DC Reveals Dick Grayson Met [SPOILER] Before Batman, Forever Changing Gotham History

Summary Dick Grayson's childhood encounter with Deadman was a crucial turning point, shaping his destiny as a hero.

Nightwing has been struggling with a fear of heights affecting his vigilante work, a deep-rooted childhood phobia.

Without Deadman's intervention in helping Dick overcome his fear of heights, he may never have become Robin.

WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Nightwing #116!Nightwing and Batman share one of the longest-standing relationships in the DC Universe, but a recent revelation shows that Dick Grayson met a Justice League member even before he encountered the Dark Knight. This early encounter was no insignificant passing either—it was a crucial turning point. Without this hero's intervention, Dick might never have become Robin, reshaping his entire destiny.

Dick's childhood encounter with Deadman confirms that it was always his destiny to be connected to the hero community and become a hero himself.

For over a year now, Nightwing has been struggling with the resurgence of his childhood fear of heights. This phobia has severely hindered the Original Boy Wonder, as much of his vigilante work involves jumping off buildings and grappling across the city.

With Dick gearing up to face his latest adversary, Heartless, he decides it's time to conquer this fear once and for all. In Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Nightwing #116, Dick takes the first step by seeking out the man who helped him overcome this fear when he was a child—Boston “Deadman” Brand.

DC Reveals Dick Grayson Met Boston “Deadman” Brand Before He Met Batman In Wild Twist

In previous issues, Taylor revealed through flashbacks that Dick developed a severe fear of heights as a child after falling from the trapeze rigging. In issue #116, Taylor uses flashbacks again to show how young Dick eventually overcame this fear. The flashback depicts a young Dick Grayson approached by a man who has taken over for the Flying Graysons, as Dick had begged his parents to stop performing after his fall. The man, while content with his new job, expresses that he would rather be out of a job than never see the Flying Graysons fly again.

He then offers to teach Dick to overcome his fear of heights so that he and his parents can return to the air where they belong. When Dick agrees, the acrobat introduces himself as Boston Brand. The flashback ends here, but as many fans know, Boston Brand would eventually die and become the iconic Justice League Dark hero, Deadman. Although Brand wasn’t Deadman at the time of his meeting with Dick, he is still technically the first hero Nightwing ever met. In a way, this encounter confirms that it was always Dick’s destiny to be connected to the hero community and become a hero himself.

Dick Grayson Would Never Have Become Robin If It Wasn’t For Deadman

Even though fans don’t yet know how Brand helped Dick overcome his fear of heights as a child, we do know that the older hero was successful, as Dick went on to become the fearless, building-jumping Robin. In a way, Boston is more responsible for Dick becoming Robin than Batman. Without Boston’s intervention, John and Mary Grayson might have given up acrobatics for good and never fallen to their deaths. Even if the Graysons did still fall, without Deadman's help, Nightwing might have never overcome his fear of heights and thus never become Robin.

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Nightwing #116 is available now from DC Comics!

NIGHTWING #116 (2024) Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Bruno Redondo

Colorist: Adriano Lucas

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artist: Bruno Redondo