after being stuck with about half a dozen knives, so he lured Cobb to a subway. Why? Because he knew the subway pipes were filled with liquid nitrogen, and Cobb, being undead, was very susceptible to cold. This is the sort of thinking that will lead Nightwing to victory against the very tough Moon Knight.

Now, the fight basically boils down to this: Moon Knight's toughness vs Nightwing's agility. Knight can take a beating, sure, but the combined blunt force and electro-shock effect of Nightwing's escrima sticks, his unerring aim, acrobatic combat and environment use is likely to win the day for him. It boils down to which will wear you out faster: getting hit or dodging? I can take a punch to the face, and it may not disorient me, but how many times should I let that happen? It's much better to slip or weave out of the way, taking no damage at all. This is a long fight, as both characters has extreme resolve, and it is also by no means one sided. If Moon Knight can ground Grayson, and make him fight on Moon Knight's terms, negating his mobility, Moon Knight wins. Having said that, it is by no means an easy accomplishment. It's narrow, but I give it to Nightwing 6/10. This one is almost too close to call.

Awesome write up, but this isn't really true at all. I don't get why people jump to the idea that Dick is faster than Batman due to his background in acrobatics. Sure, I'll definitely give Richard the edge agility/flexibility, but Batman has been able to casually dodge every single blow Dick threw at him when he has gotten a little serious. Grayson ain't faster than Bruce.

@wolverine08: There's a supreme difference between speed and being able to read one's body mechanics. Bruce is able to keep up with metahumans faster than him because he can read their bodies and movements. It's basic martial training, but difficult to master and apply against someone faster than you. If you can predict someone's next moment based on body and weight shifts, shoulder positioning, you can anticipate what will happen next. As Batman trained Dick, it is not far-fetched to think Batman can predict Nightwing's moves because he'd recognize every movement and technique as Nightwing begins it. Your comment speaks more to Batman's skill rather than a lack of speed on Nightwing's part.

@granitesoldier: Honestly, you got me there. I guess Batman's noticeable skill edge over Dick is what lets him dance around him so nonchalantly. Thanks man.

@wolverine08: No problem, it's the whole "student vs master" thing. When someone's taught you all you know, it's hard to get the surprise on them.