#nighting

IS HE WEARING A JACKET

OVER HIS OUTFIT

I wish I could make this post a little more detailed. But this is a team book, not a solo book. I'm using Marv Wolfman's New Teen Titans as a source, because I'm not going back to the 30s when he was 7 and mainly written to be a role model for kids. I don't see where that'd get us.

Writing standards change, and that's how it be.

And I started from the beginning. So yes, a lot of this will be developed. I have to say that, because a few times when I make posts like this, people think I'm acting like characters can't change.

I'm just saying there's a base to the character you should probably understand above anything else if you're going to give the character a shot, reading or writing wise.

If you go too far from the base. You get into the realm of missing the point more often than not. Possibly even just straight up getting them entirely wrong.

These early stories focus hard on making sure you get who they are for a reason.

And I've said this a few times in different posts about different characters, so it's probably tiring for me to say it again for anyone that follows me.

But good character development adds, it doesn't take away.

Got that?

I know you don't Tom Taylor. Stop turning everyone into boot-leg Spider-Man's. I get it already! You had success with him.

(Do you like me yet? See I criticized him too. I do genuinely despise his writing though. He barely knows how to make people individuals.)

Let's begin already I've gone on long enough:

Dick gets more confidence around as the series go on. But I'll include this anyway, since it's important context to knowing the nature of Bruce and Dick's evolving relationship, and why Dick would later become Nightwing.

Although, really, he still shows a lot of confidence here, but that youthful defensive kind, that would soften into a more usual confidence as he goes he learns a lot from being the leader of the New Titans.

And some people call Dick an optimist, but I think it's more accurate to say he's ultimately a realist who has moments where both optimism and cynicism can sink in depending on the quality of his life.

Much like a real person. It's a very nice trait for him to have. Keeps him real while surrounded by all these abnormal and astonishing things.

He's also respectable, and overall polite, but has it in him to get stern when he isn't pleased. He's no longer a total boy scout role model for the little ones. He's becoming a man now.

One of his biggest traits though I've noticed across the series as I've read it so far is that he has a lot of pride. It seems to be one of his main motivations as a character. His pride in himself and his friends.

It seems to me, that's one of the reasons why he's not on good terms with Batman. He thinks Batman constantly undermines him, and it takes shots at this pride of his.

And the thing about pride is, it can be a good trait, or a bad trait, depending on when it's applied. So have fun, campers, with that one. You might get a lot out of it.

There's some of that sterness again. He wants respect and to be taken seriously. He's not a total jerk about it. But he will make it known. It's done in a way I would consider nicely balanced. Shows a thing about him that if it was in another situation could become a negative of it, but isn't overall.

And there's a little bit of a temper with him. Though, honestly, I don't think he really showed much of a temper in this specific situation until Wally punched him in the damn face. I know he grabbed Raven, but she literally disappears into thin air. How else is he supposed to get her attention before she does that? She's a mysterious witch who they don't know.

Like, oh, pardon him for making sure they aren't being led into a trap. Oh how freaking dare he.

Sorry, I really don't like Wally in this series. He's insufferable.

Because, as well, he's learned by this point in his life to not always be trusting. He isn't naive in the slightest. He's a person of experience, and he shows he knows what he's doing at many turns.

This? What character trait is he showing here?

I dunno. I just put this here because I thought it was funny.

During this part of the story where the New Teen Titans are being used and controlled, I think it's a cool way to show the depths of Dick's frustrations with Batman, without risking him coming across as unlikable by doing this through his own natural behaviors.

Gives you a peak into his brain, and what ails him.

I sort of like his early need to keep proving himself too.

This would also diminish as he became full on Nightwing, and was properly his own man who finally gets the respect he deserves. But still fun to show it here regardless.

I love how commanding he is through his confidence. He doesn't back down, and refuses to be seen as lesser. That's really respectable.

He's saying this to the Justice League.

The most powerful force on their Earth.

Balls of steel.

Look at this, man. He doesn't care if you took him in. If he thinks you messed up, you'll hear about it from him himself.

It's that pride of his again coming out.

He's still a very caring person though. He's stern, and can get aggressive when he feels disrespected. That's not to say he's some grumpy jerk. Just don't push him around or undermine him.

Dick's a lovely dude to have as a friend overall.

A skill of his seems to be a certain level of emotional intelligence. Not always with himself. But he's not Batman. Dick is no fool as we've seen. And he is right here. So the best way I can describe it is Dick being good at reading people when it matters most.

His greatest strength of all though is how he's a natural leader.

It's why he's here.

And to book-end it for now--

He sort of says it for himself how he feels. I can't imagine I need to spell it out for you any further.

There's still more to learn. This is a long series, but my tabs were getting overwhelmed with screenshots. And I figured this is a wonderful (Get it? WONDERful. Yeah, I know, it's not funny.) place to get to the basics of the character.

As I learn more, I'll make another posts where we get more into the depths of the guy. Where you get more out of what makes him tick, and define who is, instead of only basic traits he shows when interacting with people.

'Cause we all know there's more to this complex man than this alone.

Hopefully you'll be there with me when we get that.

And if so, see ya then.

Edit:

Dick tries to be a peacekeeper if he can. At least when he sees no benefit of being anything but.

Bruce: Tread lightly around the stealth lessons.

Dick: He's not actually talking about my lessons. He's talking about your lessons in smiling.

Bruce: ...

Dick to Clark: Work in progress.