Does Justice League Unlimited take away from Nightwing’s growth?

There’s no doubt that Dick Grayson a.k.a. Nightwing was the MVP of the DC Universe over the last three years. It started in Tom Taylor’s Nightwing when Dick became a billionaire and used the money to make Bludhaven safer for its citizens. That was on a smaller scale. He continued to grow during two major DC crossovers.

During Dark Crisis, Dick saved the multiverse while the veteran heroes weren’t available. That led to him being offered the job of leading the Justice League. Instead of accepting the offer, Dick put the Titans at the forefront of saving the world. He knew he needed his team and not a random group of heroes. It was a decision that protected the universe during Beast World.

In the newest DC Comics crossover Absolute Power, Nightwing proved his worth. When the older heroes argued about who should lead, Nightwing gave a speech letting everyone know he was in charge. It inspired everyone and made Batman proud. It was the moment that defined Dick Grayson as a bigger hero, better leader, and future face of DC Comics. Unfortunately, it’s unclear if DC Comics DC All In Special slowed down or halted Nightwing’s momentum.

During DC All In Special, the superhero community came together and created Justice League Unlimited. Like the animated show, this brought together multiple heroes from across the universe. The idea was for the heroes to come to the fresh and futuristic Watchtower to talk, plan, exchange information, and more. This way they wouldn’t be sideswiped by a villain like Amanda Waller again.

It was a great idea. What Amanda Waller did to the world shouldn’t have happened. If communication between heroes was better, The Wall could’ve been stopped earlier. At the very least they could have been better prepared. However, the problem is from a reader’s standpoint. It seemed like all the work of making Nightwing the hero of the future and leader of the new age stopped now that the Justice League is back. Was it all for nothing?

Dick Grayson has the skills of Batman, the heart of Superman, and the compassion of Wonder Woman. He also has the trust of every hero on Earth and beyond. He’s not too corny, overly goofy, and has both a sensitive side and can get rough with the best of him. This was before he had the best few years of his career.

Everything that’s happened recently just proved he was the one DC Comics should put their faith in. And it worked. People loved Dick Grayson. Tom Taylor's Nightwing was so good that many issues got second printings. Now that the Justice League is back and opening its doors to tons of heroes, where does that leave Dick and the Titans?

As much as everyone loves Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, seeing a different superhero team leading the way was refreshing. Fans want something new from their comics and the rising of Dick Grayson and the Titans were doing that.

It’s too early to judge what will happen. Whether in the Watchtower in space or on Earth in Titans Tower, the plan could still be for Nightwing to be crucial in the decisions regarding protecting Earth. If not, the last three years, the build-up, and the big moments during Absolute Power were pointless. Here’s hoping that isn’t the case. Stay tuned to Caped Crusades to see if Nightwing remains on top.