Nightwing's "Family" Totally Outclasses the Bat-Family as Batman's First Sidekick Expands His Network

Summary Nightwing has a family just as big, if not bigger, than the Bat-Family, thanks to his ability to rally allies in Blüdhaven.

Nightwing's network includes ex-girlfriend Bea Bennett, Batgirl aka Barbara Gordon, the Birds of Prey, and even Superman and the Titans.

Building a found family is Batman's real mission, one he's passed down to Nightwing, who's created a strong unit in the DC Universe.

Warning: Spoilers for Nightwing #113 / #300!Batman's greatest pupil truly takes after his adoptive father as Nightwing has built a family of his own even bigger than the Bat-Family. As Robin, Dick Grayson was among the first inductees into the Bat-Family. He'd eventually exit the Batcave to forge his own path once he grew older, but he never forgot Batman's most important lessons, beyond just hand-to-hand skills.

Batman's most important lesson is all about finding and building a found family, something Dick makes evident in Nightwing #113 / #300 (Legacy) by Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott. Knowing Heartless is watching him, Nightwing lets him know that if Heartless wants a war in Bludhaven, he should know he isn't the only one with an "army."

At first glance, one may assume Nightwing is referring to Gotham's Bat-Family, but with the fate of Bludhaven on the line, he has to be referring to the allies he's acquired in his resident city.

Who's in the Nightwing Family?

Listing the Soldiers in his "Army"

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While the Bat-Family can be considered members of his army by association, it's most important to look at the allies Nightwing has outside of his original superhero family. The most recent is Dick's ex-girlfriend Bea Bennett aka Captain Blud. Their past history of lovers back when Dick Grayson was quite literally a different person made their working relationship difficult, not to mention awkward for a while, but the two were able to work past it to become respectable allies. By proxy, that gives Nightwing access to Bea's Secret Society, if he ever needs the extra help.

Then there's Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl, or "Girl Nightwing" as her reputation in Bludhaven perceives. She's Nightwing's ride-or-die, so she'd go to war in any army for him. Plus, much like with Bea's Secret Society, his relationship with Oracle puts him in contact with the Birds of Prey. Speaking of, the Birds are seen in this comic watching Dick and Barbara receive the key to Bludhaven at story's end, as are Superman and the other members of the Kent homestead. The same can be said of the Titans, who Nightwing surely has at the front of his mind whenever discussing an army.

Nightwing has several people in his network willing to go to war for him and fight on his behalf.

The ending of this comic illustrates exactly what kind of army that Nightwing has at his disposal and who else is a part of his army by association. Nightwing has several people in his network willing to go to war for him and fight on his behalf. This isn't just because he's Batman's adopted son, and he isn't formulating these relationships for that reason alone. Nightwing is able to build these connections off his own strength, especially the ones in Bludhaven he's built completely independent of who he is as Batman's ex-sidekick. It speaks to the best skill he has at his disposal.

Nightwing Taps into His Best Skill

He Knows How to Rally the Troops for a War

Nightwing's best skill isn't one that he learned from Batman or even Alfred. His best skill is one that just comes naturally to him. This ability is best described by Nightwing himself back when this skill manifested as a superpower (or "semblance") in the DC/RWBY crossover: Nightwing has a knack for inspiring others. During Dark Crisis, he wills the entire DC Universe to join his side against a Multiversal threat. When all seems lost, he gains everyone's trust, getting them to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel as long as they follow his lead.

Nightwing gets people to believe in not only his mission, but also in themselves. He gets people to see the greatness in themselves. It may seem like a simple explanation, but he makes people feel great to the point they feel inspired to want to do great things for Nightwing, if not with him. He knows how to build upon relationships in evolving ways. He can look to Superman, a former mentor, as a friend on equal footing in the same way he can form a partnership with Bea after an unfortunate breakup.

Nightwing doesn't burn bridges with people and is naturally hard to dislike, making it all the easier for these relationships to evolve. Once he becomes too old to mentor, he has an ally for life. If a romance doesn't blossom, he has a new friend and colleague. This is all because Nightwing is someone everyone in the DC Universe wants to be around whenever possible. If he wanted, he could be everyone's friend (to Superman's displeasure). He has formed the basis of a found family with all of these different people with varying results, following in the footsteps of another mentor.

Building a Found Family is Batman's Real Mission

Bruce Passed This Lesson Down to Nightwing

Tim Drake once told Batman that he needs a Robin, but the truth is that Batman needs a family more than anything.

The root of Batman's stories, once broken down, is all about the importance of found family, especially for Batman himself. Many of his stories center around what goes wrong when he isn't surrounded by a support system for too long. The infamous Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive storyline is one example of how dark Batman can go when he lacks the warmth, empathy, and support of a family to keep him stable. Tim Drake once told Batman that he needs a Robin, but the truth is that Batman needs a family more than anything.

The same can be said for Nightwing, as many of his successes in Bludhaven could not have happened without the help of a pirate, an Oracle, or even a landlord to help him when he's needed it. That's another important distinction about Dick: the allies in Nightwing's network aren't all superheroes. They include civilians who have warmed up to Nightwing's presence, not unlike the relationship Batman has built with people like Commissioner Gordon, who assist him when needed. Nightwing embraced Batman's philosophy of creating a found family, constantly adding multiple resources from multiple walks of life to his network.

One can argue that, by putting this all into practice, Nightwing is creating a cycle of found families across the DC Universe, all there to catch each other when they fall. That's what the Bat -Family is about, after all. Batman is there to catch his family members when they fall too far, just as much as they are there for him. Just look at Jason Todd and imagine how much worse off he would be without Batman and Nightwing to steer him closer to the right path. One connection at a time, Dick Grayson has built the Nightwing Family into one of the strongest units in the DC Universe.

Nightwing #113/#300 is on sale now from DC Comics.